The Memphis Bar Association announced this evening that the following area courts will be closed tomorrow: Shelby County Chancery Court, Circuit Court (if there are emergency matters that require attention, emails should be sent to the division clerk), Criminal Court, General Sessions Criminal Court, Juvenile Court and Probate Court, as well as Memphis city courts. General Sessions Civil Court as well as the federal courts in Memphis and Jackson will be closed tomorrow and Friday. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court will be closed to the public tomorrow, but court proceedings will take place virtually and all staff will be available to answer calls.

Attorneys interested in seeking one of 700 appointments to various American Bar Association (ABA) committees, commissions and other entities have until Feb. 12 to apply. New positions available this year include 10 slots for young lawyers to serve on special or standing committees through a Young Lawyers Fellows program. Read more about the appointment process in this letter from ABA President-elect Bill Bay. Applications are posted online. For questions or guidance on the process, contact TBA ABA Resources Committee Chair Jonathan Cole or Tennessee Delegate John Tarpley.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and Tennessee Judicial Conference have rescheduled their planned Bar and Bench reception due to winter weather. The event will now take place on Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m. CST in Memphis. The reception is sponsored by and will take place at Morgan and Morgan, 80 Monroe Ave., Ste. 900, Memphis 38103. The reception will kick off a series of networking events across Tennessee, offering a unique opportunity for lawyers and members of the judiciary to interact in a casual atmosphere.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free live webinar on Jan. 30 at 9 a.m. CST to discuss business tax basics. Topics include tax law, determining classifications, gross sales, retailer/wholesaler status, exemptions/exclusions, and deductions and credits, as well as tax filing. Learn more or register here. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month.

The Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims has canceled in-person settlements at its Chattanooga office for tomorrow due to winter weather. Those with business before the court should call 800-332-2667 to reschedule.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a coalition of 26 states in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) emphasizing the potential harm in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by telemarketers and asking the FCC to impose strict restrictions on such usage. Read more about that effort. Skrmetti also recently joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and the Arizona Legislature in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the National Rifle Association. The group is attempting to sue a New York state official who is alleged to have violated its First Amendment right to free speech. The brief asks the court to reverse a lower court ruling that rejected claims that the official threatened financial institutions doing business with the NRA.

Make plans now to join colleagues for a new "Bill and Phil Show," which will make its appearance in Nashville as part of the Law Tech Lunch & Learn Series. The program will take place on Feb. 7 at the Belmont College of Law. Bill Ramsey of Neal & Harwell PLC and legal technology consultant Phil Hampton will cover the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal tech industry as well as the benefits and pitfalls to avoid. The duo also will showcase their latest finds in how AI can enhance productivity and quality of life in the real world. Can't make this program? Save the date for the Memphis program set for March 15.

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard arguments on the future of the “Chevron deference,” a legal doctrine that instructs courts to defer to agencies’ interpretation of federal law. The government’s lawyer argued for the doctrine while lawyers for a group of fishermen — who are challenging a mandate that they fund federal monitors on their vessels — called on the court to overrule the precedent or at least narrow its scope, The Hill reports. Critics of the doctrine argue it requires judges to abdicate responsibility to interpret the law. Supporters argue that regulators, who have more knowledge and experience in their particular fields, are best positioned to make such decisions. The justices also weighed whether to replace Chevron with another, more narrow test known as Skidmore, under which a judge would decide to defer to an agency only if the agency’s argument is persuasive. Read about the Chevron doctrine's history from SCOTUSblog.

The University of Tennessee College of Law has announced the death of Professor Emerita Fran Ansley, a 1979 alumna of the law school. In a tribute posted on LinkedIn, the school writes that Ansley was a “brilliant scholar, a beloved teacher and colleague, and a person who made a difference in her community and the world.” In retirement, it continues, she remained active as a scholar, collaborator and change agent. In 2023, the Tennessee Law Review honored Ansley’s work with a symposium titled “Working toward Justice on Difficult Ground." It highlighted three aspects of her work: plant closings and the global economy, justice for migrants and the future of teaching and learning about America’s past. Read tributes posted on the account or leave your own remembrance. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Attorney Kisha Cheeks and General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh, who are seeking to replace retired Circuit Court Judge Marie Williams, have qualified to run in their respective primaries, Chattanoogan.com reports. Cheeks qualified to run in the Democratic primary while McVeagh qualified to run in the Republican primary. Cheeks, principal attorney at the Cheeks Rucker Firm, says she will focus her campaign on ensuring courts continue to remain accessible and provide justice for all residents. McVeagh, who touts his qualifications as a business litigator and sitting judge, will face attorney Michele Coffman in the primary. Coffman qualified earlier this month. She says her campaign is driven by her Christian conservative values and over 24 years of experience as an attorney. The primary will be March 5 with early voting running from Feb. 14-27. The general election will be held in August.