M. Lee Smith Publishers

08/14/2026

Coming Monday in TAM (Vol. 51, No. 35):

For nearly 40 years, a minor drafting error on a certified question meant automatic appellate dismissal. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court partially overrules Preston (1988) and replaces the strict "four-corners" rule with a new "question-plus-record" test.

Also featured in Monday's issue:
• Civil Procedure & Settlements: Why a court-approved consent decree can't be undone on appeal by prior interlocutory order challenges.
• Property & Easements: The Statute of Frauds and why grantors can't convey road easements across land they don't own.
• Government / First Amendment: Attorney General opinion on when elected officials can—and cannot—moderate critical comments on official social media pages.

Subscribers will receive their issue via email on Aug. 17!

08/12/2026

⚖️ This Week in Alabama Law Weekly

The August 14 edition of Alabama Law Weekly is packed with significant appellate rulings from Alabama’s courts and the Eleventh Circuit.

This week’s lead story examines the Eleventh Circuit’s decision to vacate an $811,264 retaliation judgment in an Alabama employment case after concluding that the jury was not properly instructed on what an employee must communicate for a workplace complaint to qualify as protected activity. The Court also revived Davita Key’s Title VII claims against Dynamic Security after finding that a jury must determine when she was on notice of her right to sue.

Also in this issue:

⚖️ The Alabama Supreme Court grants mandamus relief in a dispute over an insurer’s duty to defend the Greene County Commission.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The Court of Civil Appeals addresses termination of parental rights and the consequences of an untimely appeal.

💳 The Court of Civil Appeals holds that the ABC Board’s credit-card convenience fee does not violate Alabama’s statutory cap on liquor markups.

🏠 A custody-modification judgment is reversed after the trial court applied the wrong custody standard.

🇺🇸 The Eleventh Circuit addresses ineffective assistance of counsel in immigration proceedings, holding that an EOIR complaint can satisfy Matter of Lozada’s disciplinary-complaint requirement.

⚖️ Plus, a new Eleventh Circuit rulings involving habeas corpus, self-representation, sufficiency of the evidence, false arrest, excessive force, and qualified immunity.

Stay current on the appellate rulings shaping Alabama law with this week’s Alabama Law Weekly.

📖 August 14, 2026 | Vol. 35, No. 33

08/10/2026

IN THIS WEEK'S TAM (Vol. 51, No. 34):
Major Supreme Court Ruling on Civil Jury Misconduct
⚖️What happens when a juror in a medical malpractice trial conducts outside research on an EpiPen label over the weekend? In a landmark unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court overrules prior appellate precedent to establish a brand-new, two-part burden-shifting test for civil extraneous juror research.

Also in this issue:
• AI in the Courtroom: The Court of Appeals holds a pro se appellant waived all issues on appeal after filing a brief filled with AI-generated case "hallucinations" and fake citations.
• Criminal Practice: Why withholding physical discovery from an incarcerated client can be sound legal strategy.
• Sixth Circuit / ACCA: Tennessee co***ne convictions validly qualify as predicate "serious drug offenses".

📲 Subscribers can read the full issue here.

08/10/2026

IN THIS WEEK'S TAM (Vol. 51, No. 34): Major Supreme Court Ruling on Civil Jury Misconduct.
⚖️What happens when a juror in a medical malpractice trial conducts outside research on an EpiPen label over the weekend? In a landmark unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court overrules prior appellate precedent to establish a brand-new, two-part burden-shifting test for civil extraneous juror research.

Also in this issue:
• AI in the Courtroom: The Court of Appeals holds a pro se appellant waived all issues on appeal after filing a brief filled with AI-generated case "hallucinations" and fake citations.
• Criminal Practice: Why withholding physical discovery from an incarcerated client can be sound legal strategy.
• Sixth Circuit / ACCA: Tennessee co***ne convictions validly qualify as predicate "serious drug offenses".

📲 Subscribers can also read the full issue here.

08/06/2026

Today, the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct issued a public reprimand to Circuit Court Judge William K. Lane, III for practicing law beyond the 180-day transition limit. After assuming his full-time judicial role, Judge Lane admitted that he tried a civil case and filed estate documents as an attorney. He accepted the sanction, which is effective immediately.

