The Washington County Bar Association has elected new officers for the 2023 year. They are: President Hunter Shepard, President-elect Tom Smith, Vice President Brandon Casey, Secretary Christa Morton and Treasurer Jesse J. Campbell. Shepard works at Herrin, McPeak & Associates in Jonesborough. All others are from Johnson City. In addition, the following board members have been elected: Grace Studer, Elizabeth Jones, Nora Koffman, Solange McDaniel and Morgan Taylor.

U.S. law firm office leasing volume dropped off during the fourth quarter of 2022, potentially signaling the start of a leasing slowdown in the legal industry, according to a new report from commercial brokerage Savills. Following a pandemic-era decline, the leasing market had enjoyed several quarters of steady volume. But the latest data shows that growth has stalled with firms leasing just 1.1 million square feet in the fourth quarter compared to 1.7 million in the third quarter and 1.6 million in the second quarter. Read more about the trend from Reuters.

The law license of Knox County lawyer Daniel Clyde Fielden II was transferred to disability inactive status today. Fielden may not practice law while on inactive status but can petition for reinstatement to active status by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Nammu Technologies Inc., which owns SimplyAgree, has raised $6.85 million of a $7.85 million offering, the Nashville Business Journal reports. This latest round of funding brings the startup’s total capital raised to more than $8.2 million. SimplyAgree manages signature and closing tasks for transactional attorneys. The portal organizes all the documents attorneys need to finalize complex deals, from mergers and acquisitions to commercial real estate transactions. Unlike other electronic signature companies, SimplyAgree is designed to handle complicated transactions, according to CEO and former Baker Donelson lawyer Will Norton. Norton co-founded SimplyAgree with former Bass, Berry & Sims associate Sam Beutler.

U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton on Friday refused to transfer a challenge to a new Biden administration immigration policy to a different court, rejecting the administration's claim that 21 Republican-led states had engaged in "judge shopping" when challenging a program that would allow up to 360,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua to enter the U.S. each year. The administration argued the suit should be heard by a court in Washington, D.C., or Austin, Texas, Reuters reports. Tipton said the administration's claim was undermined by its own statements that he could be fair and impartial.

Tara M. Stringfellow has lived all over the world, but her debut novel “Memphis” — the TBA’s third quarter book club selection — is about as Memphis as a book can be, the Commercial Appeal writes. Stringfellow says the book “is an ode to my city and the Black women living in it … and my declaration that our lives — our beautiful, rich, full Black lives — matter so very much." Stringfellow, who was a lawyer in Chicago before moving to Memphis, now focuses on her writing full time. Her next book will be a collection of poems. Read more about her life story.

Almost four months after the first law school said it would pull out of U.S. News’ annual graduate school rankings, and now with more than 20% of the nation’s law schools joining that boycott, the publication is going on the offensive. In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, Eric Gertler, executive chairman and CEO of U.S. News & World Report, accused the schools of gatekeeping information that prospective students need to make informed decisions. Absent its rankings, it will be difficult for students to find accurate, comprehensive information that empowers them to compare institutions and identify the factors that matter most to them, Gertler writes. Read excerpts from the piece in Above the Law.

A new bill introduced by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, would create a statutory framework for determining if youth are sent to juvenile or adult criminal court, Nashville Public Radio reports. Currently, when a juvenile is charged with a crime, they go to juvenile court with transfer to adult court used in the most serious cases. The bill would reverse that process, sending juveniles to adult court first but allowing criminal court judges in some circumstances to refer them to juvenile court. Depending on the child’s age, qualifying crimes could be murder, aggravated robbery or carjacking. Juvenile justice advocates are saying the change could have disastrous results. They also argue that the bill would take discretion away from juvenile judges, who have the expertise to weigh factors such as a young person’s mental health and history.

Just days after Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that will cut Nashville's council in half, the city has filed a lawsuit against the state claiming the law violates the Tennessee Constitution and the rights of Davidson County voters. It also has filed a motion for injunction, asking the court to halt the law’s implementation to allow local elections in August to proceed as originally planned. In the suit, Metro argues the new law dismantles the government established by voters when Davidson County and Nashville consolidated in the early 1960s, violating the home rule amendment of the state Constitution. The suit also argues that the statute's proposal to extend current council members' terms should Metro not meet a May 1 redistricting deadline violates a state constitution provision mandating four-year terms for county legislators. The suit will be heard by a panel of three judges. The Tennessean has more on the issue.

Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp says a new state law on children at drag and stripper shows is "not that complicated." She issued the following statement today in response to questions about enforcement of the legislation. “This piece of legislation is not as complex as some are making it. First, the law specifically states that it is an offense for a ‘person’ to engage in the listed conduct. Therefore, inquiries as to whether businesses or venues can be prosecuted is not applicable per the legislation itself. The state of Tennessee through District Attorneys General pursues prosecution against persons, not entities. Further, the legislature specifically included the language ‘appeals to a prurient interest’ … in order to shield individuals who may be acting or playing a role in a performance that has no sexual connotation.” Read the full statement on Chattanoogan.com.