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.

Davidson County lawyer Dana L. Nero was censured on Jan. 8 for failing to notify a client that she had been suspended. The Tennessee Supreme Court says that Nero was temporarily suspended from the practice of law on Oct. 7, 2022, and while suspended represented a client in Davidson County Criminal Court. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 28, requires that those suspended notify all clients of the suspension within 10 days of the order. The court also found that Nero failed to give the client any papers or other property they were entitled to receive. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 3.4(c) and 8.4(g).

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has filed an unredacted copy of a lawsuit filed in October 2023 against Meta Platforms Inc., the company formerly known as Facebook. The lawsuit alleges the company’s Instagram platform causes mental health harms to its young users. “The unredacted complaint makes clear that Meta knew its platforms were hurting kids and made a very clear decision to choose money over the mental health of its young users,” Skrmetti said of the filing.

Did you miss last year’s Entertainment & Sports Law Forum? The courses are now available online for individual purchase or as a 1-Click Package. The forum featured some of the brightest minds in the industry breaking down cutting-edge issues in the entertainment and sports industries. Topics covered included sports betting, the Copyright Claims Board, producer agreements, sampling clearance and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in production technique. The program wrapped up with best practices for maximizing attorney well-being and mental health.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal targeting an agreement among major U.S. meat suppliers to apportion potential liability for price-fixing claims brought by chicken purchasers Target, Campbell Soup Company and others. Also on Monday, the court declined to hear R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's challenge to a voter-approved measure in California that banned flavored tobacco, upholding a lower court's ruling holding that California's law did not conflict with a federal statute regulating tobacco products. On Tuesday, the justices heard arguments in a case over an inconsistently applied increase in bankruptcy fees, with at least three justices appearing hesitant to force U.S. taxpayers to foot a $326 million refund to debtors who paid higher rates. Reuters has the full story on all three decisions.