The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville and its Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) program will hold a pro bono clinic on Aug. 2 for those needing legal advice on issues surrounding their creative practice. The free 30-minute in-person appointments are available to income-qualified artists, musicians, creatives and arts organizations in the state. The clinic will run from 6-8 p.m. CDT at the East Park Community Center. Those who would like to participate should register by July 26. To volunteer at the clinic email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently issued an opinion that Supreme Court Rule 13 — which provides the procedure for administering funds for assisting indigent litigants in capital cases — was constitutionally applied in the state’s case against Jessie Dotson. Following conviction for premeditated first-degree murder, Dotson raised claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and requested funds to hire experts to assist him. The post-conviction court authorized the funds, but the Administrative Office of the Courts and the Tennessee Supreme Court chief justice reduced the amount in some instances and denied approval in others. After the Court of Criminal Appeals upheld those changes, Dotson appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing, among other things, that he was denied a full and fair post-conviction hearing. The high court disagreed, ruling that the application of Rule 13 to Dotson’s case was constitutional, that he was not denied due process, and that he was afforded a full and fair post-conviction hearing. Read more about the case.

The U.S. legal services sector added 5,100 jobs in June for a total of 1,185,100 legal jobs, nearing a high-water mark set in July 2022, Reuters reports. That month, the legal sector reached 1,187,900 jobs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the count includes a range of legal workers, but the majority are lawyers. Despite the overall job growth, at least a dozen large U.S. law firms have confirmed laying off lawyers, staff or both since November. Layoffs are being driven in part by a slowdown in the global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market. The total value of global M&A deals in the first six months of 2023 shrank to $1.3 trillion, a 37% drop compared to the first half of 2022, according to financial market data firm Refinitiv.

Memphis lawyer Donna Elizabeth Dyer Smith died July 5 at the age of 76. Originally from Virginia, Smith moved frequently as the child of a military family. She finally settled in Memphis and went on to work for Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) and pharmaceutical company Schering Plough. Smith worked as a paralegal there while pursuing a law degree at the University of Memphis. She later joined Arcadian as corporate counsel, Guardsmark as vice president and finally, the Memphis office of the Internal Revenue Service. Visitation will be held on July 22 from 1-2 p.m. CDT at Memphis Funeral Home, 5599 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38119. A memorial service will follow at 2 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti recently joined a 27-state coalition in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a lower court ruling that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) funding mechanism is unconstitutional. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last October that Congress improperly delegated power to the CFPB when it guaranteed an independent, perpetual income stream. Read more about the case and the amicus brief.

Retired Chattanooga attorney Landon “Lanny” Haynes Goins, formerly of Signal Mountain, died in Colorado on July 4 after a brief illness. Goins, a 1966 graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, began practicing law at his father’s firm of Goins, Gammon, Baker & Robinson. He later co-founded the firm of Goins & Carpenter. He retired in 2005 and moved to Colorado to be close to his daughters. Goins served on the Chattanooga Bar Association Board of Governors from 1980-1986 and as its president from 1984-1985. He also was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed camping and hunting throughout East Tennessee and fishing with friends in Canada. Memorial donations in his name may be made to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Williamson County Circuit Judge Michael W. Binkley will retire Sept. 29, after serving 11 years on the bench and 35 years as a trial lawyer in private practice, the Nashville Post reports. When asked why he would retire after winning re-election to an eight-year term last year, Binkley said he has other things that he wants to do with his life. “I have thoroughly enjoyed being a trial judge for the last 11 years,“ he said. “Going forward, I look forward to opportunities in my life, inside the law and, mostly, outside of the law.” According to the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, applications to fill the vacancy will be accepted until July 26. The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will meet on Aug. 31 to consider applicants.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has released a formal opinion that provides guidance to lawyers on how they might share an office and staff resources with an unaffiliated attorney. Formal Opinion 507 notes that while office-sharing is permissible under the model rules, attorneys should appreciate that such arrangements require “appropriate measures to comply with their ethical duties concerning the confidentiality of information, conflicts of interest, supervision of nonlawyers and communications about their services.” The opinion also directs lawyers in these arrangements to clearly communicate the nature of their relationship with other lawyers in the shared space to the public and their clients.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has voted to forward the names of three individuals to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration in filling a new circuit court judge position in the 19th Judicial District. They are: Gregory D. Smith of Clarksville, Ashleigh L. Travis of Clarksville and Jeff K. Walker of Springfield. The new position was created by the Tennessee General Assembly and will be active on Sept. 1. The district covers Montgomery and Robertson counties. Read more about the nominees on the Administrative Office of the Court’s website.

The YLD is replaying three CLE webcasts from earlier in the year to help lawyers refresh and rejuvenate their practice. The three one-hour programs will be broadcast in August from noon to 1 p.m. CDT each day. Join Immediate Past TBA President Tasha Blakney, Immediate Past TBA YLD President Brittany Faith and their colleagues for informative and lively talks on How to Measure Success on Aug. 14, How to Log Off When Your Workday is Done on Aug. 25 and How to Use Your Engagement Letter on Aug. 30. The first program will teach the business concept of key performance indicators for lawyers, focusing on the different ways to measure success, how to hit goalposts all year round instead of waiting until the end of the year, and how to self-evaluate including receipts, hours and other trackable key performance indicators.