The newly created 19th Judicial District in Montgomery County has a new judge. Ashleigh Travis was sworn in as circuit court judge on Oct. 6 by Judge Jill Ayers of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. The Administrative Office of the Courts reports that Travis, most recently a child support magistrate judge, joins Judges Katy Olita, William R. Goodman, Robert Bateman, Joel Wallace Jr. and Adrienne Fry in representing Montgomery and Robertson counties as circuit court judges.

Tennessee has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Dr. Michelle Fiscus, the state's former top vaccine official. Fiscus was terminated in 2021 after facing criticism over her department's promotion of the COVID-19 vaccine for minors. WKRN has more details.

The upcoming Knoxville municipal runoff election features three competitive races. In the race for municipal judgeship, incumbent Judge John Rosson Jr., with over three decades on the bench, faces challenger Tyler Caviness, a former public defender advocating for fresh perspectives and better accessibility to justice. The city council at large, Seat B race pits community advocate Debbie Helsley against homebuilder R. Bentley Marlow, with both candidates focusing on addressing housing shortages and increasing homelessness resources. In the city council at large, Seat C race, incumbent Amelia Parker faces real estate developer Tim Hill, with Parker emphasizing progressive causes and affordable housing while Hill advocates for increased public safety and using density and public-private funding to address housing shortages. The election is on Nov. 7, following early voting through Nov. 2. The Tennessee Lookout has in depth coverage on the race.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold three legal clinics in November. The “Attorney of the Day Clinic” will take place Nov. 2 and 16 from 1-3 p.m. CST at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Room 134, Memphis 38103. The monthly Saturday clinic at the Benjamin Hooks Library will take place Nov. 11 beginning at 10 a.m. The library is located at 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. For both clinics, clients will be served on a first come, first served basis. For questions or to volunteer contact Heather Staggs or Walter Casey.

Public speaking is a core leadership skill and in today’s business environment, attorneys are expected to be comfortable with everything from moderating a panel discussion to leading a virtual meeting. Mimi Bliss of Bliss Communications has updated her highly-rated CLE on virtual presentations to cover a range of professional situations, from virtual courtrooms to professional conferences, panel discussions and informal communications. In this on-demand workshop, you’ll learn how to sharpen your message; engage your audience; master the virtual presentation, including technology tools, lighting and set-up; and use voice, gestures and eye contact to speak effectively. Attorneys who participated in last year’s workshop said the speaking tips were actionable and relevant to lawyers. Join us online Nov. 15 from noon to 1 p.m. CST for this CLE and receive one dual credit hour.

Tennessee is suing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over millions of dollars in family planning funding the state lost after it violated federal requirements for clinics to counsel clients on all reproductive health options, including abortion, the Tennessean reports. In the complaint filed in federal court in Knoxville, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti argues HHS rules about Title X requirements have flip-flopped in recent years and that the HHS requirement violates Tennesseans' "First Amendment rights not to engage in speech or conduct that facilitates abortions."

The deadline for applying for the Tennessee Bar Association’s Leadership Law 2024 class is Nov 3. Contact Paul Burch pburch@tnbar.org if you have questions about the program or the application process.

Funeral services have now been scheduled for Memphis attorney and civic leader Ricky Wilkins, who died last week. Visitation will be Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. CDT at First Baptist Broad, 2835 Broad in Memphis. Funeral services will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m., also at First Baptist Broad. A memorial reception will be held on Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Serenity Columbarium and Memorial Garden, 1638 Sycamore View Rd. in Memphis.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) will continue offering the existing Uniform Bar Exam through February 2028, while also offering the new Next Gen Bar Exam starting in July 2026, Reuters reports. The NCBE said in September that the test in its current form would retire after the July 2027 exam, but some state courts have said they need more time to adopt the new test. The decision of which bar exam each state uses lies with individual states.

Environmental lawyers across the state rely on this annual program from the TBA Environmental Law Section to keep them up to date on timely topics relevant to the practice area. Government, in-house and private practice attorneys will discuss new regulations, ethics, case law updates and more. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned practitioners while networking with colleagues from across the state. This year’s forum will be Dec. 1 at the offices of Baker Donelson in Nashville. Beginning at 10 a.m. CST, it will provide one hour of dual credit and four hours of general credit.