08/06/2026

The next issue of the Fourth Circuit Review (42FCR16) will be delivered to subscribers' inboxes by 8:00 AM on Monday, August 10.

This issue includes opinions related to civil procedure, criminal law, criminal procedure, government, immigration, and more.

To subscribe, contact Customer Service at 1 (800) 727-5257 or via email at [email protected].

08/04/2026

⚖️ The newest edition of Alabama Law Weekly is here!

This week's issue features an important Eleventh Circuit decision addressing federal-officer removal in PFAS litigation, holding that a municipality could not avoid federal jurisdiction simply by disclaiming claims tied to military-related contamination.

Also in this edition:

🔹 Alabama divorce decision requiring express statutory findings before awarding rehabilitative alimony
🔹 Child-support modification and the treatment of business-paid personal expenses
🔹 Workers' compensation and scheduled-member benefits
🔹 Property redemption following a sheriff's sale
🔹 Vexatious-litigant filing restrictions and access to the courts
🔹 Final-judgment and appellate-jurisdiction decisions
🔹 Admiralty ruling involving the Federal Tort Claims Act, the TVA Act, and the discretionary-function exception

Stay informed with the latest appellate decisions shaping Alabama and Eleventh Circuit law.



Contact Customer Service today to subscribe to ALW and have it delivered weekly to your inbox.

07/31/2026

Get ready for your weekend with a quick look at what’s hitting your inbox this Monday!

⚖️ THIS WEEK'S HEADLINE STORY
TN Supreme Court: A missing transcript isn't an automatic ticket to dismissal.
In a unanimous ruling, the High Court held that intermediate appellate courts erred by summarily dumping a sentencing appeal into the "ditch of dismissal" solely due to a missing guilty plea transcript. Justice Kirby reaffirmed Caudle, ruling that panels must evaluate record adequacy case-by-case and provide notice before shutting the door on an appeal.

Also dropping on Monday:
🩺 Health Care Liability: When "good cause" excuses a missing certificate of good faith for amended claims against existing defendants.

📜 Appellate & Recusal: Why Rule 72 declarations under penalty of perjury satisfy Rule 10B requirements.

🎧 Criminal Defense: Access to court reporter audio recordings to resolve transcript disputes & a 6th Circuit ruling on career-offender predicates.

🏗️ Workers' Comp: NCCI classification limits for off-site construction risks.

📲 Current Subscribers: Keep an eye on your inbox Monday afternoon for the full issue!

👇 Not subscribed yet? Click below!

Since 1975, Tennessee Attorneys Memo delivers weekly summaries of Tennessee appellate court decisions, legislative updates, AG opinions, and key legal developments.

07/28/2026

📖 The newest issue of Alabama Law Weekly is here!

This week's edition features important decisions and Attorney General opinions affecting administrative law, civil procedure, local government, and more.

Highlights include:
⚖️ The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals clarifies when an agency decision qualifies for review under the Alabama Administrative Procedure Act.

🎬 A ruling involving Alabama's film incentive program and the limits of judicial review.

📍 Key decisions addressing venue, filing-fee jurisdiction, and mandamus relief.

🏛️ Attorney General opinions covering engineering plan seals, CPA firm ownership, sheriff retirement contributions, board salary supplements, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, municipal traffic citations, county hospital tax funds, and more.

Stay informed with the latest developments shaping Alabama law.

📚 Alabama Law Weekly – July 31, 2026
Your trusted source for Alabama appellate decisions and Attorney General opinions.

Contact customer service today to sign up for Alabama Law Weekly.

07/23/2026

The next issue of the Fourth Circuit Review (42FCR15) will be delivered to subscribers' inboxes by 8:00 AM on Monday, July 27.

This issue includes opinions related to arbitration, civil procedure, civil rights, constitutional law, criminal law, criminal procedure, immigration, intellectual property, and more.

To subscribe, contact Customer Service at 1 (800) 727-5257 or via email at [email protected].