By Judge Robert Durham, Cookeville

This year, I celebrate my thirtieth anniversary as a lawyer. Thirty years.

I’ve spent a long time in worker’s comp. I started right after the ’92 reform, which introduced the multipliers. Two and a half times vs. six times. IMEs vs. ATPs. Races to the courthouse. Ah, good times. Then 2014 brought an even more dramatic shift with the creation of the Court of Worker’s Compensation Claims and a modified set of laws and procedures.

But even though I’ve lived through some significant changes in worker’s compensation law, one thing has remained constant: work comp was, is, and always will be, a small world. Everybody knows everybody else. From Johnson City to Memphis, Clarksville to Chattanooga–we have common knowledge, common experiences, and even a common language.

That’s why I’m looking forward to our conference in Murfreesboro next week. To be honest, it’s more like old home week than an educational conference to me. I get to see people whom I’ve literally worked with for decades and catch up on how they’re doing. In this age of “alternate work-sites” and teleconference meetings, this face-to-face interaction is more important than ever. Getting updated on the law, learning about new trends in worker’s compensation, and maybe hearing an inspirational story or two are just icing on the cake.

But I’ll admit that this year’s conference has some pretty good icing. From a legal perspective, I think the highlight may be the oral argument before the Appeals Board. The case has multiple lawyers and some rather novel issues of law. (I should know; it’s my case.) Kudos to the very capable attorneys who agreed to present their arguments before a jury of their peers. The experience should be both entertaining and enlightening, particularly for those who’ve never been before the Board.

So, come on down to the conference. I’m looking forward to shaking your hand and asking you how things are going. And maybe, if you’re lucky, I’ll even tell you about how we used to do work comp back in the good ole days.