Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, in partnership with the attorneys general of Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C., is leading a coalition of states urging Congress to prioritize investment in the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in the federal FY 2024 budget. A letter to congressional leaders signed by 37 states highlights the vital role the LSC plays in delivering civil legal assistance to those most in need. “The powerful impact of LSC’s work cannot be overstated, particularly in rural areas that tend to have the highest poverty rates in our country,” the group writes. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is asking Congress for $1.5 billion for the next fiscal year.

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. Thanks to attorney and senior underwriting counsel Joseph Kirkland Jr. at Executive Title and Closing Inc. in Memphis for producing this program. Watch for more details coming soon.

The TBA’s Local Government Forum, originally scheduled for this week, has been postponed to May 22. The virtual program presented via Zoom will begin at 8:30 a.m. CDT that day. This year’s program will feature a legislative update as well as sessions covering school resource officers, sovereign citizens and annexation. Learn more or register here.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s prestigious Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award, the association’s highest award for service to the judiciary. The award will be presented at the TBA’s Bench Bar Luncheon set for June 15 as part of the association’s Annual Convention in Knoxville. Lee was selected for this award for her many years of service to the bench and the legal profession. As chief justice of the court from 2014-2016, Lee worked tirelessly to improve the state’s legal system and its administration of justice. She emphasized access to justice efforts, established the state’s first Business Court pilot project, implemented electronic filing with the appellate courts, and undertook a review of the state’s indigent representation system. Often described as a “Justice for the People,” Lee has shown humility, respect for those appearing before the courts, and a recognition that cases involve not only legal issues and concepts, but real problems that impact real people’s lives. Read more about her career and accomplishments.

James "Jim" O. Phillips III of Rogersville died April 18 at the age of 78. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Phillips earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He opened a law office in Rogersville and also served as the Hawkins County attorney for 36 years, the longest serving in county history. Phillips served as president of the Rotary Club of Rogersville and was an elder at Rogersville Presbyterian Church. Memorials donations may be given to the Hawkins County Imagination Library, P.O. Box 512, Rogersville, TN 37857 or the Hawkins County Humane Society, 5180 US-11W, Rogersville, TN 37857.

Nearly six months after law schools began boycotting the U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Schools" rankings and a month after the planned release date of this year’s data, new rankings will be released Thursday, Above the Law reports. The rankings were supposed to be released on April 18 but were pushed to April 25 due to an “unprecedented number of inquiries from schools” about errors in the preliminary data and were later further delayed.

Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg LLP has opened a Nashville office to be anchored by five partners: capital markets partners Jay H. Knight and Taylor K. Wirth; health care partners J.D. Thomas and Elisa Harris; and white collar litigation partner Joy Boyd Longnecker. Knight, who also will serve as partner-in-charge of the office, and Wirth previously were with Bass Berry & Sims. Thomas was with Holland & Knight (formerly Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis). Harris previously was in house general counsel for Contessa Health and Wayspring. Longnecker was with Baker Donelson. The office will temporarily reside in the Moore Building, 827 19th Ave., Ste 930, Nashville 37203 with plans to move into permanent space next year.

Low-income consumers who were eligible to file their taxes for free with TurboTax but were deceived into paying for the service will receive payouts from parent company Intuit, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced today. The company has agreed to a $141 million multistate settlement benefiting 4.4 million consumers. Tennessee will receive at least $3.7 million to pay more than 120,300 consumers. Eligible consumers will be contacted by email about the settlement. Checks are expected to be mailed out starting next week. For more information about the settlement visit www.AGTurboTaxSettlement.com.

The Legal Aid Society (LAS) will host a free clinic May 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. CDT for victims of stalking or harassment. The event will take place at the Nashville Family Justice Center, 610 Murfreesboro Pike, Nashville 37210. Metro Police will be on hand to check cars for tracking devices while lawyers will offer legal advice. Those who plan to attend should bring emails, text messages, photos or anything else that depicts the harassment. Download a flyer for the clinic.

No charges will be filed against former Memphis police officer Preston Hemphill for his role in pulling Tyre Nichols over on the evening of Jan. 7, Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said yesterday. Hemphill, who was fired from the police department after Nichols died, was seen firing his taser at a fleeing Nichols. Hemphill's body camera footage showed him running after Nichols for a short distance before stopping. He was not seen at the second confrontation where five former MPD officers took turns delivering blows to Nichols, the Commercial Appeal reports.