The TBA will be closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. CST. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs and for staff contact information.

The Memphis Bar Association will hold its Second Saturday Legal Clinic this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon CST at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111.  Volunteers should arrive by 9:30 a.m. for instructions.

State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, has introduced a bill that would block state courts from hearing challenges to any internal rule, regulation or procedure adopted by the General Assembly. The Tennessean reports that the proposed measure, HB165, would not apply to laws passed by the legislature, which are routinely challenged in state court. Bulso says he decided to file the bill after Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin blocked a House rule about access to committee hearings this past summer.

State Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, has asked Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to weigh in on the state House’s new policy requiring tickets for the public to sit in the West Gallery during legislative proceedings. The change was adopted yesterday as part of a new rules package. News Channel 5 has more on the story.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure and the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure. The amendments to the Rules of Civil Procedure include changes to Rule 43.01 (Evidence at Trials). The Rules of Appellate Procedure include changes to Rules 30 (Form of Briefs and Other Papers) and 31 (Brief and Oral Argument of an Amicus Curiae). The amendments are now subject to approval by the General Assembly. 

The Community Legal Center (CLC) and First Horizon will hold a free wills and estate planning clinic on Jan. 17 at City View Towers, 256 S. Camilla St., Memphis 38104. The event will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST. For more information contact the CLC at 901-543-3395 or info@clcmemphis.org.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) has announced that the 2024 Equal Justice University (EJ) will take place Aug. 28-30 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Watch for more information to come on the EJU website.

For the first time, women made up the majority of associates at U.S. law firms last year, according to National Association for Law Placement. In a major shift, new figures show that more women — 50.3% — were employed as associates at U.S. law firms than men in 2023. The number of women enrolled in U.S. law schools overtook men eight years ago, and that gap has widened over time. Nearly 56% of law students currently enrolled at American Bar Association-accredited law schools are women. The ABA Journal reports on the development. In related news, another study found that women are slightly more likely to be identified as a general counsel’s successor than men, especially at non-profits and private companies. Read more about that study from executive search firm Barker Gilmore.

Gov. Bill Lee recently announced that three more counties have been approved for FEMA’s Individual Assistance following tornadoes and severe weather in west and middle Tennessee on Dec. 9., 2023. They are: Cheatham, Gibson and Stewart counties. They join Davidson, Dickson, Montgomery and Sumner counties in the federal disaster declaration approved on Dec. 13. Individuals in the declared counties can apply for individual direct assistance through FEMA’s website, app or by phone at 800-621-3362.

The Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection met to consider claims from clients alleging financial loss due to the illegal actions of their lawyers. The fund approved one claim against Roane County attorney Eric John Montierth in the amount of $3,500. It also directed Montierth to reimburse the fund for the expense. The Fund for Client Protection was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court to reimburse individuals for losses caused by dishonest conduct by attorneys. The fund is operated by a board, which meets quarterly to consider claims. In September 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court amended Rule 25 to require the fund to notify the Tennessee Bar Association of claims paid. News releases also are posted online.