Senior 12th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Justin C. Angel has been named chair of the Tennessee Judicial Conference’s (TJC) Courtroom Security Committee, Chattanoogan.com reports. The committee is comprised of trial judges across the state who focus on the safety of judges, attorneys, court staff, jurors and litigants. The committee appropriates millions of dollars in grant funds which improve safety measures and judicial building security statewide. Angel has served the 12th Judicial District, which encompasses Bledsoe, Sequatchie, Marion, Rhea, Franklin and Grundy counties, for almost 10 years.

The TBA’s 19th Annual Bankruptcy Law Forum will take place April 12-14 in a new location! After many years of hosting the forum in Gatlinburg, the program will move to Chattanooga for 2024. Make plans now to join colleagues for this three-day experience, learning from some of the region’s top bankruptcy practitioners, Chapter 13 trustees and sitting judges. The forum’s most unique element — pairing attendees with judges in small groups to discuss specific consumer and commercial case problems — also is back to help attendees analyze the real-world problems bankruptcy lawyers face. Other topics include developments impacting mortgages in bankruptcies, new amendments to Article 9 of the UCC, ethical issues that arise in bankruptcy and case law updates. Finally, attendees will join faculty and judges on Saturday evening for dinner.

A news story in Friday’s issue of TBA Today incorrectly attributed the source of proposed amendments to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, section 16, which, if adopted, would have replaced section 16 in its entirety and changed the procedure for complaints against members of the board, district committee members and disciplinary counsel. It also mischaracterized the position of the Board of Professional Responsibility. The Tennessee Supreme Court itself initiated the proposed changes and solicited public comment on them. Among the comments received were those from the board, which opposed the changes. On Friday, the court instead adopted “minor revisions” to the rule. See a red line version of the section and the new rule in this order from the court.

Legal artificial intelligence (AI) startup Harvey has successfully garnered funding that brings the company’s valuation to $700 million, BNN reports. The surprise infusion of cash for the fledgling startup “signals a positive shift in the sector” according to the international news source. Harvey, named for a character on the popular legal-themed television show “Suits,” says it plans to use the latest investment to expand its custom model building, scale its team and build out its suite of product features. Other AI-based legal tech companies like Robin AI are also gaining ground, BNN says. In related news, AI chatbots from OpenAI, Google and Meta are particularly likely to provide false or misleading information when answering legal questions, according to new research. A study by Stanford University found that “large language models hallucinate at least 75% of the time when answering questions about a court’s core ruling.” The study looked at 200,000 legal questions, Bloomberg Law reports.

The U.S. Department of Education today said it would fast-track loan forgiveness for low-balance borrowers, implementing a plan to start forgiving loans next month instead of in July as planned. According to Nashville Public Radio, the change will benefit undergraduate and graduate students who borrowed $12,000 or less in federal student loans and have been in repayment for at least 10 years. These loans will be automatically erased in February, so long as borrowers are actively repaying their loans and are enrolled in the Biden administration's income-based repayment plan known as SAVE. For every additional $1,000 in debt, the repayment window increases by a one year. For example, a student who took out $13,000 in loans will have their debts erased if they have been in repayment for 11 years.

A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals last week ruled that a challenge to the state’s pilot school voucher program in Davidson County can move forward, Chalkbeat reports. The court found that the trial court erred when it decided factual disputes during the dismissal stage of the proceeding and when it ruled that plainfiffs lacked standing to challenge the program. The appeals court sent the case back to the trial court for review. Tennessee Lookout has a history of the voucher program and the legal challenges that have played out since it launched in 2019. Read the court's opinion.

Registration will close Monday for the next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits. The clinic, sponsored by the Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. The clinic will take place next Thursday. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold a Thursday afternoon Courthouse Advice & Counsel Clinic starting at 1 p.m. CST at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams St., Room 134. Volunteer lawyers are needed to help clients navigating the court system. This clinic is held the first and third Thursdays of the month. For more information or to sign up to help call 901-523-8822 or fill out this Google form.

Memphis and Nashville based attorneys Anne Hamer and Dan Taylor have opened Hamer & Taylor in Nashville. They will be joined by John N. Bean, Andrew Z. Graham and retired judge Dan Michael. The firm will focus on family law matters, including divorce proceedings, child custody disputes and post-divorce issues. The firm is located at 222 2nd Ave., Ste. 1700, Nashville 37201. It can be reached at 615-723-5650 or online at hamertaylor.com. Read more in a press release from the group.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently issued an order declining to adopt proposed amendments to Supreme Court Rule 9, section 16, which would have replaced section 16 in its entirety and changed the procedure for complaints against members of the board, district committee members and disciplinary counsel. The court said it received comments on the proposal from the Board of Professional Responsibility and the Knoxville Bar Association. Following the comment period, the court decided to adopt “minor revisions” to the rule instead. See a red line version of the section and the new rule in this order from the court.