E-signature vendors offer legally-binding signing services clients can execute from anywhere. Use this chart to compare the vendors on key features. Find this and more in the Building a Firm section of TBA’s Law Practice Management Center.

The annual Robert Ballow Excellence in Writing Awards were presented to Nashville School of Law (NSL) 4L students in April. Seven students were recognized for their performance in the Rigorous Writing Exercise (RWE) program. The RWE is a project all NSL students embark on as a requirement of graduation. Working with a volunteer mentor from the legal community, students research and write a 15-20 page paper on the topic of their choice. See the list of winners and read their work.

University of Memphis School of Law Professor Jennifer Brobst is featured on the school's newest episode of the podcast Show Cause. The episode focuses on space tourism, the massive and rapidly growing space industry, and ways to protect and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of space. Listen here or find the episode wherever you get your podcasts.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT) and pro-Palestine demonstrators are on either side of a First Amendment debate. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that UT administrators have reminded demonstrators about a Tennessee law banning late-night camping on state property, a measure enacted by the legislature in the wake of the George Floyd protests to limit the scope of long-term demonstrations. Demonstrators have called their gatherings “spontaneous study sessions," in part a strategy to overcome restrictions on their activities. "We believe we have the right to free speech, the right to address grievances peacefully," Palestinian student demonstrator Hasan Atatrah recently said. "And we believe that right exists even at nighttime."

Gov. Bill Lee earlier this year ended an expedited clemency program for those sentenced under a previous version of the state's drug-free school zone law. The change was posted to the Tennessee Department of Corrections' website sometime after the program was ended in January, but reportedly was not publicly announced. According to the Tennessean, under the old law, those convicted of a drug crime within 1,000 feet of a school, library, park, day-care center or recreational center were subject to mandatory minimum sentences even for first-time drug offenses. The Tennessee General Assembly changed the law in September 2020 to reduce the radius of a "school zone" to 500 feet. Ending the program means offenders convicted under the old law, and sentenced to longer prison terms than they would be today, have lost what may have been the most viable option to adjust their sentences.

The Shelby County Criminal Justice Center was found to have "deficiencies" in two inspections over the last six years conducted by the Tennessee Corrections Institute. Action News 5 reports that inspectors noted noticeable deterioration of the facility and buildings with outdated doors, locks, showers and security systems. Inspectors also repeatedly noted the need for more staff. In a 2019 inspection report, the inspector stated the building was outdated, more signs of wear were seen than before and the maintenance department could not keep up because there were so many issues.

Gov. Bill Lee toured the Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol while celebrating a new law meant to protect the state’s musicians. WJHL reports that Lee said places like the museum embody why the law is important. Lee and his wife Maria were given a quick tour of the museum on their visit. Both were shown and listened to how technology was used to document the rich musical heritage of the region. “It’s a reminder to us, part of what made Bristol the city that it is and what made Tennessee the state of music that it is, are the artists themselves,” Lee said. The ELVIS Act is the first-in-the-nation law that seeks to block the use of artificial intelligence to copy a performer’s voice without legal permission. Lee signed the bill into law in March.

The May/June Tennessee Bar Journal, the annual Access to Justice (ATJ) focused issue, is now available online and arriving in mailboxes this week! This issue's cover story focuses on the need for fee increases for indigent representation in Tennessee courts, and highlights attorneys' testimony before two legislative committees. The TBA's Public Service Award winners are profiled, and Russell Fowler gives readers a glimpse into the pro bono-focused life of Saint Ives. Columns include John Day's digest of tort cases before the Tennessee Supreme Court and Eddy Smith's look at mortality and the relief that comes with knowing your affairs are in order. In addition, Jim Barry's final President's Perspective column looks back at a year of transitions for TBA, and The Legal Life is full of ATJ news and updates on TBA ATJ initiatives.

A new federal rule would close what many have termed the "gun show loophole," but a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 21 state attorneys general, including Tennessee's Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, could overturn it. The Daily Memphian reports that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced its “Final Rule 2022R-17F” in April, which is due to take effect later this month. It essentially updates the definition of a firearms dealer to ensure that almost all such sellers must have a federal firearms license, and therefore conduct background checks on all gun buyers. ATF officials stated that the new rule does not apply to certain sellers — such as someone who sells a gun to a family member or a person who engages in occasional sales as a hobbyist — but the lawsuit from the attorneys general disputes that claim. Skrmetti says the law places too heavy a regulatory burden on individuals “who occasionally sell or trade a firearm.”

Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp has filed a petition to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert after an almost 10-months-long investigation. The Commercial Appeal reports that the filing lists incorrect financial reporting, strains on auto dealers in the county, comptroller deficiencies and Halbert's absence from the May 1 Shelby County Commission meeting where she was supposed to present her corrective action plan as reasons for the petition. The petition does not officially remove Halbert from office, but it requests that she be suspended of her official capacity as county clerk.