The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and Tennessee Judicial Conference have rescheduled their planned Bar and Bench reception due to winter weather. The event will now take place on Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m. CST in Memphis. The reception is sponsored by and will take place at Morgan and Morgan, 80 Monroe Ave., Ste. 900, Memphis 38103. The reception will kick off a series of networking events across Tennessee, offering a unique opportunity for lawyers and members of the judiciary to interact in a casual atmosphere.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free live webinar on Jan. 30 at 9 a.m. CST to discuss business tax basics. Topics include tax law, determining classifications, gross sales, retailer/wholesaler status, exemptions/exclusions, and deductions and credits, as well as tax filing. Learn more or register here. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month.

The Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims has canceled in-person settlements at its Chattanooga office for tomorrow due to winter weather. Those with business before the court should call 800-332-2667 to reschedule.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a coalition of 26 states in sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) emphasizing the potential harm in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) by telemarketers and asking the FCC to impose strict restrictions on such usage. Read more about that effort. Skrmetti also recently joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and the Arizona Legislature in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the National Rifle Association. The group is attempting to sue a New York state official who is alleged to have violated its First Amendment right to free speech. The brief asks the court to reverse a lower court ruling that rejected claims that the official threatened financial institutions doing business with the NRA.

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard arguments on the future of the “Chevron deference,” a legal doctrine that instructs courts to defer to agencies’ interpretation of federal law. The government’s lawyer argued for the doctrine while lawyers for a group of fishermen — who are challenging a mandate that they fund federal monitors on their vessels — called on the court to overrule the precedent or at least narrow its scope, The Hill reports. Critics of the doctrine argue it requires judges to abdicate responsibility to interpret the law. Supporters argue that regulators, who have more knowledge and experience in their particular fields, are best positioned to make such decisions. The justices also weighed whether to replace Chevron with another, more narrow test known as Skidmore, under which a judge would decide to defer to an agency only if the agency’s argument is persuasive. Read about the Chevron doctrine's history from SCOTUSblog.

The University of Tennessee College of Law has announced the death of Professor Emerita Fran Ansley, a 1979 alumna of the law school. In a tribute posted on LinkedIn, the school writes that Ansley was a “brilliant scholar, a beloved teacher and colleague, and a person who made a difference in her community and the world.” In retirement, it continues, she remained active as a scholar, collaborator and change agent. In 2023, the Tennessee Law Review honored Ansley’s work with a symposium titled “Working toward Justice on Difficult Ground." It highlighted three aspects of her work: plant closings and the global economy, justice for migrants and the future of teaching and learning about America’s past. Read tributes posted on the account or leave your own remembrance. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Attorney Kisha Cheeks and General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh, who are seeking to replace retired Circuit Court Judge Marie Williams, have qualified to run in their respective primaries, Chattanoogan.com reports. Cheeks qualified to run in the Democratic primary while McVeagh qualified to run in the Republican primary. Cheeks, principal attorney at the Cheeks Rucker Firm, says she will focus her campaign on ensuring courts continue to remain accessible and provide justice for all residents. McVeagh, who touts his qualifications as a business litigator and sitting judge, will face attorney Michele Coffman in the primary. Coffman qualified earlier this month. She says her campaign is driven by her Christian conservative values and over 24 years of experience as an attorney. The primary will be March 5 with early voting running from Feb. 14-27. The general election will be held in August.

Birmingham-based Burr & Forman LLP recently announced that it experienced a data security incident that impacted data belonging to some of its clients. The firm said in a press release that it has begun notifying impacted individuals of the incident and providing resources to assist them. The affected information, belonging to two health care clients, included individuals' names as well as Social Security numbers, medical coding information with dates and descriptions, and insurance information. It has estimated that the breach impacted nearly 20,000 people. The firm has established a toll-free call center to answer questions. Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST and can be reached at 888-774-8132. The firm has offices in Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. It's sole Tennessee office is in Nashville.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced appointees to a series of key state boards and commissions last Friday. New members have been named to the Tennessee Board of Parole, Heritage Conservation Trust Fund Board, Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Advisory Board, University of Tennessee at Martin Advisory Board, State Board of Accountancy, Real Estate Commission, Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission, Tennessee Auctioneer Commission and Air Pollution Control Board. See the full list.

A recent article from the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) looks at the path 16th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Terry Fann has taken to the bench. Fann, who was appointed to the court last November following the retirement of Judge Mark Rogers, recounts how he learned of the upcoming vacancy and the encouragement he received from lawyers and friends to apply for the seat. Since his appointment, Fann says he has “overwhelmed and honored by the kindness and the assistance of all the people involved” in the court system. Fann was sworn in Nov. 23, 2023, by Rogers at an event hosted by the Cannon and Rutherford County Bar Associations. His longtime law partner Steve Waldron introduced him during the investiture and retired judge David Bragg gave the invocation. Read the full profile from the AOC.