Since Adobe open-sourced the PDF standard in 2008, the number of PDF editors and the range of price points has exploded, to the benefit of buyers. This chart walks through a Mac user’s options regarding the major features and primary players to help select just the right product. Find this and more in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

Law school applications from minority students are up this year, Reuters reports. The number of Hispanic applicants is up 8.9% compared with the same time last year, while Black applicants are up 6.7%, and Asian applicants are up 6.1%. White applicants posted the smallest year-over-year increase at 3.1%, according to data from the Law School Admission Council. Though some legal educators feared that the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision striking down the consideration of race in college admissions would dissuade diverse would-be lawyers from applying, that does not appear to have happened. This year’s numbers continue a trend toward greater diversity in law school classes. Law schools enrolled their most diverse first-year classes on record each of the past three years.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2024 Health Law Primer and Health Law Forum this fall. The primer will take place Oct. 16 in downtown Nashville followed by the forum on Oct. 17-18 in Franklin’s Cool Springs area. Designed for those new to health practice, the primer will provide a general health law overview and practical tips to identify and avoid the pitfalls of real-life situations in the heavily regulated health care industry. The two-day forum will dig deeper into topics such as private equity, antitrust laws, digital health, cyber security, legislative and state case updates and ethics. David Higginson, executive vice president of Phoenix Children's Hospital, will give this year’s keynote address. The premier program for Tennessee health care lawyers, the forum provides all necessary CLE requirements for the year — 12 general hours and three dual hours — while providing opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the state.

On June 24, Coffee County lawyer Judith-Anne Ross St. Clair was reinstated to the active practice of law with conditions. The Tennessee Supreme Court directed St. Clair to engage a practice monitor for one year, continue to comply with her current Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program (TLAP) monitoring agreement, attend the next two Camp TLAP events, continue to engage with her therapist for one year, and complete 15 hours of continuing legal education, including at least three hours of legal ethics, as long as she remains licensed. St. Clair was suspended in July 2018 with three years to be served on active suspension and six months to be served on probation.

School psychologist Heather McClendon is running as a Democratic candidate to represent District 30 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. She is challenging incumbent Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes, R-East Ridge, who has served in the role since November 2018. McClendon says she was motivated to run after passage of a state law requiring third graders to meet certain requirements to progress to fourth grade. The Times Fress Press has more on her candidacy.

William Hance “Bill” Lassiter Jr., a long time Nashville attorney, died June 21 in Franklin after a short illness. He was 85. Originally from Huntingdon, Lassiter graduated from the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Law School. He started his career with the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office in 1963 and of most recently was with Belcher, Sykes Harrington, a firm he helped found. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. CDT and Thursday at 3 p.m. at Otter Creek Church, 409 Franklin Rd., Brentwood 37027. Funeral services will take place on Thursday at 4 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to Wayne Reed Christian Childcare Center, 11 Lindsley Ave. B, Nashville, TN 37210.

The investigation into an attempted foreclosure sale of Graceland will continue under federal law enforcement after the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office conducted an initial probe and determined the matter was best suited for federal review. “We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately," director of communications for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office Amy Lannom Wilhite said in a statement. In May, Naussany Investments filed three foreclosure notices against the historic Memphis property, but the effort was halted by Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins. Someone associated with the company eventually claimed publicly that had it dropped the case and announced it had been operating a scam. The Commercial Appeal recaps the situation.

In the latest move to oust Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, has established a hotline for Memphians to call and share their experiences dealing with the local prosecutor. According to Local Memphis, Taylor said that if any of the information received is relevant, it “will be shared with the legal counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee for inclusion in the ouster resolution.” Earlier this month, Taylor said he plans to file a resolution immediately following the November election that would require Mulroy’s removal.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has released the results of its AI and Legal Education Survey, a compilation of insights gathered from law school administrators and faculty regarding the integration of artificial intelligence into legal education. “The survey suggests that AI is already having a significant impact on legal education and is likely to result in additional changes in the years ahead. With a majority of responding law schools offering dedicated AI courses and providing opportunities for students to engage with AI tools, it is evident that legal education is evolving to meet the demands of a profession increasingly shaped by technological advancements,” the authors write. Read the full report.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is accepting nominations for its three annual Access to Justice Awards: Janice M. Holder Award, B. Riney Green Award and New Advocate of the Year Award. Nominations and any supporting documents must be submitted by July 10. The awards will be presented at the Equal Justice University (EJU) Conference. Learn more about the awards process. EJU 2024 will take place Aug. 28-30 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Learn more about the conference or start the registration process.