Miles Mason Family Law Group (MMFLG) in Memphis has moved to a new office on the fourth floor of the Crescent Center at 6075 Poplar Ave., Suite 403, Memphis, TN 38119. In a press release announcing the move, Miles Mason said, "We couldn’t be more thrilled to see MMFLG settling into their brand-new space! Transforming a previously all-white, contemporary office into a warm and welcoming environment, we added calming blue accents and homey touches to create a cozy atmosphere." Mason says his daughter's firm, Anne Mason Design, helped create the new environment with residential elements throughout the office so clients would feel safe and at ease.

Tennessee State University (TSU) appointed a new interim president shortly after its previous interim president resigned last week citing disagreements with the board over how to prevent the university from running out of money. The Tennessean reports that the board named one of its own members to the post. Dwayne Tucker, CEO of the charter school network LEAD Public Schools and a TSU alumnus, will serve as interim president. "We don't want to start 2025 off by litigating the past," Tucker said at a board meeting last week. Tucker's term as interim president will end June 30. The board plans to relaunch its search for a permanent president in January, with the goal of appointing someone to start in July, the paper reports. Since Tucker had to resigned his seat on the board, Gov. Bill Lee will be tasked with appointing a replacement, according to the paper.

Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and 10 other lawmakers sent a letter to the CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) last week, urging the federal utility to slow its expansion of natural gas plants and invest more in renewable energy. The lawmakers expressed concern that TVA may fail to meet its clean energy goals after building several large gas plants, which are subject to fluctuating fuel prices and the risk of methane leaks. According to Knox News, the letter was a response to a draft of TVA's integrated resource plan, which outlines potential pathways the utility could take to meet electricity demand by 2050. During the comment period, TVA received more than 2,200 official comments on the plan. According to the paper, a final version of TVA’s resource plan is expected to be presented to the TVA Board for consideration next spring.

A man wrongfully convicted in the early 2000s for a robbery he says he did not commit has filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis, the Memphis Police Department and the officers who worked his case in federal court. Arits Whitehead was convicted and sentenced to 249 years in prison after a police investigation stalled for more than eight months. A year ago, he was released from prison after nearly two decades behind bars when a judge found evidence that Whitehead was wrongfully convicted. According to the Commercial Appeal, Whitehead claims he was inadequately represented and that the police knowingly relied on a shaky informant — later concealed behind a CrimeStoppers tip — to arrest him. The lawsuit does not request a specific amount in damages, instead seeking compensatory damages, attorneys' fees, court costs and punitive damages.

Virginia and South Dakota are now among 29 states that will use the new bar exam set to debut in July 2026, bringing the total number of jurisdictions to more than half of the 56 states and territories that rely on a bar exam for attorney licensing, Reuters reports. The "NextGen" bar exam is the first major redesign of the national lawyer licensing test in 25 years. It began development in 2021 with the goal of creating a test that emphasizes legal skills and relies less on memorization of laws. The Tennessee Supreme Court announced in April that, starting in July 2027, law school graduates seeking to be licensed in Tennessee will take the NextGen exam, rather than the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which has been used since 2019. Only two states — California and Nevada — have announced they will not adopt the NextGen bar exam.

The TBA is offering a last-minute CLE opportunity to help attorneys meet their requirements before the Dec. 31 deadline with its “Attorney Wellness Package.” The package includes 5.25 dual CLE hours, focusing on critical topics like trauma, wellness and mindfulness. Highlights include the new What Attorneys Must Know About Trauma session and wellness programs from the TBA Convention. Designed for convenience and quality, this wellness-focused package provides quick access to high-value content for lawyers. For more information, visit the TBA website.

This week's installment of TBA's Indigent Representation Primer is now available. The new post provides information about counsel appointed for minors facing criminal charges. In Tennessee, juveniles charged with delinquency are guaranteed a right to counsel, and if they cannot afford to hire an attorney, the court will appoint a public defender or private attorney. Tennessee law mandates that juveniles must be provided with counsel in cases where the child faces the possibility of incarceration or other serious consequences. Juvenile delinquency cases present a unique set of challenges in the legal system and the role of appointed counsel is critical to ensuring fair treatment for youth in the justice system. Attorneys appointed to represent a juvenile charged with a crime in Tennessee play an essential role in providing legal defense, ensuring the juvenile’s rights are protected, advocating for rehabilitation and working toward a favorable outcome for the child. This is the sixth installment in the series. Read past primer posts.

The Washington County Long Term Recovery Group — a community-led group working to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene — is putting together an advocacy committee of volunteer attorneys to be a resource to case managers working with affected individuals. As case managers identify legal issues, they will refer those to the advocacy committee. Practioners in a range of fields are invited to participate. For more information or to join the effort contact Melissa Reading, 423-794-4009. The Washington County Bar Association announced the new group in an email today.

The Memphis Bar Association recently held its annual meeting. Lauran Stimac with Glassman, Wyatt, Tuttle and Cox took over as president of the association from Adam Johnson with Nahon, Saharovich & Trotz. Seven new board members also were announced. In addition, five individuals were recognized with the association’s annual awards. Walter Bailey received the Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award, which recognizes a Memphis attorney who has practiced law for more than 15 years and embodies professionalism, civility and courtesy; Lee Whitwell received the Sam A. Myar Jr. Memorial Award, which honors an attorney under 40 years old who has shown dedication and commitment to their practice and the legal community; Haavi Morreim received the W.J. Michael Cody Access to Justice Award; and Justin Joy and Memphis City Councilwoman Janika White received President’s Awards. Read more about Stimac or see a recap of the award recipients in the MBA Facebook post.

The TBA will host “The Rookie Series: Probate” webcast on Jan. 22, 2025, from noon to 1 p.m. CST. The panel will explore common ethical challenges faced by lawyers in probate practice, particularly when the interests of a legal subject — whether disabled, deceased, a minor or a beneficiary — conflict with those of the fiduciary. The discussion will provide insights on how attorneys can best navigate these ethical dilemmas. For more information on the upcoming webcast and to register, visit the TBA website. Past installments of the Rookie Series, produced by the TBA Young Lawyers Division, are available on demand.