The Knoxville Bar Association and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), will hold a Debt Relief Clinic to provide pro bono legal services to income-eligible consumer debtors in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Sevier counties. The clinic will begin at 8:45 a.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Attorneys will volunteer to conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Those interested in helping, or those seeking advice, should call the LAET office at 865-637-0484. The deadline for client registration is April 26.

A lawsuit brought over the 2022 death of Landon Eastep will go forward after U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. declined for now to grant immunity to police officers and state troopers accused of using excessive force while interacting with Eastep. Instead, Crenshaw reserved the issue until there is "further factual development" in the case. He did throw out one claim of failure to protect Eastep and all claims against the Metro Nashville and Mount Juliet governments. Nine law enforcement officials opened fire on 37-year-old Eastep after a 30-minute standoff on Interstate 65 when he pulled a metal object, later determined not to be a weapon, from his pocket. The Tennessean has more on the decision.

Two open positions on the TBA Board of Governors will be filled by the body when it convenes on June 14 at the TBA Annual Convention in Memphis. During its spring meeting this past weekend, the board declared the vacancies in accordance with Article 47 of the TBA Bylaws. The openings are for a West Tennessee Grand Division Governor and a Middle Tennessee Grand Division Governor, each of which will serve a one-year term. To be considered for either position, email TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright with your interest by June 1. Please include a resume with your submission as well as any other information you would like the Board of Governors to consider.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed three bills into law in the last few days. HB2124/SB2576 requires local police to work with ICE whenever an undocumented person is detained. The Associated Press reports on that measure. HB2169/SB1738 prevents the Department of Children’s Services from requiring foster parents to support LGBT rights, meaning the parents in question do not have to accept a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity to become the caregiver. Courthouse News has more on that bill. Finally, HB1726/SB2359 prohibits the Department of Children’s Services from requiring an immunization for foster parents. Before this change the families had to be vaccinated against the flu and whooping cough in an effort to protect medically fragile children, according to The Nashville Scene.

The Tennessee Republican Party has finalized the candidates for the Aug. 1 primary. Of those who sought to run for various positions, the party removed 14 and restored eight after those individuals paid their party dues. Among those blocked from running were three candidates for Congress, two for the state Senate and nine for the state House, Tennessee Journal reports. Party leaders said these individuals failed to meet “bona fide” standards, which require Republican candidates to have voted in at least three of the last four statewide GOP primaries. With that move, U.S. Reps. Mark Green and David Kustoff no longer face primary opponents, while Rep. Scott DesJarlais will face two opponents rather than three. The Associated Press has more specifics.

Fayetteville lawyer Thomas Owen Bagley died April 12 at the age of 94. A graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, Bagley moved to Fayetteville in 1953 and entered private practice with Robert W. Stevens. He served with the law firm of Stevens, Bagley & Stevens until his retirement in 2002. Bagley served as Fayetteville city attorney for more than 41 years, as president of the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association and as a state representative from 1959-1960. A funeral service will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. CDT at Fayetteville First Presbyterian Church, 101 Mulberry Ave., Fayetteville 37334. Burial will follow in Rose Hill Cemetery, 511 Edison St. W., Fayetteville 37334. The Elk Valley Times has additional reflections from those who knew and worked with Bagley.

In honor of Help4TN month, the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) has released a new podcast episode focused on the Tennessee Justice Bus. Tune in to hear a discussion about the mobile legal law office bringing legal help to rural communities. Participants include Justice Elizabeth "Beth" D. Walker of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Rhonda K. Wood, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeff Bivins and Anne-Lousie Wirthlin, director of access to justice and strategic development at the AOC.

Tom Guarente, a Brentwood tech executive, has withdrawn from the Republican primary for the Fifth Congressional District, according to news reports. His decision leaves Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston as the sole challenger to Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles. Guarente said he met with Johnston and decided to support her candidacy instead "for the greater good." Guarente confirmed his decision to The Tennessee Star last Thursday. While Guarente filed official paperwork for his candidacy in February, he never formally launched a campaign. On the Democratic side, Maryam Abolfazli will now be unopposed in the race to face Ogles. Her last remaining primary opponent has withdrawn from the race, the Associated Press reports.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will hold a Bench Bar Reception on April 30 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. CDT at the Tempo Hotel, 127 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., Nashville 37203. The event will occur during the court’s scheduled sitting in Nashville, April 29-May 3. RSVP here by April 26. The event will include a cash bar.

Montgomery County lawyer Joel David Ragland has been suspended from the practice of law after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that he misappropriated funds for his personal use and posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. Ragland is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and must cease representing existing clients by May 12.