A push by local and state leaders to reform the bail system in Memphis may take longer than expected, WREG News 3 reports. At a news conference last week, a county commissioner and state senator spoke about the need to fix the system to curb crime. “We as a community have had our patience tested, and it’s come back negative,” state Senator Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, said. “We are completely at our wits’ end when it comes to crime.” Commissioner Mick Wright said the group is waiting on information from the court to establish a baseline as to the number of people arrested and bail amounts for the last six months. A resolution passed by the city commission last August directed the collection of that data. But that has not happened. Wright said the courts claim they did not know they were supposed to be tracking the information.

The TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville next week will feature a timely session on how ChatGPT can help attorneys in their practice. Sydney Beckman with Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law and Wesley Clark with Brazil Clark will discuss why lawyers should embrace, rather than reject, ChatGPT’s capabilities. They also will focus on the limitations of artificial intelligence, highlighting the human qualities that clients need but AI cannot provide. The session, moderated by Lincoln Memorial University’s Melanie Reid, will take place Thursday from 4-5:30 p.m. EDT at the Marriott Knoxville Downtown Hotel. Want to join colleagues just for this program? The TBA is making a select number of programs available for purchase separate from the full convention registration. Sign up here.

This year's Real Estate Essentials course will be held virtually on June 22. The program will run from 1 to 4:15 p.m. CDT. This year's program will feature David Palmer with the FBI office in Memphis discussing cybersecurity in real estate transactions, and Mary Kate Brandon with First American Title providing a session on the basics of title insurance. Make plans now to attend, and remember, section members always receive a discount.

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Graduation ceremonies at law schools across the state are wrapping up with special keynote addresses and award recognitions. At the University of Tennessee College of Law’s ceremony, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee encouraged graduates to lead with integrity and use their law degrees for good. At the Duncan School of Law, 91 graduates heard from federal Judge Curtis L. Collier, who urged them to consider the law as a form of public service. A number of students also received awards. At Vanderbilt University Law School, 23 graduates were recognized with academic and citizenship awards while 31 were recognized for pro bono work. And at the Nashville School of Law, students heard from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, who praised the sacrifices many of them made to attend law school while continuing to work.

Knox County lawyer Troy Lee Bowlin was reinstated to the practice of law yesterday. The Tennessee Supreme Court conditioned the reinstatement on continued compliance with an order of enforcement entered April 20. Bowlin was suspended that day for three years with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the rest on probation. On May 10, he filed a petition to terminate the period of active suspension. The Board of Professional Responsibility found the petition to be satisfactory and submitted a reinstatement order to the court.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is accepting nominations for its three annual Access to Justice Awards: Janice M. Holder Award, B. Riney Green Award and New Advocate of the Year Award. Nominations and any supporting documents must be submitted by June 30. The awards will be presented at the 2023 Equal Justice University Conference. Learn more about the awards process.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd will be off the bench for a few months dealing with an undisclosed illness, the Commercial Appeal reports. Her predecessor, Senior Judge Mark Ward, will fill in during the absence. Prior to losing reelection to Boyd in 2022, Ward spent 18 years on the court. He is slated to take over on June 7. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the people of Tennessee in this new role," Ward said about the appointment.

Vanderbilt University School of Law graduate Beth Cruz, class of 2010, has been named assistant dean and the Martha Craig Daughtrey director for public interest. Cruz will be responsible for creating public interest law opportunities and facilitating public interest law careers for students. She also will oversee pro-bono programs and contribute to the school’s externship and summer public interest stipend programs. Cruz returns to the school from the Nashville Public Defender’s Office, where she led the Education Rights Project. The public interest position honors Daughtrey and recognizes her commitment to public service, contributions to the school as a professor, and service as a judge in both federal and state courts. Spring Miller, who served as the inaugural assistant dean for public interest, has left to join the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Read more from the school.

The 21st Judicial District Recovery Court in Williamson County has received a $5,000 “Helper Grant” from the Nashville Predators Foundation. The grant is named for Predators Senior Vice President Gerry Helper. His wife, Williamson County District Attorney Kim Helper, died in March. She had been an original member of the recovery court board and was a strong supporter. The funds will be used for “reentry baskets,” which are given to those entering the recovery court program, 99% of whom come directly from jail. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.