The number of jobs in the U.S. legal services sector rebounded in September after nearing its lowest level this year in August, Reuters reports. New Labor Department data shows the sector added 5,100 jobs last month. Legal job numbers have fluctuated since hitting an all-time high in July 2022.

In response to a lawsuit challenging its minority fellowship program, the law firm of Perkins Coie has changed its criteria, expanding the applicant pool to all law students, not just members of "historically underrepresented" groups, Reuters reports. The suit, brought by Edward Blum and his American Alliance for Equal Rights, challenged the program as unlawful based on the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent rulings on affirmative action in higher education. The group recently dropped a similar law suit filed against Morrison Foerster after that firm changed eligibility criteria for its diversity, equity and inclusion fellowship. Bloomberg Law has more on that development.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee has filed a federal lawsuit against a Murfreesboro ordinance designed to ban drag performances from public property, the Associated Press reports. The suit was brought on behalf of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ rights and has hosted a Pride event in the city since 2016. The organization has faced opposition from city leaders since its 2022 event, which was criticized as being inappropriate. The city first warned TEP it would deny future event permits but later updated its community decency standards to “assist in the determination of conduct, materials, and events that may be judged as obscene or harmful to minors.” The suit alleges the ordinance violates the U.S. Constitution’s first and 14th amendments.

This Thursday, ethics expert Stuart Teicher will present three virtual ethics courses that will benefit all practitioners: When a Lie Isn't a Lie: The Ethics of Half-Truths, beginning at 9 a.m., focuses on lies clients tell and how attorneys can handle them; 10 Coping Skills that Come from the Ethics Rules, beginning at 10:15 a.m., explores the rigors of the practice of law and ways to overcome challenges; and ChatGPT, Siri and Alexa are Out to Get You, beginning at 11:30 a.m., breaks down the upsides of, and the problems with, the hottest technologies. Join us for one course or all three. All times central.

The TBA offers a member advantage relationship with SoFi, one of the largest providers of student, home and personal loans. Members seeking to consolidate and refinance student loans can save thousands of dollars thanks to SoFi’s flexible terms, low rates and no fees. TBA members also will receive an exclusive rate discount! Don't have student loans? SoFi can help you reach your financial goals with other solutions, including mortgages and personal loans. Get started today at SoFi.com/TBA.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold three legal clinics in October. The “Attorney of the Day Clinic” will take place Oct. 5 and 19 from 1-3 p.m. CST at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Room 134, Memphis 38103. The monthly clinic at the Benjamin Hooks Library will take place Oct. 14 beginning at 10 a.m. The library is located at 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. For both clinics, clients will be served on a first come, first served basis. For questions or to volunteer contact Heather Staggs or Walter Casey.

This year’s Tennessee Supreme Court Boot Camp will kick off tomorrow morning with the addition of two special elements. As in past years, attendees will observe oral arguments in real cases and then engage in a discussion about the preparation and considerations for deciding to seek review in the court. But this year, attendees also are invited to see Justice Holly Kirby sworn in as the court’s newest chief justice prior to the CLE at the state capitol, and then hear former TBA president Bill Harbison present a special program on the history of the court at Holland & Knight after the Boot Camp. The TBA's Boot Camp program will kick off at 9:30 a.m. CDT at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville with oral arguments before the full court. An analysis and discussion will follow with Miller & Martin's Robert Parsley and Nashville lawyers Donald Capparella of Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella and Edmund Sauer with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. The program will wrap up at 4:30 p.m. CDT.

West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) will hold a number of activities this month as part of Celebrate Pro Bono Month and is looking for volunteers to help. On Oct. 5, the group will offer a free CLE to train lawyers how to assist rural clients with conservatorships. A virtual expungement clinic will be held the weeks of Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 to assist clients in Crockett and Obion counties. Two free virtual trainings will be held to help volunteers prepare for this work. Then on Oct. 25, the group will host “Breaking the Stereotype: What Pro Bono Looks Like in 2023,” which will feature Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins and WTLS Pro Bono Coordinator Andy Cole discussing the different ways attorneys can fulfill their ethical obligations to complete pro bono work. One free hour of CLE credit will be available to attendees.

Assistant U.S. Trustee Nick Foster was honored recently at reception held by the U.S. Justice Department in Chattanooga, the Hamilton County Herald reports. Foster was named assistant U.S. trustee for the Eastern District of Tennessee over the summer. Before that, he served as a trial attorney in the Chattanooga office of the U.S. trustee beginning in September 2008. Born and raised in Memphis, Foster earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and law degree from Mississippi College School of Law. He was joined at the reception by his wife, attorney Leslie Foster, and their two daughters.