Memphis Mayor Paul Young kicked off the first part of crime summit with U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty this week. The event comes as residents and businesses are concerned about the ongoing crime problem and just days after Young announced his Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime initiative, Local Memphis reports. Young said initial conversations focused on “things that we know we would have some bipartisan agreement on,” while Hagerty said he was optimistic that the group could “make some real progress.” The second part of the summit is taking place today as Young meets with 21 mayors from across the country to finalize his response. The Commercial Appeal has the list of participants.

Tennessee Attorney General’s Office has issued a warning to consumers in advance of the upcoming solar eclipse, set for April 8. In its advisory, the office writes that while the Volunteer State is not in the path of totality for eclipse, “past eclipses have resulted in viewers sustaining eye injuries, some severe and permanent, due to either looking directly at the sun with no protection or by using eclipse viewing glasses that had been falsely marketed as providing protection.” The office also warns consumers to be careful where they buy viewing gear, noting that events of this nature bring out “unscrupulous sellers.” Read more from the alert.

The American Bar Association (ABA) this week filed amicus briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in two cases. In the first, the group asks the court to require the U.S. government to provide a factual basis, beyond citing a general federal statute, to deny visa applications of a U.S. citizen's noncitizen spouse. The case of Department of State v. Sandra Muñoz is set for argument on April 23. In the second case, the ABA asks the court for the second time to take up a Texas death penalty case in which the defendant was convicted on DNA evidence and testimony from a police laboratory that was later deemed unreliable by the state. Read more about this case, Escobar v. Texas.

Make plans now to join us on May 2 for a one-hour webcast with Jeff Foster from the Tennessee Department of Revenue about Tennessee's franchise and excise tax. This informative program will feature an overview of the basic legal principles of Tennessee franchise and excise tax. The overview will include a brief history of the tax, its importance to the state’s revenue, and an examination of the very significant legal changes to the tax that have occurred in the last decade or so. The webcast begins at noon CDT and offers one hour of general CLE credit. As a reminder, your section membership provides a discount on all Tax Law Section-sponsored CLEs, so be sure to take advantage of that before the bar year is over!

The Tennessee Bar Association this year will again honor the work of Tennessee journalists through the Fourth Estate Award: Honoring Courageous Reporting on Justice and the Law. This year's prize, honoring reporting in 2023, includes a $250 honorarium for the winner. The TBA strongly supports freedom of expression under the First Amendment, as exercised by lawyers on behalf of their clients and by journalists on behalf of the public, and particularly wants to recognize and encourage journalists who promote public understanding of the rule of law and our system of justice through vigorous exercise of their First Amendment rights. The deadline for entry is April 25. Attorneys who have relationships with reporters or observed a particularly compelling piece of journalism in 2023 are encouraged to submit a nomination. Read about past recipients here and read the TBA's full press release.

The Tennessee Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a circuit court judge in the 18th and 22nd Judicial Districts. The position in the 18th Judicial District, which serves Sumner County, is a new seat that will be in effect as of Sept. 1. The position in the 22nd Judicial District — which serves Maury, Giles, Lawrence and Wayne counties — will be created with the retirement of Judge David Allen on Aug. 3. Those interested in either position should complete the application and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts by noon CDT on April 17. The commission will hold a public hearing to consider applicants for the 22nd District seat on May 20 at 9 a.m. CDT at Columbia Central High School, 921 Lion Parkway, Columbia 38401. It will hold a public hearing to consider applicants for the 18th District seat on May 21 at 9 a.m. CDT at Volunteer State Community College, 1480 Nashville Pike, Gallatin 37066. Get more information about applying.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission is partnering with West Tennessee Legal Services and the Governor’s Faith Based and Community Initiative to host a free expungement clinic on April 19 in Jackson. The clinic is for those who have charges in Madison County General Sessions or Circuit courts. Registration is open until April 5. The groups are hosting the clinic in conjunction with Help4TNMonth, which is observed each April to bring public awareness to the need for free and reduced fee legal services, and celebrate the organizations that provide these services throughout the year.

Combining existing law firms into a single business involves a lot of moving parts and personalities. Use this list to make sure you don’t overlook anything important. Find this and more in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Practice Management Center.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously advanced a bill today that would require TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to divest the app or face a U.S. ban, The Hill reports. The “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” advanced out of committee with overwhelming bipartisan support just two days after it was introduced by Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisconsin, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Illinois, the top lawmakers on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok has pushed back on allegations that it poses national security risks based on its ownership by a Chinese company.

This week's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee by TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett is now available to watch online. The pair talked about the need to increase the hourly rate and cap for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent, and expressed support for the Administrative Office of the Court’s budget request of $26.145 million to raise the hourly rate to $80 per hour. Following their testimony, the committee approved a motion in support of adding $26.145 million to the governor's budget for that purpose. The funds ultimately will be decided through budget negotiations between the administration and the legislature. Watch the TBA's testimony beginning at 17:08.