M. Lee Smith Publishers

M. Lee Smith Publishers M. Customers count on our newsletters, directories, online databases and manuals to meet a variety of strategic and tactical objectives.

Lee Smith Publishers, a division of BLR, is a leading provider of legal, legislative, and political intelligence for attorneys, business leaders, elected officials and lobbyists. Lee Smith Publishers information tools include the online and print Tennessee Attorneys Memo, providing weekly summaries of critical appellate court decisions for almost 50 years. We also offer the online and print Alabama Law Weekly.

06/02/2026

This week’s Alabama Law Weekly looks at a busy election season that is still unfolding across Alabama.

The May 19 primary settled some major races, including the governor’s race, but several statewide contests are headed to June 16 runoffs. The open U.S. Senate race, lieutenant governor’s race, and attorney general’s race remain unresolved. At the same time, redistricting litigation continues to affect Alabama’s election calendar, including special primaries set for August in certain congressional and State Senate districts.

This week’s publication also includes summaries from the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals and the Eleventh Circuit, including a public-employment appeal involving the Jefferson County Personnel Board and a securities-regulation decision involving SEC approval of IEX Options.

Read more in this week’s Alabama Law Weekly.

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

05/29/2026

The next issue of the Fourth Circuit Review (42FCR11) will be delivered to subscribers' inboxes by 8:00 AM on Monday, June 01.

This issue includes opinions related to civil rights, constitutional law, contracts, criminal law, and more.

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

05/26/2026

🚨 This week in Alabama law: Alabama’s congressional-map fight is back in the spotlight.
This week’s issue covers the latest turn in Alabama’s redistricting litigation after a three-judge federal court blocked the state from using the Legislature’s 2023 congressional plan for the 2026 elections. The ruling comes after the U.S. Supreme Court sent the Alabama cases back for further review, and it leaves important questions about the state’s election calendar and congressional districts still unsettled.
Also in this issue:

⚖️ The Alabama Court of Civil Appeals affirmed a judgment denying a father’s custody request after concluding he had voluntarily forfeited his custodial rights and had to satisfy the Ex parte McLendon standard.

⚖️ Another Court of Civil Appeals case dismissed an appeal from a void judgment after the circuit court lacked jurisdiction to enter contempt, custody-modification, and child-support orders without a new action, filing fee, or hardship waiver.

⚖️ The Eleventh Circuit revived Mobile Baykeeper’s environmental citizen suit against Alabama Power, holding that the organization plausibly alleged standing and that its coal-ash closure-plan claims were ripe for review.

Read more in ALW 35-22, May 29, 2026.

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

05/21/2026

BREAKING: Tennessee Department of Correction calls off Carruthers ex*****on after failure to set IV. Prior to the ex*****on's start, the state refused to answer reporters' questions regarding the efficacy of the drugs planned for the ex*****on, with some questioning whether they might be expired. Check out next week's issue of the Tennessee Attorney's Memo for updates and a deep dive into the Carruthers' case.

05/21/2026

The Office of the Attorney General has announced that Madeline (Lansky) Clark will serve as Tennessee’s next Solicitor General. She will succeed Matt Rice, who is leaving for private practice, on June 8. Previously, Clark clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett as well as for former 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge William Pryor Jr.

05/19/2026

This week’s edition of Alabama Law Weekly will hit inboxes on Thursday, the 21st.

Inside: the Alabama Supreme Court orders a new sentencing hearing in a pharmacy-robbery case, plus recent decisions on subject-matter jurisdiction, foreclosure, probate removal, public-employee appointing authority, Rule 41(b) dismissals, untimely appeals, contempt due process, protection-from-abuse orders, and indispensable parties.

Read the May 22, 2026, edition for the full breakdown.

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

05/12/2026

This week in Alabama Law Weekly: Alabama’s congressional maps are back at the center of a major voting-rights fight after the U.S. Supreme Court sent the cases back to the lower courts for reconsideration.

Also inside: a premises-liability decision involving a fall from a loading dock, a divorce appeal addressing custody and mortgage liability, and this week’s rehearing notices.

Read the May 15 issue of ALW, which will hit inboxes on 5-14 at 1:00 pm, for the full update.

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

05/05/2026

This week’s Alabama Law Weekly main story covers the Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision affirming Marco Antonio Perez’s capital-murder conviction and death sentence in the killing of Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder.

Also inside: custody and dependency decisions from the Court of Civil Appeals, several criminal appeals involving double jeopardy, probation revocation, and dismissals for lack of prosecution, plus new Attorney General opinions on solid-waste enforcement, municipal conflicts of interest, school-bus safety contracts, and election-day vendor authority.

ALW will hit inboxes on Thursday, 7th at 1. To subscribe, contact Customer Service at 1 (800) 727-5257 or via email at [email protected].

04/30/2026

Governor Bill Lee appointed Mark Stapleton to the Third Judicial District Circuit Court. Mr. Stapleton fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Judge William Phillips to the Court of Appeals, effective immediately.

Mr. Stapleton currently serves as founding attorney at Stapleton Law Office. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee and juris doctor at Cumberland School of Law.

The Third Judicial District covers Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins and Greene counties.

04/30/2026

On April 22, 2024, the Tennessee Supreme Court announced that the NextGen Uniform Bar Examination (UBE) would replace the legacy UBE beginning with the July 2027 administration of the bar exam. Some jurisdictions will begin administering the NextGen UBE in July 2026, while others will wait until February or July of 2028. The Tennessee Supreme Court announced today that it will accept transferred NextGen UBE scores beginning with the July 2026 administration and will continue to accept legacy UBE scores that have not expired and that were earned on administrations of the legacy UBE through February 2028. By no later than August 31, 2026, the Tennessee Supreme Court will determine the minimum passing standard for the NextGen UBE for admission by examination in Tennessee or for NextGen UBE scores transferred to Tennessee.

Address

101 Creekside Crossing, Suite 1700/375
Brentwood, TN
37027

Telephone

615-661-0249

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when M. Lee Smith Publishers posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to M. Lee Smith Publishers:

Shortcuts

Share

Category