A Hamilton County attorney has been charged with forgery after an investigation found he allegedly forged a judge's signature on court documents. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Alan Norton faces a felony charge of forgery and a misdemeanor charge of criminal simulation. He turned himself in at the Rhea County Jail last week after a grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday, according to a news release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). He was released on a $15,000 bond. The district attorney for Tennessee's 12th Judicial District asked the TBI to investigate allegations that the signature of a 12th District judicial chancellor had been forged. Agents identified Norton as the person responsible. According to the paper, the alleged forgery occurred on chancery court orders filed between June and September.

The Greene County Courthouse was named a recipient of a $500,000 Tennessee Historic Development Grant last week to help fund rehabilitation of the building. According to WJHL News, a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) indicated that more than $6 million will be distributed to recipients across the state for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. The program helps communities and private developers invest in structures that contributed to a town’s history. This round of grants is expected to also leverage more than $13 million in private investment, the paper reports.

A federal judge has denied a request from criminal justice reform groups to block a law that requires public safety to be the primary consideration when setting bail, Action News 5 reports. Just City Memphis, the ACLU and other legal advocates filed a lawsuit in July challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee’s new bail law, sponsored by Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis. The law, which took effect in May, prohibits judges or judicial commissioners from considering a suspect’s "ability to pay" when setting bail. Just City argues the law violates the Constitution and a local agreement the group reached with Shelby County to reform the bail system. In November, a federal judge denied Just City’s request for a preliminary injunction.

Memphis attorney Ronald Maury Harkavy died Dec. 6 at age 90. Other than attending Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate and law school degrees, Harkavy spent his entire life and career in Memphis. He was involved in various professional and community organizations, including serving on the board of directors of the Memphis Bar Association and a hearing committee for the state disciplinary board. He also served in leadership roles with a variety of community organizations including Anshei Sphard Beth El Emeth Synagogue, the Memphis Jewish Community Center, the Memphis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Foundation of Memphis, which he founded. In his law practice, Harkavy focused on business and financing transactions, real estate, land use planning and zoning matters. A funeral was held Dec. 8 at Anshei Sphard. Donations may be made to the Memphis Jewish Federation or a charity of the donor's choice.

TBA hosted its inaugural Conference on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Law (TCAIL) Friday at the Tennessee Bankers Association Training Center in Nashville. The daylong program covered topics from AI in ethics, to the judiciary, to access to justice. AI Task Force chair A.J. Bahou kicked things off with an introduction to using AI in the practice of law, complete with real-time AI demonstrations. Bill Ramsey of Neal & Harwell, Clinton Sanko of Baker Donelson, Kyle Turner of Vanderbilt Law School, and David Wood of Prudent Jurist focused their panel discussion on practical changes that AI will bring to the practice of law. Their topics included how various technologies will enable lawyers to engage differently with technology to support client needs, how AI will transform legal research, and how tools are changing in document review and discovery. The second panel focused on AI in the courtroom and featured Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Tom Greenholtz, Circuit Judge Jimmy Turner and former judge Penny White now with the University of Tennessee (UT) College of Law. Up next, UT Law professors Ben Barton and Eliza Boles discussed AI's ramifications in the access to justice sphere, while Brian Faughnan focused his session on current and likely future ethical implications for attorneys. The day wrapped up with a session on digital evidence and AI use in public safety with Matthew Drewes, an enterprise business solutions architect for the state, and Richard Littlehale with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. See photos from the event.

TBA Young Lawyers Division’s Rookie Series is back this week with a new installment. Join colleagues on Dec. 13 for Personal Injury Law Part 2. The live one-hour webcast will start at noon CST and provide insights into handling more difficult personal injury cases. Topics include complex liability scenarios, strategies for catastrophic injury claims, and advanced litigation techniques such as motions in limine, effective deposition strategies and expert witness challenges. The program will wrap up with a session on navigating difficult negotiations while maintaining professional integrity. Those who missed Personal Injury Law Part 1 can catch up here.

Still looking for ethics credits before Dec. 31? The Tennessee Bar Association is bringing you "12 Days of Ethics," featuring innovative and engaging programs you won’t want to miss. Choose from courses with fun titles and unique themes, including True Crime Stories; Friends…An Ethical Sitcom?; From Bonnie and Clyde, to Bernie Madoff — What the Biggest Thieves in History Teach About Attorney Ethics; Taylor Swift is a Genius. Even About Legal Ethics; What Emojis Teach About Lawyer Legal Ethics; Cat Proverbs and Attorney Ethics; and What Overrated Rock Bands Teach About Attorney Ethics. Be sure to check TBA’s social media channels over the next 12 weekdays to see the available programs. Visit Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn with the hashtag #TBA12Days, or browse the TBA CLE Course Catalog for a full preview of more than 200 CLE programs by Tennessee lawyers for Tennessee lawyers.

TBA is offering a CME and CLE Year End Package, which includes Mediation Ethics providing 4 dual credits and 4.75 general credits. Designed for Tennessee lawyers, the package offers quick, convenient and quality CLE opportunities to meet both CME and CLE requirements. Topics covered include dispute resolution updates, artificial intelligence, best practices in mediation and arbitration, ethics grievances and more. To learn more about this package and the courses included, visit TBA’s website.

TBA’s Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) will host the "Ethics Update: Current Developments" webcast on Dec. 9 from 2 to 3 p.m. CST. Eric Fuller from the BPR will lead the session, offering a review of the latest ethics updates. For more information and to register, visit TBA’s website.

A new site on Vine Street is being considered for a proposed federal courthouse in Chattanooga. According to the Chattanoogan, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced two shortlisted sites: the Hawk Hill Stadium site and the TVA site, and has added an additional location for consideration, which requires an environmental assessment (EA). The proposed courthouse would include seven courtrooms, nine chambers and 40 secured parking spaces, and would be located within the city limits of Chattanooga. The public is encouraged to submit written comments on the findings presented in the draft supplemental EA and draft "Finding of No Significant Impact" (FONSI). Any substantive comments received by the Dec. 18 deadline will be addressed in the final EA. Information on how to submit comments can be found on the GSA website.