The YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee will host its next Stand Against Injustice virtual lunch and learn on Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. CST.  This month's topic, in honor of Black History Month, will focus on "Black Nashville – Then & Now." Panelists will be Dr. Sekou Franklin, Brigette Jones and Linda Wynn. View a flyer for the free event or register here.

Five former Memphis police officers pleaded not guilty Friday to criminal charges related to their involvement in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols. The former officers each face one count of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, official oppression and two counts of official misconduct, the Commercial Appeal reports. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr., who is overseeing the case, asked for patience from all involved. In related news, two members of the state legislature have asked the U.S. Justice Department to open a “pattern-or-practice” investigation into the Memphis Police Department. Reps. G.A. Hardaway and Joe Towns, both Democrats of Memphis, state in a letter to the department’s Civil Rights Division that the traffic stop of Nichols appears to be part of systemic behavior.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined 41 attorneys general in a national effort to ensure that state, local and tribal entities “have appropriate and timely access to corporate ownership information critical to fighting crime and terrorism.” The group is asking the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of Treasury, to continue to allow state access to information filed by certain companies about their actual or “beneficial” owners under the Corporate Transparency Act. Read more here.

The Memphis Bar Foundation is accepting grant applications for projects and programs that further its mission. Applications for up to $2,500 per project should be submitted by 5 p.m. CDT on March 15. Grants will be awarded in April. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes philanthropy among members of the Memphis Bar Association (MBA), promotes social justice and legal education, and advocates for and supports public awareness of the legal system. For more information contact the MBA Executive Director Mary Ann Upchurch.

The Private Confederate Soldier Monument will remain in one of Nashville’s most-visited public parks after the Tennessee Historical Commission on Friday rejected the city’s efforts to move it. According to Tennessee Lookout, the 24 voting members said parks officials failed to meet the burden of showing there was a need to move the bronze statue “based on historical or other compelling public interest.” The life-size monument, unveiled in 1909, sits across from the Parthenon in Nashville’s Centennial Park. Nashville’s attorney Macy Amos has argued that the monument may not be a “memorial” at all, which would remove it from the commission’s oversight though next steps were unclear.

The Gray, Tennessee, office of the Bureau of Workers Compensation will hold an open house on March 1 to commemorate its fifth anniversary. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to noon EST. Light refreshments will be served. The office reports that “just shy of five years ago” it opened its doors for the first time for parties seeking settlement approvals. Read more here.

At-Large Metro Councilmember Bob Mendes said today that he will not enter the race to be Nashville’s next mayor. Mendes had publicly considered a campaign after Mayor John Cooper announced he would not seek reelection. Mendes, a two-term councilmember who has taken a prominent role in debates about the city’s finances, wrote on his website that a mayoral bid “is not the best way for our family to serve Nashville at this time.” Read more in the Nashville Post.

Davidson County lawyer Jonathan Lionel Stein was reinstated to the practice of law as of Feb. 16 on Friday. He had been placed on inactive status Dec. 7, 2016. Also on Friday, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order reinstating Arizona lawyer Jessica Lynn Torres to the practice of law. She had been placed on inactive status on May 9, 2012. The court made her reinstatement effective as of Jan. 23. The court said that the Board of Professional Responsibility deemed both petitions for reinstatement to be satisfactory.

Members of the TBA's Health Law Section recently wrapped up visits to four law schools in the state. At each school, members presented a panel discussion, held a Q&A session, met with students interested in health law and provided lunch. Section representatives also discussed the benefits of TBA membership and reminded students of their ability to join the TBA and participate in section networking and CLE events at no cost. Schools included in the tour were Belmont University College of Law, University of Memphis School of Law, University of Tennessee College of Law and Vanderbilt University Law School. The section says it intends to visit the state's two other law schools and conduct follow-up events in the near future. Learn more about the section members who participated.

Save the date for the TBA Federal Practice Section's Annual Forum set for May 9. This year’s program will focus on protesting in America. 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.