West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) has opened an office in Memphis at 1407 Union to begin serving clients there, the Daily Memphian reports. In the three months since the group inherited the caseload of the federally funded legal aid office in Memphis, WTLS Executive Director Ashley Holliday has hired 10 lawyers, found temporary office space, blazed trails to connect with the legal community and moved twice. Memphis Area Legal Services, now headed by CEO Nicole Grida, will continue to provide legal services through private funding and grants. “The scope of our work remains unchanged,” Grida told the paper. “We still serve clients in our priority areas, housing, family and children, elder, consumer … services that we have offered for a number of years.”

TBA’s member benefit partner SoFi is offering a webinar on Thursday to help those with student loans make a plan to manage their debt. The company reports that the student loan repayment on–ramp period ended on Sept. 30, meaning borrowers will have to start repaying their loans. The webinar will air at 3 p.m. CDT and feature Brian Walsh, SoFi's head of advice and planning. He will talk about the latest student debt news and how to start paying loans with confidence. Register here. Two previous sessions on the basics of student loans also are available to watch on demand.

A former prosecutor has sued Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk, accusing him of violating her First Amendment rights by allegedly forcing her out of her job after she served on a jury in a case prosecuted by the office. Katie Hagan voted to find the defendant not guilty after which she says Funk “berated” her for her actions, “accused her of being unethical” and reassigned her to desk work. She ultimately resigned. Hagan argues that she did not believe she could decline the jury summons given the office’s policy, which states: "Jury service is a responsibility of good citizenship, and all employees are expected to honor subpoenas for jury duty in any court. It is the office policy that employees serve rather than seek to be excused or exempted. Jury service is both a privilege and an obligation." NewsChannel 5 reports on the suit.

TBA’s Group Health Insurance, provided by BlueCross BlueShield, offers guaranteed issue coverage, with no health questions and no pre-existing condition exclusions. The Knoxville law firm Butler Vines & Babbs made the switch. Here is what firm administrator David T. Kristy says about the program: “When the TBA Member Insurance Solutions Plans first came out, the benefits and premiums offered were so close to what we currently had for our small firm (18 participants) that we elected to pass on the opportunity. However, we evaluated these plans each year and in 2023, the insurance carrier, benefit levels and especially premium costs were clearly way ahead of the competition! We went with the TBA plan in 2023 and over the past two years have saved over $62,000 for the same level of coverage for our employees. I would not hesitate to recommend that other law firms seriously evaluate the TBA plans.” Find out more or get your quote now.

Judge Barry Brown, who served as Sumner County’s juvenile judge for 32 years, died Oct. 10. During his time with the court, Brown established a Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in the county, a Sumner County Teen Court, a Victim/Offender Reconciliation Program (VORP) and a program to educate first-time offenders about the dangers of drug abuse. The Nashville School of Law graduate retired from the bench in 2017. Services were held today. Memorial donations may be made to Sumner County CASA, 182 West Franklin St., Gallatin, TN 37066. Main Street Media has more on his career and reflections from colleagues.

Memphis-based Community Legal Center has announced the appointment of Betsy Prendergast as its interim executive director. She replaces Diana Comes, who was with the center since 2021 and oversaw the organization’s move to Brinkley Plaza. Prendergast has been serving as a staff attorney and was a past member of the group's board of directors. The center also announced that Dawna E. Snipes is a new elder law staff attorney and Susie Espinoza is a new program coordinator. Finally, the center is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with an event on Nov. 8 from 7-9 p.m. CDT at the Crosstown Theater. Buy tickets here or contact Austin Brown at 901-402-0509 with questions.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) and Egerton McAfee Armistead & Davis will hold the 2024 Pro Bono Recognition Night on Nov. 7 from 5-8 p.m. EST. The event will take place at The Standard, 416 W. Jackson Ave., Knoxville 37902 and will honor the work of area pro bono attorneys over the past year. Since 1965, LAET has transformed lives throughout the region, and this has been made possible through pro bono attorneys who volunteer their time. Purchase tickets here.

The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a reprimand to Putnam County General Sessions Judge Steven Randolph for actions taken in a case involving an unlicensed driver who damaged his vehicle. The board found that Randolph should not have heard the case since he had an interest in its outcome, including the payment of restitution. Randolph argued that the defendant had waived any recusal challenges, that the amount of restitution to be paid was “miniscule” and any violation was “technical, not substantive,” but nonetheless acknowledged he should not have heard the case. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Judicial Conduct 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. Access the letter of reprimand here or on the Administrative Office of the Courts' website.

The Tennessee Bar Association will hold its first ever Conference on Artificial Intelligence & the Law (TCAIL) in Nashville on Dec. 6. This unique day-long event will take place at the Tennessee Bankers Association, 211 Athens Way #100, Nashville 37228. The day will begin with an introductory session presented by TBA AI Task Force Chair A.J. Bahou, followed by sessions on AI and the substantive practice of law, including how AI impacts legal research, document generation, e-discovery and more. Two judicial panels and an ethics session will round out the day. Lunch will be provided. Members of TBA's Law Office Technology & Management Section and General, Solo & Small Firm Section are eligible for discounted registration. Reserve your spot by registering today.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) will host its Second Saturday Legal Advice Clinic tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. Thanks to Bass, Berry & Sims and the MBA Probate & Estate Planning Section for sponsoring this month’s event. Attorneys always are needed to give legal advice and basic guidance on a range of issues, from divorce to employment law. To sponsor a future clinic, contact Mary Ann Upchurch at maupchurch@memphisbar.org. Questions about the clinic should be directed to Memphis Area Legal Services Pro Bono Managing Attorney Heather Staggs at hstaggs@malsi.org.