The American Bar Association (ABA) will offer a special Black History Month program on Feb. 29 at 2 p.m. CST. "The Business of Democracy" will feature special advisors to the ABA Task Force for American Democracy, former Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, former American Express CEO Kenneth Chenault and past ABA President Paulette Brown, the first women of color to serve in that role. Topics will include corporate and social activism, the impact of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision on the business community, how lawyers can pursue a career path in the corporate sector, and more. Login to watch the program here.

A new report on the state’s juvenile criminal justice system from Disability Rights Tennessee and the Youth Law Center offers suggestions for preventing abuse inside detention facilities and setting kids up for success after they are released. WPLN reports that the recommendations are based on interviews with youth at the Wilder Youth Development Center. The report emphasizes the importance of reducing barriers between kids in custody and their families, given that phone time is limited, and some facilities have not allowed in-person visits to resume since the pandemic. The research found that most kids in detention facilities came into contact with the criminal justice system following some kind of crisis, and recommends improving access to resources and services such as health care or housing for those leaving a facility. Finally, it recommends establishing independent, third-party oversight of juvenile detention facilities.

The TBA’s International Law Forum will take place May 17 in Nashville. Save the date and watch the course registration page for more updates.

State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, is suggesting that Memphis-area suburbs split off from the Shelby County court system and hire their own district attorney, Local Memphis reports. Taylor argues that such a move is necessary, alleging that Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy is soft on crime and citing problems with three judges who have been reprimanded in recent years. Mulroy responded to Taylor’s suggestion, saying: “I don’t think reprimands of judges affect the backlog. The judge is still able to rule on cases as before. I don’t anticipate that any reprimands of late would slow down the processing of cases.” On the backlog of cases, Mulroy says, “We’ve been trying cases at a faster rate in 2024 to date than last year. More importantly, the courts can set trials only a few months out, which is better than it has been in the past. What we need to focus on is the number of cases which are pending for more than a year and a half. That is unacceptably high, and we’re working on reducing that number.”

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The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) will host its annual memorial service on April 11, beginning at noon CDT, for members who have died over the past year. The in-person event will take place at Calvary Episcopal Church, 102 N. Second St., Memphis 38103. A reception will follow the service.

A coalition of major U.S. plaintiffs' law firms are asking the federal judiciary to modernize rules that govern civil trials to encourage live-streamed testimony by witnesses who are unable to appear in person. Attorneys at 12 law firms led by the class action firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro wrote in a letter to the federal judiciary's top rulemaking committee, arguing that when a witness could not appear in person, the courts should favor having them testify virtually rather than use "spliced, disjointed video clips from depositions." Read more about the proposal from Reuters.

Baker Donelson has named eDiscovery officer Clinton Sanko as managing shareholder of its Chattanooga office. While serving in the role, Sanko will maintain his practice as a litigation trial lawyer. He succeeds Russell Gray, who served as managing shareholder of the office since 2012. Gray will continue to focus on his practice, which includes labor and employment and commercial litigation matters. Read more in a news release from the firm.

A new opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti finds that a ticketing system being utilized by the Tennessee House of Representatives for public access to the chamber is allowable under the state’s constitution. The system, introduced at the beginning of the session, allocates one ticket for every lawmaker to give to a member of the public during each House session. Establishing a ticketing system falls within the authority of the General Assembly to regulate and manage access to the Capitol building, Skrmetti said. The system “would not run afoul of the 'open door' provision of [the Tennessee Constitution] because it would not close the doors to the public; it would merely manage public access to the limited space that is available," he wrote.

Eads attorney Charlotte Knight Griffin will serve as president of the Tennessee Bar Association in 2026-2027. No other candidate filed for the vice president position by the Feb. 15 deadline. After taking office as vice president at this summer’s TBA Convention, Griffin will become president-elect in 2024-2025 and then take over the organization’s leadership in June 2026. Knight Griffin began her career in private practice in Memphis after earning her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1976. In 1978, she joined Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division as a staff attorney. She was named the manager of legal services in 2000. She retired in April 2023 after 45 years of service. Knight Griffin has been active in the TBA for many years, currently serving as speaker of the House of Delegates and member of the Board of Governors. She is a past chair of the Local Government Practice and Litigation sections, charter fellow of the Young Lawyers Division and a past executive officer of the YLD. Read more about her background.

In addition to Knight Griffin’s election as vice president, several other key positions for the 2024-2025 bar year were certified today via uncontested election results. These include TBA Board of Governors members as well as Tennessee representatives to the ABA House of Delegates. Two vacancies will be filled by the Board of Governors. No contested elections will be held in 2024. See all election results here.