Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a formal notice of appeal today that his office plans to challenge a special three-judge panel’s decision that found a state-constituted airport board for the Nashville Airport Authority to be unconstitutional. The special panel ruled on Oct. 31 that state legislators violated the home rule concept by targeting Nashville. It immediately reinstated the Metro board, which has been meeting and reviewing actions taken by the short-lived state board. Read the statement from Skrmetti's office. Nashville Business Journal has more on the story.

The Nashville law firm Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison has named David Rue as its new chief operating officer (COO). Rue previously held the same position at Patterson Intellectual Property Law for two years and was chief strategy officer at Bass, Berry & Sims. He attended law school and practiced briefly but then moved into senior positions with the financial printing company Bowne, The Concinnity Company and his own software company. He succeeds Donna McFarlin, who has led firm operations since 1997. The Nashville Post has more on the hire.

Organizers behind the Judge Dinkins Educational Center — a trade school for teenagers — hosted an introductory reception earlier this month. The organization is currently operating out of the McGruder Family Resource Center until a standalone building can be built. Tim Forbes, a former Catholic school principal, has been hired to lead the effort. Board members, including former Mayor Karl Dean and Judge Sheila Calloway, introduced the concept to the community at the event. See pictures from the reception in the Nashville Post.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and its Mock Trial Committee have released case materials for the 2024 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition. Students will present their best arguments in a criminal scenario centered around an evening of pranks and alleged revenge that goes terribly wrong, leading to charges of vandalism, burglary and felony murder. District competitions will be held in February. Teams advancing to the state competition will meet in Nashville March 22-23 to determine the Tennessee champion. Tennessee's winner will represent the state at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Wilmington, Delaware, May 2-5. The Mock Trial Committee is led by Chair Ashley Tipton, Vice-chair Michael Holmes and Long Range Planning Coordinator Zack Walden. Access resources for the upcoming competition.

While the holiday season can be a joyful time for some, the pressures and stressors of work and life escalate for others. To help members thrive during this time, the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee is offering a free webinar on Dec. 7 from noon to 1 p.m. CST. The session will focus on the difficulties professionals encounter during the holidays and how to navigate through them for a healthier experience. Panelists will discuss real issues faced by today's lawyers and explore resources available to assist. Learn more and register here.

The TBA Criminal Law Forum will take place virtually this year on Dec. 6 at noon CST. This year’s event will focus on the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s 2023 Plea Bargain Task Force report, featuring a discussion on the origins of the task force, ethical considerations and14 principles that represent the task force’s conclusions. Panelists will provide specific observations and recommendations about ways in which the plea-bargaining system can and should be improved. The program features two dual hours of CLE. Learn more and register here.

The Memphis Bar Association will hold its Second Saturday Legal Clinic on Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon CST at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111.  Volunteers should arrive by 9:30 a.m. for instructions. Learn more here.

Newspaper publisher Gannett has asked a federal judge in Virginia to dismiss a proposed class action that accuses it of discriminating against white employees in an effort to diversify its newsrooms, Reuters reports. The five named plaintiffs in the suit say they were fired or passed over for promotions to make room for less-qualified women or minorities. The suit comes amid a growing backlash to corporate diversity policies following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down race-conscious college admissions policies. Gannett says the plaintiffs failed to identify a discriminatory company-wide policy and cannot sue as a class because their claims involve isolated decisions by individual managers.

Memphis lawyer James Lewis Boren Jr. died Nov. 15 at the age of 95. A graduate of Christian Brothers High School, he attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate and law degrees. During law school, he was editor-in-chief of the law review and a member of the Dean's Council and Order of the Coif. In 1953, Boren joined Mid-South Title, which was co-founded by his father. He was CEO of the firm when it was acquired by Lawyer's Title in 1978. He retired in 1994 as senior vice president. Boren was a past president of the American Land Title Association and the Tennessee Land Title Association, and co-chair of the Tennessee Insurance Commissioner's Committee on Title Insurance. A private burial has been held. A celebration of life will take place Dec. 15 at 1 p.m. CST in the chapel at Second Presbyterian Church, 4055 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. Visitation will follow. Memorial gifts may be made to the church’s foundation, the Trezevant Foundation or JDRF International to support Type 1 Diabetes research (mail check to 3369 Pine Ridge Rd., Ste. 202 Naples, FL 34109 with Jim Boren in the memo).

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Quantel Lindsey of Cleveland — a man he pardoned for a previous life of drugs, violence and jail time — as the East Tennessee member of a newly created Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board. “This is a full-time job to be on this board and I look forward to serving the state of Tennessee,” Lindsey tells the Knoxville News Sentinel. The board, which is still being created, will grant or deny sentencing credits for good behavior and determine whether previously awarded credits should be removed for certain infractions.