The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip's bid to challenge his conviction for a murder-for-hire based on his claim that prosecutors wrongly withheld evidence favorable to his defense, reports Reuters. The justices took up Glossip's appeal of a lower court's refusal to grant him a hearing after that court determined the newly obtained evidence would not have changed the outcome. Glossip was convicted of commissioning the murder of a motel owner in Oklahoma City in 1997. Recent investigations led Glossip's lawyers to evidence they say casts doubt on the reliability of the prosecution's key witness.

According to a new poll by test prep company Kaplan, a majority of law school admissions officers are concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ban on race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities will reduce the number of diverse law students. Reuters reports that 54% of those polled were "very concerned" the ruling would affect campus diversity, while 33% said they are “somewhat concerned” and 13% were either neutral, unconcerned or did not know. Respondents were a bit more optimistic about their own ability to bring in diverse classes: 21% said they were “very concerned” about those efforts, while 38% said they were "somewhat concerned." Despite the concerns, Kaplan notes that the fall 2023 entering class was the most racially diverse on record with 40% students of color, and that the current applicant pool for fall 2024 admission is historically diverse with 43% students of color.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has announced that Nashville partner and TBA member A.J. Bahou has been appointed to serve on the newly formed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia selected the committee, which will be chaired by Judge Eric D. Miller, to aid the court in evaluating appropriate rules and uses of AI. Bahou currently serves as Bradley’s AI practice leader and frequently speaks on the use and ethical implications of AI and ChatGPT in law practice and other industries. If you missed his presentation at TBA's Law Tech program last year, check it out here.

Gov. Bill Lee has announced that he will deliver his sixth State of the State address to the General Assembly on Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. CST. The joint session will take place in the House chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol. The address will be available on Lee’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

Join us in person for the TBA's Construction Law Forum this Friday at the Tennessee Bankers Association's Barrett Training Center, 211 Athens Way, Nashville 37228. This year's program will focus on contracts, dispute resolution, liens, the Prompt Pay Act and the "gotchas" of construction law. The day will wrap up with a legislative and case law update. Earn up to five general and one dual CLE hours. Find out more and register.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee has suspended Shelby County attorney Robert Harris Golder from the practice of law for four years, with one year to be served as an active suspension pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 12.2, and the remainder to be served on probation. Complaints against Golder include allegations that he failed to communicate reasonably with his clients, failed to perform work necessary to the representation, failed to provide competent representation, disclosed confidential information during withdrawal, charged an unreasonable fee, failed to comply with multiple court orders and failed to expedite litigation. Golder executed a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4.

On Jan. 9, Henry County attorney Rebecca Carole Griffey received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Griffey filed an application for a chancellor position on May 29, 2019, with the Tennessee Trial Court Vacancy Commission. She knowingly failed to disclose information responsive to questions on the application. The court found that Griffey violated Rules of Professional Conduct 8.2(a)(3), 8.2(b) and 8.4(c) and (d).

The University of Memphis announced that all campuses, including the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, would continue modified operational status this week, including virtual classes. Law students should monitor their emails for additional details regarding plans for the remainder of the week. Check www.memphis.edu or the school's Facebook page for updates.

University of Tennessee College of Law student Kevin Escalona won "The Closer," the nation’s most challenging transactional law competition, on Jan. 14. Hosted by Baylor Law School in Waco, Texas, 14 law schools are invited annually to compete. Unlike most competitions, each school can send only one student. Each competitor is given only 24 hours to digest their client’s extensive files and prepare to negotiate a deal. This year’s competition challenged the law students to negotiate an agreement between Hotel 1928 (a historic hotel renovated by Chip and Joanna Gaines of Magnolia and Fixer Upper fame), and Neighborly Inc., a Waco-based home service provider. The competitors learned that Neighborly Inc. wants to host a conference at Hotel 1928 during the April 2024 solar eclipse. The competitors negotiated use of the hotel and its restaurants and terms for employment of entertainers, insurance for outdoor liquor sales, use of trademarks and advertising. 

The Barristers, the Young Lawyer’s Division of the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA), annually hosts the Regional High School Mock Trial Competition for Competition Districts 2, 3 and 4 every year. The 2024 regional competition is slated to occur at the Knoxville City-County Building on Feb. 16 (Round 1) and Feb. 17 (Rounds 2-4). The Regional Championship (Round 5) will be held Feb. 18 in the Business Courtroom at LMU’s Duncan School of Law. Volunteers are needed to serve as bailiffs, scoring judges and presiding judges. To volunteer, fill out this form. Read the press release from the KBA.