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Legal News
Legislative News
Upcoming
Your Practice
Clarification
TBA Member Services
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| Legal News |
| Case draws attention to judicial campaigns, potential conflicts |
| One of the most important cases before the U.S. Supreme Court this year has the potential to change the way judicial elections are conducted and the way cases are heard in the 39 states that elect at least some of their judges, the New York Times reports. The case involves West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Brent D. Benjamin, who chose not to disqualify himself in a suit involving a coal mining company whose CEO put up $3 million to help Benjamin win the seat. |
Read the full New York Times story
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| Ginsburg home, will be back to work soon |
| Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 75, returned to her home Friday after being released from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Doctors said the cancer was in an early stage and had not spread beyond her pancreas. The justice expects to be in court Feb. 23 for oral arguments, reports the Associated Press.
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Read more here
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| PD concerned about budget shortfalls |
| Richard Hughes, public defender for the 10th Judicial District, is expressing concern that reductions in state revenue could impact the services of his office. Appearing before a meeting of the Cleveland Area Republican Women, Hughes said he was asked by the state to look at ways to reduce expenditures and would not rule out staff cuts. He did say, however, that any such cuts would not be implemented until next fiscal year.
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The Daily Banner has the story
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| McMinn courthouse needs better security |
| McMinn County is planning a new justice center that will alleviate many security problems at the current courthouse, which contains unmonitored halls where plaintiffs, defendants, criminal suspects and court officers mingle freely on court days. The move can't come soon enough: a recent security drill revealed new problems with a security warning system and panic buttons that did not work.
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The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports
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| Legislative News |
| Track legislation of interest to Tennessee attorneys |
| The TBA Action List tracks bills in the General Assembly that the TBA has a direct interest in. This means it has either initiated the legislation, taken a postiion on the bill or has a policy on the issue. The TBA Watch List is a broader list of bills of interest to the Tennessee legal community. |
TBA Bill Tracking Service
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| Upcoming |
| Supreme Court to hold public meeting in Memphis |
| This Friday the Tennessee Supreme Court will hold a public meeting in Memphis on legal needs and access to justice issues. The meeting will be moderated by Chief Justice Janice Holder and feature a panel with representatives from Memphis Area Legal Services and the Community Legal Center; Judge Phyllis Gardner; Chancery Court Clerk Dewun Settle; and Memphis Bar Association President Art Quinn. The meeting begins at 3 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library at 3030 Poplar Avenue. For more information or to RSVP please contact Rebecca Rhodes at (615) 741-2687 x164 or Rebecca.Rhodes@tncourts.gov
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| Your Practice |
| Hot fields for lawyers in 2009 |
| Despite staff reductions at firms around the country, there are areas of practice that remain hot for 2009. According to a report released by the executive search firm Robert Half Legal, in-demand legal positions include bankruptcy and foreclosure lawyers, patent prosecution attorneys and in-house counsel with experience in litigate and transactional, regulatory and corporate securities law.
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Read more in the Memphis Business Journal
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| Clarification |
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| An item in the Feb. 12 TBA Today may have been unclear concerning the status of U.S. Attorney Ed Yarbrough and U.S. Marshal Denny King. The two men have been asked by the administration to continue to serve on holdover status until further notice, but they have not been reappointed by President Obama. |
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| TBA Member Services |
| Avis benefits 'try harder' |
| TBA members are offered a rental car discount through Avis. Enroll in the Avis Preferred Service at www.avisawards.com to bypass the rental counter and go directly to your car for a faster, easier rental experience. Enter code AWD# A570100.
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