Stay current with legal news in Tennessee. This page features the latest news for and about the Tennessee legal community, either produced by the Tennessee Bar Association or collected from news sources.
Gov. Bill Haslam signed into law a bill to allow teachers with law enforcement training to carry weapons in classrooms, Nooga reports. Introduced a month after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the bill makes confidential which teachers are armed and dictates the kinds of ammunition allowed.
The Nashville School of Law will host a Patron’s Dinner and Reception on Thursday at the Richland County Club. The event leads up to the 20th Annual Recognition Dinner, scheduled for June 7. This year's event will honor Distinguished Alumna Judge Barbara Haynes, Distinguished Faculty Member Marshall Davidson, and Community Service Award recipient Howard Gentry Jr.
A White House official called Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York., on Wednesday to ask him to reintroduce the media shield law that he supported in 2009 but that never received a vote on the Senate floor. The push comes in the wake of Department of Justice subpoenas of a broad swath of Associated Press phone records, including several main numbers used by more than 100 reporters, WRCB reports." This kind of law would balance national security needs against the public's right to the free flow of information. At minimum, our bill would have ensured a fairer, more deliberate process in this case," Schumer said in a statement.
An installation ceremony for Doris Randle-Holt, the new chief federal defender for the Western District of Tennessee, will take place May 24 at 2 p.m. in Judge John T. Fowlkes’s courtroom on the ninth floor of the Federal Building at 167 North Main Street in Memphis. Download the invitation.
Lawyers of Color magazine catalogued minority faculty at all 200 ABA-accredited law schools and found that the most racially diverse schools fall well outside of the U.S News top ranking list. Florida International University College of Law topped the diversity list, despite being ranked number 105 overall. The National Law Journal notes, however, that a number of professors have raised questions regarding the thoroughness and accuracy of the report.
Attorney General Bob Cooper announced yesterday that Tennessee will receive more than $5.5 million in the $500 million settlement with generic drug manufacturer Ranbaxy. The settlement resolved claims that Ranbaxy sold inferior drugs and made false statements about how they were made, the Memphis Daily News reports.
Congressman John J. Duncan will deliver the commencement address to the inaugural class of his namesake institution, Lincoln Memorial University's John J. Duncan, Jr. School of Law. The ceremony will be held Saturday in the Knoxville Civic Auditorium at 10 a.m. At the school’s naming announcement in 2009, LMU Chairman Autry O.V. “Pete” DeBusk said, “It is fitting that this program has been named for a great lawyer and civic leader who has helped so many. Our mission is to provide educational opportunities to the people of this region and Congressman Duncan has been serving this region for over 20 years.” The Claiborn Progress has the story.
The FBI is searching for new office space and Memphis leaders are attempting to convince the agency to locate in the city’s downtown. Currently occupying office space in East Memphis, the FBI is looking to sign a 20-year lease on more than 95,000 square feet of office space beginning in 2015.
On this day in 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that state laws establishing separate but equal educational institutions for blacks and whites violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The primary question Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in the court’s opinion is “the constitutionality of segregation in public education. We have now announced that such segregation is a denial of the equal protection of the laws.” In an opinion piece for the Tennessean, Frank Daniels III examines the societal and legal impact this groundbreaking ruling had on the American educational system.
Calvin Jenkins is one of the participants of the Cane Ridge High School Academy of Law, a youth court program in which students get coaching from Tennessee Bar Association lawyers and a glimpse of a possible future career. Jenkins, a senior, has successfully handled both sides of students’ truancy cases before the Cane Ridge Restorative Court this year, although he says he prefers prosecution. He plans to attend Lipscomb University in the fall to major in law and, hopefully, walk on the basketball team. The Tennessean has the story.
