One of the most important responsibilities of the TBA is to advocate for the legal profession and our system of justice with Tennessee lawmakers. TBA’s Government Affairs team is committed to affect positive change on behalf of Tennessee attorneys when the 2024 session of the 113th General Assembly reconvenes on Jan. 9, and we need your help! Please consider joining TBA’s Grassroots Advocacy efforts to receive action alerts as relevant policy issues arise, including indigent representation. Respond to this survey to ensure that your voice is heard. 

Chicago-area lawyer Philip Pomerance died Dec. 9 at the age of 67. A graduate of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, he began his practice in the Chicago area. He also lectured across the country on health care law and legal ethics, and taught at Loyola University’s Beasley Institute for Health Law. In 2007, he left private practice to become the chief operating officer and general counsel for Best Practices Inpatient Care Ltd. in Long Grove, Illinois. He retired in 2017 due to health issues. Pomerance was a longtime speaker at the TBA’s Health Law Forum, presenting on legal ethics at no fewer than 20 seminars. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be sent to Congregation Kneseth Israel, 330 Division St., Elgin, IL, 60120, or to the animal shelter of the donor’s choice.

TBA's Year End CLE event brings you quick and easy content, right from the comfort of your own home or office, whether you need one hour of CLE or 15. Hourly packages make it easy to get just what you need. Check out our 15.5 hour package, 12.5 hour package, 10.5 hour package, 8.5 hour package or 6 hour package, or choose your own CLE options anytime by visiting cle.tba.org to find more than 200 on-demand programs.

Learn what 150,000 legal professionals already know: LawPay is the superior solution for secure, streamlined legal payment processing. Why trust your hard-earned dollars to anyone other than the leader in legal payments? LawPay complies with IOLTA guidelines, is vetted by the ABA, and can get you paid 32% faster, saving you three billable hours daily. TBA members who sign up with LawPay this month will get up to $500 in processing fees covered through January 2024.

The TBA will present The Rookie's Guide to Personal Injury: Mastering the Basics on Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. CST. This webcast will explore essential topics such as liability determination, damage assessment and negotiation tactics. Learn the intricacies of litigation from both plaintiff and defense perspectives. Learn more and register.

The Minnesota congressman running against Joe Biden for the Democratic presidential nomination has failed to make it on the March 5 primary ballot in Tennessee, the Tennessee Journal reports. Dean Phillips did not file with the Tennessee Democratic Party before its deadline, according to State Election Coordinator Mark Goins. Phillips also did not collect the 2,500 valid voter signatures needed to bypass a decision by the party chair as to who should be automatically included on the primary ballot. Eight Republicans will be listed on the GOP ballot: Ryan Binkley, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, David Stuckenberg and Donald Trump.

The 16th annual Law Department Operation Survey from Blickstein Group and Deloitte found that a significant number of legal departments want their outside counsel to use generative AI, reports Law.com. The survey, which included 77 in-house legal and legal ops professionals from separate companie, found 68%, believe that the value of law firms’ legal services will increase if they leverage generative AI. 

Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will host two clinics this week. Tomorrow, the group will hold a clinic specifically for veterans from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. On Thursday, the group will hold a clinic from 3-4:30 p.m. at Greenhouse Ministries, 309 South Academy St., Murfreesboro 37130. All times central. Get additional information on the LAS website or volunteer to help at any of these clinics by contacting Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131.

Twenty-one people in West Tennessee are facing federal charges for their involvement in an organized drug trafficking scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. The charges are the culmination of a yearlong investigation by FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with local police departments. Read the full press release.

An audit conducted by the Tennessee's Comptroller's office has found Tennessee prisons may have violated federal law by mishandling sexual assault cases, reports the Tennessean. The report also found triple-digit staff turnover rates at CoreCivic-operated facilities. In addition, the audio showed multiple examples of TDOC and CoreCivic staff violating federal Prison Rape Elimination Act standards, including closing sexual assault investigations before receiving rape testing results. In its formal response to the audit, TDOC pledged to provide "training for the appropriate staff" to improve compliance with the federal law.