Two recent reports from Major, Lindsey & Africa delve into the priorities and perspectives of Millennial lawyers and Gen-Z lawyers and law students. In “Searching for Balance: Millennial Lawyers’ Perspectives on the Legal Industry,” the firm finds that these lawyers rate compensation and work/life balance as the most important factors in evaluating an employer. An overwhelming majority believe that law firm culture is biased against diverse and female attorneys, but 45% say they would like to make partner, up from 24% in 2021. In “Gen-Z: Now Influencing Today's Law Firm Culture,” the firm found that this group is moving away from large firms and traditional career paths. Among law school students who said they want to work at a firm, only 39% said they wanted to go to a large firm — a roughly 20% drop since 2020. Their experience with the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped their expectations around remote work, mental health initiatives and workplace flexibility, and they are motivated by meaningful work that aligns with their personal ethics.

Make plans now to join the TBA on June 23 from 9-10 a.m. CDT for a webcast with the “CLE Performer” Stuart Teicher. For this program on legal writing, Teicher will tackle the hardest part of the process: the organization phase. Using musical arrangements as a guide, Teicher will explain how to create a mind map and the benefits of outlining. “From Bach to Beyonce: What Musical Arrangements Teach About Legal Writing” will offer one hour of ethics credit.

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The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the conviction of Kemontea Dovon McKinney on first-degree murder and aggravated robbery charges, finding that his statements to detectives and waiver of Miranda rights were voluntary. The court also concluded that the evidence was sufficient to support the convictions. During his trial, McKinney unsuccessfully challenged the admission of statements made to detectives, arguing that he did not knowingly and voluntarily waive his Miranda rights. McKinney appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeals, which found that the trial court erred when it denied the motion to suppress. The appellate court found that an involuntary-confession claim is “inextricably linked” to a Miranda-waiver claim. It also found the evidence was insufficient to support the murder conviction. The Supreme Court reversed that decision finding that the voluntariness test is distinct from the Miranda test and that after separately applying both tests, the statements and the waiver were found to be voluntary.

Remote access to U.S. civil and bankruptcy court hearings will end in September, the federal judiciary announced yesterday. The courts said the move was being taken because the COVID-19 pandemic no longer affects how they function, according to Reuters. A committee has been collecting data during the pandemic to study whether broadcasts of civil and bankruptcy proceedings should be continued. The courts said the panel might share its findings at the next Judicial Conference set for Sept. 12.

Steven Bebb, a former Bradley County Criminal Court judge, who later served as 10th Judicial district attorney, died April 29 at 82. A graduate of Tennessee Military Institute and Middle Tennessee State University, Bebb joined the Peace Corps and lived in West Cameroon, Africa, before returning to Knoxville to teach and enter law school. He received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1974. After starting his law career with Hodges, Doughty & Carson, Bebb later joined the 10th Judicial District Attorney's office. In 1982, he was elected criminal court judge and served in that capacity until 2005. After retiring from the bench, he was elected district attorney for the 10th district and served there until fully retiring in 2014. Per Bebb’s wishes, no funeral service will be held.

The long-awaited U.S. News & World Report “Best Law School” rankings are out today, featuring a revised methodology that increases the weight of employment outcomes and bar passage rates and reduces the weight of LSAT scores and undergraduate grade-point averages, Reuters reports. The news source describes the result as ”an unprecedented number of dramatic shifts.” Some schools saw shifts of 20 or more places. See the full list of rankings from Above the Law.

Among the sessions being offered at the TBA’s Annual Convention June 14-17 in Knoxville is the Bench Bar Program, which brings together lawyers and judges. This year’s program will focus on the law and sports with sessions on leadership, the legal history of women’s basketball in the state and how new “name, image and likeness” rules are benefiting athletes. Speakers include Joan Cronan, University of Tennessee athletic director emeritus; Bill Haltom and Amanda Swanson, authors of "Full Court Press: How Pat Summitt, a High School Basketball Player, and a Legal Team Changed the Game"; and Knoxville lawyer E. Michael Brezina with Brezina Law PLLC. Learn more about convention programming and don’t forgot to register for the event.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberland will hold a free legal clinic in Oak Ridge on Tuesday from 4-6 p.m. EDT. The clinic will take place at the LAS office, 575 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Ste. 201, Oak Ridge 37830. The general civil clinic will assist clients with issues such as landlord/tenant disputes, family law, estate planning and debt collection. Those in need of assistance should register online. Contact Kendra Cheek at 800-238-1443 or kcheek@las.org to volunteer. See all clinics planned for May.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings to provide free legal services for nonprofits and Black-owned small businesses in Nashville on May 18. Advice will cover business formation, corporate governance, contracts and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible entities may receive up to one hour of assistance. Clients should sign up online. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.