After slipping and falling on accumulated snow and ice in the parking lot of a grocery store, a man filed a premises liability lawsuit against the store, the owner of the parking lot, and the company hired to perform snow and ice removal services for the parking lot. The trial court granted summary judgment to all of the defendants because the court found that the proof at the summary judgment stage showed conclusively that reasonable minds could not differ that the man was at least fifty percent at fault for the injuries he alleged to have suffered. Discerning that the evidence shows that a dispute of material fact exists, we reverse the trial court’s decision and remand for further proceedings.

The employee in this case has two pending claims: the first involves a compensable left shoulder injury that is the subject of a separate appeal; the second involves an alleged right shoulder injury the employee contended occurred several days before surgery on his left shoulder, when he was closing upper deck extensions on a vehicle hauler. The employer denied this second claim, asserting that the employee did not give notice of the alleged accident until more than fifteen days after its occurrence and offered no reasonable excuse for his failure to give timely notice. Following an expedited hearing on this second claim, the trial court determined the employee is not likely to prevail at trial in proving he gave timely notice of his alleged right shoulder injury or had a reasonable excuse for the failure to give timely notice, and it denied his request for medical benefits related to the right shoulder condition. The employee has appealed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s order and remand the case.

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee Chief Judge Sheryl Lipman on Monday swore in 16 military lawyers to assist the U.S. Department of Justice prosecute cases brought by the Memphis Safe Task Force. According to the Commercial Appeal, none of the former Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps attorneys were previously admitted to the Tennessee bar and will work alongside assistant U.S. attorneys as they learn local rules and procedures. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Michael Dunavant said during the ceremony that the JAG attorneys primarily will work on violent criminal cases, with some also working on gun offense cases. He later announced that 20 military lawyers have joined the effort. Lipman said she was grateful for the assistance because the "caseload has exploded," stating that, compared to each respective month in 2024, cases were up 90% in September 2025, 338% in October 2025 and 325% in November 2025.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris has named Jerri Green, his deputy chief of staff, as the county’s interim chief public defender. Phyllis Aluko, the current chief public defender, will retire at the end of January. The Daily Memphian reports that Green will begin transitioning to the new role on Jan. 12. Green holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and worked in the public defender’s office in 2009 and 2010. She currently serves on the Memphis City Council and is a Democratic candidate for governor. In a statement Green said, “My passion has always been public service, and I carry the lessons I’ve learned from Washington D.C. to Nashville to Shelby County, and everywhere in between, as I work to ensure fairness, dignity, and strong representation for every client we serve.”

Lewis "Lew" H. Conner Jr. died Jan. 4 at age 87. Connor attended Vanderbilt University for both his undergraduate and law degrees, going on to serve as a captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps with the 101st Airborne Division from 1963–1966. He entered private practice and later co-founded Dearborn & Ewing. As his private practice career unfolded, Connor’s work in complex litigation ultimately led him to pioneer alternative dispute resolution techniques in Tennessee. Widely regarded as one of the "fathers of mediation," he maintained an extraordinary record of successful resolutions. He later served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals and as a special chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Connor received the Nashville Bar Association’s highest distinction, the John C. Tune Public Service Award, as well as the Best of the Bar Lifetime Achievement Award. Visitation will be Jan. 9 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3900 West End Ave., Nashville 37205 from 10-11:15 a.m. CST, followed by a service at noon. A reception will follow at the Vanderbilt Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville 37212. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church or the Boys and Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. The Tennessean has more on Connor's life, including his many contributions to the sport of golf in the state. Read comments from Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The January/February issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is now available online and on its way to mailboxes this week! Kicking off the new year is a cover story on Nashville attorney David Cooper's journey on the Appalachian Trail with his son, Sam. He discusses "the trip of a lifetime" with TBJ Editor Julia Canada Wilburn, not only as an epic experience but one that allowed him the space to step away from practicing law and focus on his own well-being. The self care theme continues in TBA President Heidi Barcus' column on how she takes care of her own mental health, and an article from Judge Lee Bussart and LMU Law 2L Jillian McGauley explaining how the SHIELD Program in Marshall County is helping people with mental and substance use disorders get help and avoid incarceration. Columns in this issue include Eddy Smith's Where There's a Will, which looks at how modifications to Tennessee's trust laws have made the state a desirable one in which to set up trusts, and John Day explaining how tax law impacts tort law in Day on Torts. Finally, read about TBA's new pro bono portal and learn how lawyers can help people across the state, and get news and updates from The Legal Life.

TBA Young Lawyers Division District 9 Representative Ginny Blake organized an Essential Documents for Essential Workers (EDEW) Clinic at Hume Fogg High School in Nashville this month. Four volunteer attorneys assisted seven teachers with wills and power of attorneys. Six students from Belmont Law assisted and served as witnesses. See a photo from the event.

The Petitioner, Kevin Dewayne Stinnett, appeals from the Marshall County Circuit Court’s denial of his petition for post-conviction relief. The Petitioner is serving an effective eighteen-year sentence following his jury trial convictions for multiple drug-related offenses. On appeal, he contends that the post-conviction court erred in denying relief on his ineffective assistance of counsel claims related to trial counsel’s failures to: (1) move for a dismissal for one count of the indictment, (2) object to the State’s introduction of evidence, and (3) request a jury instruction. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

The Association for Women Attorneys (AWA) will hold its 44th annual banquet on Jan. 29. The event will take place at The Cadre, 149 Monroe Avenue, Memphis 38103. A cocktail hour will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. CST. This year’s event will honor Lauran Stimac, chair of Evans Petree’s litigation practice group. Read more about the banquet and purchase tickets online. To pay by check, email Faith Watson. Each ticket includes salad, dinner (chicken, fish or a vegetarian option), two sides and a dessert.

The Defendant, Billy J. Coffelt, was convicted in March 2000 by a Davidson County jury of felony escape, two counts of aggravated assault, and three counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, for which he is serving an effective ninety-year sentence. The Defendant filed a motion to correct an illegal sentence pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedure 36.1, alleging that the trial court failed to consider mitigating evidence and that his consecutive sentencing was not consistent with other similarly situated defendants. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the court erred in summarily denying relief. We affirm the judgment of the trial court.