The Rutherford Courthouse Museum in downtown Murfreesboro is preserving the history of the area. This month, the museum is highlighting artifacts that honor Black civil rights leaders and the fight to integrate schools, the Daily News reports. The exhibits — "The Fight For Civil Rights: Building Foundations" and "The Fight For Civil Rights: Getting Organized" — are free and open seven days a week. Supporters of the temporary exhibit would like to have an on-going display at the courthouse and some have expressed interest in expanding the offerings to honor Native tribes who lived in the county and Laotian refugees who have settled in the area. The Tennessean has the story.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in providing free legal services for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits at a clinic in Nashville on Feb. 16. Issues to be covered include questions about business formation, corporate governance, contract review and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible businesses may receive up to one hour of assistance but must register by Monday. Clients may sign up online. To volunteer, email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

A new course from the TBA seeks to expand the group of legal advocates certified to serve Tennessee veterans, who are underrepresented in the Veterans Affairs Department’s (VA) claims and appeals processes. Introduction to the Practice of Veterans Law — a live virtual event on April 5 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT — will cover information about claims procedures, basic eligibility for benefits, right to appeal, disability compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, and pensions. Presenters will be James R. Drysdale with the VA Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C., and VA certified lawyers Seth Ogden and Rita Gibson Rayford.

Tennessee's 113th General Assembly is now in session and TBA's Legislative Updates podcast is back for a new season! Lawmakers filed a combined total of 1,700 bills this year – 1,000 less than 2022. TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorneys and TBA lobbyists, Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin host the podcast to discuss what's ahead for the legislative year and the bills TBA is sponsoring. Legislative Updates airs each week on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Veristar, a Chicago-based legal services firm, has announced it is expanding into Nashville, the Nashville Post reports. Veristar offers e-discovery and legal staffing services. The company has an additional presence in New York, Cleveland, Charlotte, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. “Nashville is a vibrant, sophisticated city that is home to powerhouse law firms and many great companies in health care, technology, entertainment, financial services and manufacturing,” Veristar CEO Rick Avers said in the release. “Everyone at Veristar is excited to be a part of the Nashville community.”

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office will be reviewing all cases handled by the five Memphis Police Department officers accused of killing Tyre Nichols, the Commercial Appeal reports. District Attorney Steve Mulroy did not specify how many cases were being reviewed, but said the review includes both active and closed cases. The news outlet also reported today that new documents reveal ex-MPD officer Preston Hemphill lied about seeing reckless driving and that Nichols put up a fight during the traffic stop that eventually led to his death. The MPD sent those documents to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) in an effort to have Hemphill decertified. The Daily Memphian reports that another POST file reveals ex-officer Demetrius Haley took cell phone photos of Nichols after he and the other officers took turns beating him. According to his Garrity statement, Haley then texted the photos to “one civilian employee, two MPD officers, and one female acquaintance.” That Garrity statement, however, could be kept from a jury. The Associated Press explains why.  

Eviction filings in Nashville are now 70% higher than they were pre-pandemic, according to WPLN. The news outlet dug further into the issue on a recent episode of its Citizen Nashville podcast with special guests Julie Yriart, legal director of the Nashville Eviction Right to Counsel pilot program with the Hispanic Bar Association and Elizabeth Leiserson, Eviction Right to Counsel Project director with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. In the episode, Yriart and Leiserson discuss how the rise in eviction filings impacts the lack of affordable housing, what rights and resources tenants have and more. Listen to the episode.

Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, is challenging the legality of a bill that would cut the Metro Nashville Council in half, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Yarbro, an attorney, argues that Davidson County is a “metropolitan county government” which, per the Constitution, “has to be treated as having the authority of a county government because it does.” House Bill 48 sponsor House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, argues lawmakers can adjust city councils because they are set up statutorily whereas county governments are established constitutionally. The measure moved through the House Local Government Committee on Tuesday.

Legislation to clarify portions of the state's obscenity law regarding public drag performances cleared the Tennessee Senate today, the Tennessean reports. The bill, SB03, classifies "male and female impersonators" as adult cabaret performers and bans "adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors," as defined in Tennessee's obscenity law. The measure was opposed by all Senate Democrats but was ultimately passed on a 26-6 vote. The bill’s sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, acknowledged that what might be considered “harmful” would be subject to discretion from prosecutors.

A Shelby County assistant district attorney will serve two days in jail after pleading guilty to driving under the influence, the Commercial Appeal reports. Monica Timmerman was charged with a DUI in December after hitting a utility pole near Overton Park. She’ll serve two days in jail, followed by 11 months and 27 days of supervised probation. Timmerman will also be required to pay a $4,777 restitution to Memphis Light, Gas & Water, which must be paid by Aug. 8. The District Attorney’s Office issued a statement after the arrest saying Timmerman was still employed with the office and an independent prosecutor was being appointed to the case. Timmerman was a defense attorney prior to being sworn in as an ADA last November.