Pleasant View Municipal Judge Greg Smith recently completed a position paper advising the Parliament of Ukraine on how to revamp its small claims courts, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. The parliament had reached out to the National Judicial College (NJC) for assistance with reforming its courts and the NJC asked Smith to handle recommendations for the small claims court system. Smith has taught for the NJC for the past nine years and has authored the Municipal Judges’ Bench Book. Of the experience, Smith said, "I'm humbled to be entrusted with this important task by the National Judicial College and the Country of Ukraine … Of all the judges that you could find, why me was what I was thinking.” Smith believes the paper has been translated from English to Ukrainian and is now headed to the parliament for review.

Belmont University College of Law's Criminal Law Journal will look at how the place where one lives can affect interactions with the criminal justice system. Panelists at the March 24 program will compare how criminal charges, plea-bargaining, trial procedure and sentencing are handled differently in rural and urban communities. The keynote address will be given by Dan Canon, a civil rights lawyer and professor at the University of Louisville Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. The event will take place at the school’s Randall and Sadie Baskin Center, 1901 15th Ave. S., Nashville 37212. Cost of $10 covers coffee, snacks and lunch. Register here.

The Republican plan to cap local metropolitan governing bodies at 20 members cleared the full House on Monday and a key Senate committee yesterday, Axios Nashville reports. The bill, HB48/SB87, would have the effect of cutting the Nashville Metro Council in half. Nashville Mayor John Cooper wrote to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R- Oak Ridge, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R- Crossville, and Gov. Bill Lee this week outlining his opposition to the plan. At a minimum, he is asking the leaders to give Davidson County voters the power to sign off on the proposal or defer the measure for one year. Under the current bill, new districts would need to be in place for the May 18 qualifying deadline and the election on Aug. 3. Cooper says there is not enough time to implement new districts by then.

Today is International Women's Day, which recognizes the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of women and commits to the acceleration towards true equality for all women and girls. In a statement released today, American Bar Association President Deborah Enix-Ross says the legal profession has much work to do to reach gender equity. Women make up only 38% of all lawyers and only 12% of managing partners, she observes. She calls on the legal community to work for faster progress. “Lawyers are committed to justice and fairness. We have a vital role to play in effecting positive change. On this day, all members of the legal community need to recommit themselves to achieving gender equity.”

The U.S. Department of Justice today said it will conduct a review of the Memphis Police Department. The review, to be conducted by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, will look at policies, practices, training, data and processes related to the department’s use of force, de-escalation and specialized units. At the conclusion of the review, a public report outlining findings and recommendations will be issued. The DOJ also announced it would undertake a broader review of specialized law enforcement units across the country. That effort is designed to help police chiefs and mayors assess the appropriateness of specialized units and ensure the necessary management and oversight of such units. The decision comes as the Memphis City Council yesterday adopted several new ordinances designed to change how police interact with citizens during traffic stops. The Commercial Appeal has more on those proposals.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s office announced yesterday that it is entering into a memorandum of understanding with the national reform group Justice Innovation Lab. The move is designed to enhance data transparency within the office, the district attorney said. According to News Action 5, the reform group — which is composed of former prosecutors and data analysis experts — will review the office’s data and interview staff for the next 12 to 18 months. It also will help clean up the office’s data and design a public-facing “data dashboard” on the DA’s website.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. today signed an order blocking the release of nearly 20 hours of additional footage from the scene where Tyre Nichols was beaten by multiple Memphis police officers in early January, as well as accompanying charging documents. Jones wrote in his order that public release will “be delayed until such time as the state and the defendants have reviewed this information,” the Commercial Appeal reports. The Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County District Attorney's office supported release of the information. The motion to block it came from Blake Ballin, the attorney representing Desmond Mills Jr. — one of five officers charged in Nichols’ death. The other four officers also signed onto the petition.

The White House has endorsed a bipartisan bill that could give the president authority to ban or force a sale of TikTok, Bloomberg Law reports. The bill, introduced yesterday, would give the president the ability to force the sale of foreign-owned technologies, applications, software or e-commerce platforms if they present a national security threat to U.S. users. Critics of the video app say it allows the Chinese government to access the data and viewing trends of some 100 million Americans. Former President Donald Trump had ordered a ban on the app in 2020 but a federal judge blocked the effort, arguing it violated free speech rights. The new legislation would strengthen the administration’s hand in future court battles, advocates say.

This week’s updates to the TBA Practice Management Center include information on email encryption, printers, hardware maintenance and buying a new laptop. Also check out our top 10 tips for Outlook.

LAW TECH ’23 is returning as a live and in-person program this year! Join us March 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST at Belmont University College of Law in Nashville. This year's program will offer opportunities to network with sponsors, attendees and speakers, and win prizes! Topics to be covered include using technology to advance your practice, what role ChatGPT AI will play in legal document creation, analyzing online advertising and a deep dive into remote ADR. Another highlight of the day will be the ever-popular "Bill & Phil Show" with Bill Ramsey and Phillip Hampton. Learn more and register here.