President Barack Obama reportedly today announced his intention to nominate Knoxville attorney and former TBA President Pamela Reeves for the federal district court seat currently held by U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips, who plans to retire July 3. Reeves practices with Reeves, Herbert & Murrian PA focusing on commercial litigation, labor and employment law and dispute resolution. She is known statewide for her work as a Rule 31 registered mediator and as an approved mediator for the Eastern and Middle district federal courts. Reeves was the first female to serve as TBA president. She currently serves on the Tennessee Judicial Selection Commission and on the Board of Judicial Conduct. She also writes a monthly column on business law for the Knoxville News Sentinel. Reeves earned her law degree in 1979 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She is married to Charles Swanson, another former TBA president, who serves as Knoxville city attorney.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee today approved three judicial nominees, including Sri Srinivasan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Raymond Chen to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Jennifer Dorsey to a federal district court in Nevada. Srinivasan, currently the principal deputy in the Office of the Solicitor General, was approved on a unanimous vote. If confirmed by the full Senate, he will be President Obama’s first nominee to a court often seen as a stepping stone to the U.S. Supreme Court. WRCB TV3 NBC has the AP story.
The Legal Services Corporation has submitted to Congress a 2014 budget request for $486 million, saying the increase is essential to meeting the overwhelming need for legal services and to fulfill the nation’s promise of “justice for all.” The request, which is $16 million more than requested last year, includes $5 million for a new grant program to encourage innovations in pro bono legal services. Read a summary of the budget request or download the full submission on the LSC's website.
Trucking companies suing Pilot Flying J over rebate fraud have hired the law firm of former FBI Director Louis Freeh to represent them, according to plaintiffs attorney Mark Tate. Freeh’s firm, Freeh Group International Solutions, has been involved in a number of high profile cases, including an investigation of Penn State’s handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal and the New Orleans Saints’ response to the NFL’s bounty probe. The Nashville City Paper has the story.
The U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday reversed a Knoxville district court ruling that a defendant’s confession was voluntary, finding that the investigation was "a stark example of police impropriety and deplorable interrogation techniques." The decision came in the case of Jeffery Siler, who was questioned about a series of burglaries after being arrested for probation violations. During the interview, Siler reportedly was told he would have immunity for any information provided about a stolen gun as well as for a host of other charges the department was considering against him. With those promises, Siler confessed to the burglary and to selling the gun. Later, he was charged federally for felony gun possession and moved to suppress the confession. The appeals court agreed, saying the investigator went too far in making promises he could not guarantee and breaking promises not to turn Siler over to federal prosecutors. Local 8 News has the AP story.
The TBA is offering new lawyers – whether currently employed or still looking for work – a unique opportunity to meet and engage with attorneys and judges from across Tennessee. Held in conjunction with the TBA Annual Convention, the new lawyer programming offers networking opportunities that can’t be duplicated in any other setting. The program kicks off June 12 with sessions on what to expect during the first year of practice, how the TBA can help new lawyers jump start their careers and opportunities for getting involved in the TBA Young Lawyers Division. Events planned as part of the 2013 Convention also are designed to help new lawyers expand their networks. This is an opportunity not to be miss! Learn more about the line up of programs being planned.
The cutoff to get special TBA hotel pricing for the Tennessee Bar Association Convention is this Sunday, May 19. Be sure to lock in the TBA rate of $155 and avoid higher prices and sold-out rooms by calling the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel at (800) 447-9825 by Sunday. For those who are interested, the TBA also is offering a limited number of rooms at The Hermitage Hotel at a special $239 rate. Call the Hermitage at (888) 888-9414 to take advantage of this deal. The convention will take place June 12-15 in downtown Nashville.
The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is currently seeking presenters for its 2013 Equal Justice University, scheduled for Oct. 9-11 at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. Areas of interest include health, benefits, employment, family, housing, consumer, immigration, special education and juvenile law. The group also is interested in ethics and professionalism sessions. Perspective speakers should submit proposals by June 30 to afox@tals.org.
A workshop on combating human trafficking and modern-day slavery in the mid-south will be held May 23 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rhodes College in Memphis. The training session is designed for service providers, medical professionals, religious leaders, translators, law enforcement, immigrant advocates or anyone concerned about the growing problem of human trafficking, slavery and exploitation. The event will be held in the McCallum Ballroom, located at 2000 N. Parkway. A fee of $15 covers all materials and lunch. For more information email Bonnie Blair or call her at (901) 752-0328.
Do you love drinking coffee and want to support Tennessee CASA at the same time? Then visit the group’s Just Love Coffee Roasters online store. Just Love Coffee Roasters is a brand of hand-roasted coffee produced by people who also have a desire to help others in their efforts to make the world better. A portion of the proceeds from purchases will go directly to Tennessee CASA.
