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.
Work is set to begin next week to repair and preserve the front exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court building, seven years after a chunk of marble fell 100 feet onto the stairs leading to the entrance. The project will take 21 months, but access to the building will not be affected. CNN reports
An Aug. 22 settlement date has been set in the case in which Chattanooga attorney Jeffrey A. Stinnett is charged with forging the name of former Chancellor Howell Peoples. Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern also set a possible trial date of Nov. 13. The Chattanoogan reports
Hamilton County Chancellor W. Frank Brown III will preside over the trial to determine whether Shelley Breeding qualifies as a Knox County candidate who can run for the new 89th District state House seat. A May 16 trial date has been set. Breeding wants to run as a Democrat for the seat, which lies wholly in Knox County near Anderson County. A map shows Breeding's house is in Anderson County, to which her property taxes are paid, but her driveway and mailbox are in Knox County. The News Sentinel has more
Law week activities in Memphis closed out this yesterday when Chief Judge David Kennedy of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court addressed the crowd at the Memphis Bar Association's Annual Memorial Service at Calvary Episcopal Church. Thirty attorneys and judges who died this past year were honored. See photos and read the memorial statements about those honored. Law Week activities kicked off last Friday with the Law Week Launch Party in Court Square with barbecue and live music.
Nashville residents who have failed to comply with the booking requirements of state misdemeanor citations and who are now named in arrest orders are about to be given a second chance. The Metropolitan Police Department, in association with the General Sessions Courts, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, Criminal Court Clerk and Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, will host a Failure to be Booked Self-Surrender Program this Friday and Saturday.
The deadline for using the federal Income Withholding for Support form is June 1, the Office of Child Support Enforcement of the Administration for Children and Families reminds those who practice family law. All entities issuing child support income withholding orders must use this form. After this date, employers may begin returning non-compliant income withholding orders. Download more information from U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesread more »
Judicial employees in Kentucky will have to take unpaid furloughs for three days this year to deal with cuts to the court system's budget, Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. announced. The court system has reduced employment by 282 people since 2008 because of a shrinking budget. To generate cash, Minton said the judicial system will start charging schools $10 for criminal background checks that used to be done for free. The charge will increase from $15 to $20 for all others seeking background checks. WSMV has the AP story
One of the biggest law firms in the country, Dewey & LeBoeuf, is falling apart, while the whole industry, from law schools to lone lawyers, NPR's On Point says, are wondering what comes now. The radio program discusses "the business of law, in trouble."
Providing continuing legal education (CLE) for lawyers by lawyers is a Tennessee Bar Association priority, and lately many of you have asked if continuing mediation credit (CME) could also be offered. What do you think? Please email TBA CLE Director Mindy Thomas-Fulks to participate in a survey, which closes on May 7 at noon.
Frost Brown Todd LLC announced today that it will merge with Nashville law firm MGLAW PLLC effective June 1. MGLAW's seven attorneys and staff will join Frost Brown Todd's 16-member Nashville office in its space on the 18th and 19th floors of the Pinnacle at Symphony Place. Frost Brown Todd has nearly 450 attorneys in nine offices throughout Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The 107th Tennessee General Assembly adjourned Tuesday – the earliest adjournment since 1998 – after a flurry of action in the final days. Legislation approved and sent to the governor included:
• SB 3597/HB 3576, which prohibits state colleges and private colleges receiving more than $24 million in state funds from imposing antidiscrimination policies on religious student groups. The bill, designed to address a situation at Vanderbilt University, was vetoed by Gov. Bill Haslam today. WATE.com has more
• HB 2868/SB 3005, which expands state racketeering laws to include criminal gangs, and imposes additional jail time and fines of up to $250,000 for gang members. The Times Free Press reports
• HB 3234/SB 2908, which authorizes referendums on whether Shelby County’s suburbs may form municipal school districts. The Memphis Daily News has more
While other state programs and services saw funding cuts in the recently approved budget agreement, the Rutherford County Drug Court secured an additional $37,500 for its operations, for a total of $87,500. Officials who led the fight for the funding increase said this particular court is “setting the standard for intervention and treatment in Tennessee.” Read more in the Murfreesboro Post
Dyer-Lake CASA is hosting its "Cupcakes for CASA" fundraising event May 11 at the King Mansion in Dyersburg from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will feature "decadent desserts in an elegant setting" and a chance for attendees to help abused and neglected children. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased from several area retailers or by calling (731) 334-0192. The Dyersburg State Gazette has more.
Donna L. Green and Emily Moore Leininger have joined forces to form Green & Leininger PC, a family law firm serving clients in Williamson, Davidson and surrounding counties. Green began her legal career at Neal & Harwell in Nashville after graduating from Vanderbilt Law School in 1998. Leininger graduated from Nashville School of Law in 2006. She previously worked at Hale & Hale in Franklin. Learn more about the new firm
Shelby County Juvenile Court officials went on the defensive at a public meeting Tuesday, at times clashing with parents and community leaders, according to the Commercial Appeal. At one point, the paper reports, the court's chief administrator officer left the meeting. The meeting had been planned weeks ago to discuss a new project to reduce the number of minorities brought to court, but it quickly turned into a referendum on the U.S. Department of Justice’s claims of rights violations and racial discrimination in the juvenile system. Read more from the paper
Nashville's Belle Meade Country Club has admitted its first resident female member, a milestone for the 111-year-old private club that has come under fire in recent months for a lack of diversity. According to the club’s most recent newsletter, obtained by The Tennessean, Adelaide D. Stevens, the owner of a stationery and imprinting company, is the newest member. Resident members are entitled to hold office and vote on club matters. The club's lack of diversity came to the forefront last year when a federal judicial panel concluded it engages in race and gender discrimination and reprimanded now-retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge George C. Paine II for his membership.
The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) recently received several awards from the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts for its efforts to eliminate language barriers for persons with limited English proficiency. Among the initiatives recognized were those providing remote interpreting services through Internet video conferencing, interpreter services in criminal cases for non-indigent defendants, and translation of order of protection forms into five languages. The AOC also was recognized for its successful legislative efforts to secure an additional $2 million in funding to cover interpreter services in all cases. The AOC reports
The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee last week approved $328 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in 2013, a cut of $20 million from current levels. The funding is included in the Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations bill, which committee leaders said would be on the House floor May 8. The companion committee in the Senate has approved $402 million for the agency, which received $348 million last year. Read more from the LSC
News from the Young Lawyers Division and the Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity
The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (YLD) received recognition as one of four finalists in the American Bar Association YLD’s Next Steps Challenge. The division was recognized for its Diversity Leadership Institute, a six-month leadership program for diverse law students in Tennessee. This past weekend, YLD Diversity Committee Chair Ahsaki Baptist spoke about the institute and how other bars can implement similar programs during the ABA YLD’s spring meeting in Nashville. Learn more about the Diversity Leadership Institute
