Mark R. Allen, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary at FedEx Corp., is retiring after 42 years, the Daily Memphian reports. He will remain in his current role until Sept. 23 and then serve as a senior adviser through Dec. 31. Allen joined FedEx in 1982 and served in a variety of leadership roles before taking on his current responsibilities in 2017. During his tenure, Allen directed international commercial and aviation negotiations, managed government relations and handled a broad range of corporate governance, regulatory, security and operations matters. The company has not yet named his successor.

The overwhelming benefits of document automation come from stuff you already own: a word processor and your existing documents. While you can invest in technology to do great things, the biggest “bang for your buck” comes in reconciling and consolidating language you already have into templates. Learn how to create model documents that combine all your best language without spending a dime. Find this and more in the Document Automation and Assembly section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

The American Bar Association (ABA) released a statement Friday expressing concern about congressional funding for federal public defenders. The group notes that federal courts have requested $1.69 billion in FY 2025 to meet the constitutional requirement of providing public defenders to every criminal defendant who cannot afford a lawyer. The U.S. House of Representatives, according to the association, has proposed $1.5 billion in funding. Although this represents a 3.4% increase over current funding, it falls short of what is needed, the ABA says.

The 2024 Elder Law Forum will take place in-person this Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at the Belmont University College of Law. This annual staple for Tennessee attorneys provides insight from top professionals while allowing attendees to meet with other lawyers in the practice area. This year’s forum features timely topics such as conservatorships, dementia, client intake, ethics, litigation in elder law and much more. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity to learn and earn CLE with colleagues.

The law license of Knox County lawyer Keith Allen Pope has been transferred to disability inactive status. Pope may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the Tennessee Supreme Court for reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Shelby County lawyer Kathryn Nan Maceri has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Maceri violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4 and 5.3 when she failed to communicate with a client, provide competent and diligent representation, and breached her responsibilities regarding nonlawyer assistants when her legal assistant provided the client with an altered work permit. As a result, the work permit was unusable, and the client had to hire a new attorney to complete the task.

The American Bar Association (ABA) released a statement Friday expressing concern about congressional funding for federal public defenders. The group notes that federal courts have requested $1.69 billion in FY 2025 to meet the constitutional requirement of providing public defenders to every criminal defendant who cannot afford a lawyer. The U.S. House of Representatives, according to the association, has proposed $1.5 billion in funding. Although this represents a 3.4% increase over current funding, it falls short of what is needed, the ABA says.

Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chair of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, is urging the U.S. Judicial Conference to review the role of litigation finance, including considering transparency rules and mandatory disclosure of outside funding in federal lawsuits. “Understanding the funding terms, sources, financial details and potential conflicts of interest are vital to ensuring informed decision-making and guarding against perceptions of undue influence,” Comer wrote in a letter to U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. The Judicial Conference meets twice a year and makes recommendations to Congress concerning legislation involving the judicial branch. The chief justice serves as its presiding officer. Bloomberg Law has more.

A group of about 20 individuals gathered in downtown Nashville this past weekend chanting and handing out flyers, WPLN reports. The flyers identified them as members of the group Goyim Defense League, a loose network of antisemites and white supremacists. Nashville police said they arrested a "neo-Nazi protester" after the individual allegedly used a Nazi flagpole to hit a bartender who had been in a physical altercation with group members. The protester was charged with felony aggravated assault and disorderly conduct, Axios Nashville reports in today’s newsletter. After last week’s demonstration downtown, Gov. Bill Lee said that Tennesseans should stand against antisemitism.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced Saturday that he has asked the Metro Nashville Police Department’s Cold Case Unit to reopen an investigation into three segregation-era bombings, the Nashville Banner reports. The news came during an event with Betsy Phillips, author of the new book “Dynamite Nashville: Unmasking the FBI, the KKK, and the Bombers Beyond Their Control,” which raises questions about why bombings at Hattie Cotton Elementary, the Jewish Community Center and the home of civil rights lawyer Z. Alexander Looby were never solved. In making the announcement, O’Connell said, “For 64 years, the question of who is responsible for three bombings has gone unresolved. The book doesn't have all the answers, but it can be the beginning of new discovery and a new conversation.”