By Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer, Nashville Jane Salem, staff attorney extraordinaire, and final grammatical, citation, and stylistic editor of 90% of the trial orders you read, rails against the inside lingo of our comp world. The problem is we all have our own language. I just used “lingo.” Chances are some of you reading … Continue reading Work Comp Alphabet Soup
Tag: Carpe diem
Back to School! (Or, “How I spent My Summer Vacation”)
By Alyssa Williams, Court intern/2L, Winston College of Law, University of Tennessee-Knoxville When I began my summer internship with the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, I didn’t know what to expect. As a 1L, you don’t learn a lot about this specialized area of law, and it was certainly a learning curve. But, as with … Continue reading Back to School! (Or, “How I spent My Summer Vacation”)
A 2L’s Takeaways from the Workers’ Comp Conference
By Alyssa Williams, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, Court intern A common saying about learning the law is that it’s like “drinking out of a fire hose.” That perfectly described my early experience interning for the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. However, after spending a few weeks here and attending the Education Conference … Continue reading A 2L’s Takeaways from the Workers’ Comp Conference
Enjoy your summer books and shoes
By Judge Dale Tipps, Murfreesboro Today is the summer solstice. What are the popular "beach reads" this year? While I'm always interested in what's new and trending on the bookstore shelves, several years back, I made a habit of reading “Dandelion Wine” by Ray Bradbury at the beginning of every summer. Bradbury somehow managed to … Continue reading Enjoy your summer books and shoes
Let’s get together
By Judge Dale Tipps, Murfreesboro When you saw the title of this blog, did you immediately sing to yourself, “yeah, yeah, yeah?” If so, you are probably old enough to remember Hayley Mills singing it in the original1961 version of The Parent Trap. More about that later, but first let’s consider a different kind of … Continue reading Let’s get together
Have a Heart?
By Judge Josh Baker, Nashville Ahh, Valentine’s Day! A day to honor the ones we cherish and shower them with gifts and affection. Maybe breakfast in bed, flowers sent to the office to make their office mates jealous (really no other reason to send them there), a romantic dinner, or just extra time celebrating love … Continue reading Have a Heart?
I’ll be retiring soon
By Judge Thomas Wyatt, Chattanooga “To every thing there is a season…” Mine is ending soon, and a new chapter will begin. Many practitioners are aware that I became a workers’ compensation judge on July 1, 2014, with the original group of judges. (See below; we haven't aged a day.) Working with Bureau staff and … Continue reading I’ll be retiring soon
Listen to your Heart
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray No, not the song. But literally, listen to your heart. I’d been listening to mine for weeks starting in middle November and knew something wasn't quite right. I first noticed it the week of November 10th. Every time that I went up and down the steps in my home, I … Continue reading Listen to your Heart
Happy Fourth of July
By Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer, Nashville [Blog administrator's note: We're republishing this from July 2024. Enjoy.] While riding my bike early this morning, for some reason I began to reflect on the 4th of July--probably because it’s tomorrow. State offices will be closed. Don’t forget to omit the holiday in counting timeframes/deadlines under our … Continue reading Happy Fourth of July
Congratulations, Judge Addington
Judge Brian K. Addington was inducted as a Fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers on Saturday, April 5, at the Union League Club in Chicago. The College honors attorneys who possess the highest professional qualifications, ethical standards, character, integrity, professional expertise, and leadership. Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer said, “Judge Addington’s induction as … Continue reading Congratulations, Judge Addington
Education is Part of Our Mission (And it’s Fun)
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray Before the pandemic, I reached out to several schools and groups to discern their interest in attending a court presentation about workers’ compensation in Tennessee. I received responses from a few schools, home school groups, and the Cub Scouts. Before the pandemic set in, I was able to host a … Continue reading Education is Part of Our Mission (And it’s Fun)
Recruiting the Next Generation of Comp Lawyers (We Hope)
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer and I had the pleasure of visiting Prof. Lynn Ridgeway Zerht’s employment law class today at Belmont University College of Law. We talked about the system generally and lifecycle of a typical case, and then we prompted a discussion of some recent appellate decisions … Continue reading Recruiting the Next Generation of Comp Lawyers (We Hope)
Happy Fourth of July
By Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer, Nashville While riding my bike early this morning, for some reason I began to reflect on the 4th of July--probably because it’s tomorrow. State offices will be closed. Don’t forget to omit the holiday in counting timeframes/deadlines under our rules. No settlement approvals. But beyond the day off. Beyond … Continue reading Happy Fourth of July
Happy “Tinth” Anniversary to Us
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray It’s our traditional “tin or aluminum” anniversary today. July 1 marks the tenth anniversary of the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims. The Court was established on July 1, 2014, with eight judges: Josh Baker, Pamela Johnson, Lisa Lowe, Allen Phillips, Kenneth Switzer, Jim Umsted, Tom Wyatt, and myself. The … Continue reading Happy “Tinth” Anniversary to Us
The Sums of Our Experiences?
By Judge Thomas Wyatt, Chattanooga Judge Thomas Wyatt A favorite “chicken or egg” discussion is, are we a product of our experiences, or are our experiences a product of who we are? At the Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims, we see all varieties of workers, from office personnel to truck drivers, and from health care … Continue reading The Sums of Our Experiences?
Hug Your Friends this Holiday Season
By Judge Thomas Wyatt, Chattanooga We blinked our eyes, and Christmas came and went. Soon we will ring in 2024. My mind, however, is cast upon thoughts apart from the hustle and bustle of the season. Of course, the true reason for the season is the greatest gift of all. Second only to that is … Continue reading Hug Your Friends this Holiday Season
Songs about Working
By Judge Thomas Wyatt, Chattanooga A while ago, I searched the internet for songs about workers’ compensation. I found a few about work accidents, like Big John, the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald, and a song professing the universal truth that the worker always loses in the battle between steel and flesh. Recently, I broadened … Continue reading Songs about Working
Honoring All Who Labor
By Judge Allen Phillips, Jackson “Work is not man’s punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure.” ---George Sand, a/k/a Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. She was one of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, being more renowned than either Victor Hugo … Continue reading Honoring All Who Labor
Meet Judge Shaterra Marion
By Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville Sometimes, you just know right away when something’s right. Although Shaterra Reed Marion doesn’t consider herself an impulsive person, occasionally in her past, she has instantly, unexpectedly, and rather dramatically changed course--and it worked out well. For example, about a year ago, attorney Marion saw a post on this … Continue reading Meet Judge Shaterra Marion
The Workers’ Comp Hillbillies
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray While an undergrad at Pikeville College (now University of Pikeville), I was exposed to a popular cultural gathering called “Hillbilly Days.” Occurring in the home county to the McCoys of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, let me just say . . . they know how to party. There’s a parade, food, singing, … Continue reading The Workers’ Comp Hillbillies
From the Bench 