In addition to compelling CLE, social events and networking opportunities, the 2023 TBA Annual Convention will host several meetings of TBA governing bodies. On June 14, the House of Delegates will meet in the afternoon, while new section chairs will meet to make plans for the 2023-2024 bar year. On June 16, the TBA Board of Governors and its Executive Committee will meet after the Lawyers Luncheon. Later that afternoon, the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation (TLCF) and TBA Member Insurance Solutions (TBAMS) will hold their respective board meetings. Wrapping up the day, the Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Long Range Planning Committee will meet and all young lawyer members of the TBA will gather for the division's annual meeting. On Saturday, members of  the YLD Board will meet for committee breakouts and summer board meeting. Check out the full convention schedule and make plans to be in Knoxville June 14-17!

The TBA Federal Practice Section's Annual Forum will take place virtually on Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT. Over the course of three sessions, attendees will receive a refresher on the law of protests and learn more about human rights issues related to police use of force and the media’s impact on protest and litigation. Panelists also will cover police management of protests, criminal prosecutions and civil litigation under Section 1983. The forum will end with an ethics session examining the intersection of advocacy, civility and professional responsibility. Register here.

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, who led the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and oversaw an overhaul of the state’s K-12 funding structure, will leave the position on June 1. Gov. Bill Lee announced that he will appoint Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds to the post. Reynolds currently serves as vice president of policy at Florida-based ExcelinEd, which advocates for a wide range of student-centered policies, including school choice. In a release announcing the move, Lee said that Reynolds' career "reflects a deep commitment to school choice, assessment and accountability." She will take office on July 1. Deputy Commissioner of Operations Sam Pearcy will serve as interim commissioner in June. The Tennessean has more.

President Joe Biden issued a proclamation today commemorating Law Day and the importance of the rule of law in America. In the proclamation, Biden states that “respecting the rule of law also means supporting equal access to justice.” In addition, American Bar Association President Deborah Enix-Ross issued a statement calling on the legal community as well as the public to join efforts to rebuild trust in American institutions and respect for one another and be willing to collaborate to address challenges that face the nation. Law Day was established in 1958 to educate the public about important concepts such as the rule of law and equality under the law. It is celebrated every May 1 through special events, classroom presentations and pro bono clinics.

U.S. senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are accepting applications from candidates interested in an appointment as U.S. district judge for the Western District of Tennessee or U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Questionnaires and additional information are available online from both senators. Interested candidates must submit a completed questionnaire and resume to appointments@blackburn.senate.gov and appointments@hagerty.senate.gov by June 9. Questions regarding the application process may be directed to the same email addresses.

Join your colleagues for the 2023 TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville, June 14-17, offering up to eight hours of continuing legal education. This year's in-person CLE lineup will bring together an esteemed group of speakers to cover a variety of timely, essential legal issues. Hot topics include the intersection of sports and law, the impact of policing in America, produced jointly with the Tennessee Alliance of Black Lawyers, legal technology, mediation ethics, attorney well-being, labor and employment updates, and more! Learn more about these CLE programs. Need to RSVP? Register and book a room here.

Vivian Wilhoite, a former Metro council member and current Davidson County property assessor, is the latest candidate announce a campaign to be Nashville’s next mayor. She joins former Republican congressional candidate Natisha Brooks; state Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville; Metro Council members Sharon Hurt and Freddie O’Connell; state Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville; Republican strategist Alice Rolli; former Metro official Matt Wiltshire; former school board member Fran Bush; and former AllianceBernstein executive Jim Gingrich. The filing deadline is May 18. The Nashville Scene has more on the race.

Those arrested in Nashville who show signs of mental illness can be referred to a Behavioral Care Center where they are provided with 30 days of treatment as an alternative to incarceration. The center has been in operation for three years and now Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and a delegation from the county criminal justice system plan to visit the facility in hopes of opening something similar in the Memphis area. Harris tells the Tennessean that chances look good for opening a mental health center in Shelby County.

The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it will hear a case that could significantly scale back federal agencies’ authority, with major implications for the future of environmental and other regulations, The Hill reports. During the next term, the justices will consider whether to overturn a decades-old precedent that has come to be known as the “Chevron” doctrine, which grants deference to agencies when Congress leaves ambiguity in a statute. In the case accepted for review, a fishing company is appealing a lower court ruling that upheld a National Marine Fisheries Service regulation based on the doctrine.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold three legal clinics in May. The “Attorney of the Day Clinic” will take place May 4 and 18 from 1-3 p.m. CST at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Room 134, Memphis 38103. The monthly clinic at the Benjamin Hooks Library will take place May 13 beginning at 10 a.m. The library is located at 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. For both clinics, clients will be served on a first come, first served basis. For questions or to volunteer contact Heather Staggs or Walter Casey.