The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is continuing its program to address the critical shortage of attorneys in rural Tennessee counties, while providing law students an opportunity for meaningful and enriching clerkship experiences. The Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF) will give six rising 2L, 3L or 4L law students attending Tennessee law schools the opportunity to spend six weeks of the summer as a judicial law clerk in a legal community in rural Tennessee. The program will provide a $1,000 stipend and the opportunity to work directly with judges, gaining practical legal experience and fostering connections in underserved areas. Fellows also will be invited to attend the TBA's Annual Convention in June. View a flyer and access the application for more information. The deadline to apply is Feb. 27.

Judge D. Michael Swiney officially retires from the Tennessee Court of Appeals on Jan. 12, 2026. In this profile from the Administrative Office of the Courts, he looks back on his career and ahead to what retirement might bring. Swiney views his time on the bench as an important civic duty. “I don’t want to say I was called to be a judge, but I’ve always thought that public service is important and it’s something that those of us that have the opportunity to do it need to consider it.” As for post-retirement life, Swiney and his wife Suzann continue to take that matter "under advisement." “We decided we are going to wait and then decide when the time actually arrives,” he said. “I know I’d like for at least a little while not to have anything scheduled, even if it’s supposed to be something that’s fun.” Swiney is a 1978 graduate of the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. He worked in private practice in Knoxville from 1979 to 1999. Beginning in 1994, he served as a certified mediator with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee until he was appointed to the Court of Appeals in July 1999. He also served as an adjunct professor at Winston College of Law from 1997 to 2006.

Nashville School of Law (NSL) 3L Scott Vincenti has been awarded the inaugural Bill Koch Harry Phillips American Inn of Court (AIC) Scholarship. The scholarship, years in the making, honors NSL Dean William C. Koch Jr.’s three decades of service as president of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court in Nashville. “I am grateful for the many contributions that funded this scholarship, and I am delighted that Scott Vincenti is its first recipient,” said Koch. Each year, the scholarship will be awarded to a full-time third or fourth-year student who has worked hard to stay in good academic standing, ranks in the top 20% of the class, and shares a statement of financial need. Read more in a press release from the law school.

U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan previously announced he would assume senior status on Oct. 5, 2026, after more than two decades on the federal bench in East Tennessee, allowing him to hear a reduced caseload. According to a new opinion piece in Knox News, his tenure has left a lasting imprint on Knoxville’s legal community, where he has been recognized for his public service, mentorship and long-standing civic involvement. Varlan earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and has served as a district judge for 22 years following a legal career. Varlan served as Knoxville’s law director for a decade before entering private practice and later being confirmed to the bench by the U.S. Senate.

State lawmakers are preparing for Savanna’s Law to take effect Jan. 1, 2026. According to WBIR, the law creates a public registry of domestic violence offenders. It is named for Savanna Puckett, a Middle Tennessee sheriff’s deputy killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2022, who had a history of domestic assault arrests. The law establishes a registry for individuals convicted more than once of domestic violence. Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, co-sponsored the legislation. A victim advocate at the Anderson County Family Justice Center noted that many abusers never face criminal charges and that victims often seek civil orders of protection instead. “There’s nothing you can do that can solve everything. But if we can do something that solves some of it, that’s important,” Massey said.

HELENE N. WHITE, Circuit Judge. Appellant Prime Financial seeks reversal of the bankruptcy court’s approval of a settlement agreement between the trustee of debtor TAJ Graphics Enterprises, LLC’s, bankruptcy estate, debtor’s owner Robert Kattula, and certain parties related to Kattula. Prime Financial argues that the bankruptcy and district courts applied an incorrect standard for evaluating a Chapter 7 bankruptcy settlement and improperly valued certain assets it contends belong in the bankruptcy estate. Prime Financial also raises several procedural concerns. We AFFIRM.

Memphis attorney Constance Brown has been selected to participate in the spring 2026 cohort of The Leadership Tennessee NEXT Program. The program, designed for early to mid-career professionals, focuses on personal and professional development and the advancement of knowledge on issues affecting the state. Thirty-two state leaders from 14 counties will make up the 12th cohort of the program. Brown serves on the TBA Young Lawyers Division Board and its Long Range Planning Committee and Recovery Court Program initiative.

The Petitioner, Robert Lee Adams, Jr., appeals the Tipton County Circuit Court’s denial of his post-conviction petition, seeking relief from his conviction of attempted second degree murder and resulting thirty-year sentence. On appeal, he claims that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel at trial and on direct appeal of his convictions. Based on our review, we affirm the post-conviction court’s denial of the petition.

The employee questions the trial court’s denial of benefits in this interlocutory appeal. The employee filed a petition for benefit determination in February 2025 for a back injury that occurred on March 29, 2022. Although the employer originally accepted the compensability of the accident and authorized certain medical treatment, the employer denied the claim after the employee filed his petition, asserting the statute of limitations had expired. After an expedited hearing, the court found the employee did not come forward with sufficient evidence to indicate a likelihood of prevailing at trial as to the statute of limitations issue and denied the employee’s request for benefits. The employee has appealed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s interlocutory decision and remand the case.

The TBA Mentoring Committee, in collaboration with the TBA Young Lawyers Division, will hold a special event — "Developing Lawyers, Developing Leaders: A CLE on Mentorship and Professional Excellence" — on Jan. 30 at Belmont University College of Law's Baskin Center. Make plans now to join TBA President Heidi Barcus; Marshall County General Sessions Court Judge Lee Bussart; University of Tennessee Winston College of Law professor Joan Heminway; Amy Schmisseur, chair of Belmont University's Department of Communication Studies; Joseph Hubbard of Polsinelli; and Toyin Edogun of Bass Berry & Sims as they explore topics of mentorship, leadership and communication across one's legal career. The day of "Mocktails and Mentorship" will include lunch and three hours of CLE programming, followed by a networking event and the opportunity to mix mocktails together. The program is free for law students. Register by Jan. 25.