The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a veterans clinic Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. To volunteer for the clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all June clinics.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is investigating Nashville-based AllianceBernstein and other asset managers related to their climate change work, Reuters reports. The probe is seeking information about environmental, social and governance investing policies at the companies as well as partnerships with climate coalitions like Climate Action 100+ and Net Zero Asset Managers. Other companies involved are Invesco Ltd. and the Jennison Associates arm of Prudential Financial. According to the news source, the attorney general’s office is looking for “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” under the state’s 1977 consumer protection law. Skrmetti’s office told Reuters that it is “highly concerned with corporate collusion.” The Nashville Post has more on the story.

The state Supreme Court today permanently disbarred Virginia lawyer Robert R. Rexrode from the practice of law in Tennessee. The court took the action after the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility found that Rexrode engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in West Virginia, knowingly engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, and failed to cooperate in the investigation of a disciplinary complaint. His actions were determined to violate West Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct 5.5 (b)(2), 8.1 and 8.4(c) and (d).

Shelby County will open a new Youth Justice and Education Center within the next month, the Daily Memphian reports. The 85,626-square-foot facility located at 3420 Old Getwell Rd. in Oakhaven will feature 146 beds, nine classrooms, an indoor basketball court, a new dental office and a courtroom. The facility sits on more than 10 acres of land and also will feature an outdoor recreation area for basketball, volleyball, soccer, yoga, gardening and more. The county purchased the building from CoreCivic in 2020 and spent $31.5 million renovating it. The new center will replace a downtown facility, which was built in 1935.

Gov. Bill Lee said Monday that he will not consult with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti about a recent court decision striking down the state’s drag law, Tennessee Lookout reports. At an event promoting his transportation modernization plan, Lee said the next move “falls into the realm of the judicial branch and the attorney general will determine next steps from there.” He went on to say, “That bill was created to protect children in this state. I’ll continue to do that whenever we can. But the attorney general will make the decision about that particular piece of legislation.” Some confusion continues to exist as to whether the decision affects just Shelby County or is in force more broadly. Skrmetti told the Commercial Appeal that the law remains in effect in Tennessee’s other counties. Others contend the ruling applies to all counties in the Western District of the state, while others suggest it applies to the entire state.

The Metro Nashville Employee Benefit Board voted this week to not provide medical insurance coverage for gender-related surgeries, Axios Nashville reports. Mayor John Cooper had urged the board to support the procedures for transgender employees and their beneficiaries over the age of 18. He argued the benefit would help improve employee recruitment and retention while opponents cited a number of concerns about the proposal. The board had previously voted against such coverage in 2021.

A swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. CDT for 21st Judicial District Attorney General Stacey B. Edmonson, the Williamson Herald reports. Edmonson was appointed last month by Gov. Bill Lee to fill a vacancy created by the death of Kim Helper. The event will be held in the Cornelia A. Clark Courtroom in the historic courthouse in Franklin. The oath of office will be administered by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeff Bivin. Edmonson has served the district for nearly two decades, most recently as deputy district attorney general, a role she has held for 12 years.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a declared candidate for the Republican nomination for U.S. president, will give the keynote address at this year’s Tennessee GOP Statesmen’s Dinner in Nashville. The dinner will take place at the Music City Center on July 15, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released an opinion today to provide guidance on how lawyers may use a legal assistant to perform client intake tasks. Formal Opinion 506 reiterates Model Rule 5.3 and states that an assistant may perform an array of tasks at client intake, but the lawyer should ensure that prospective clients are always offered an opportunity to discuss the fee agreement and scope of representation with the lawyer. The opinion notes the benefits of using nonlawyer assistants but emphasizes that such assistants “must be carefully and astutely managed” to avoid ethical violations.