East Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women (ETLAW) recently held its annual toiletry drive benefiting the Knoxville YWCA’s housing program, which provides holistic support and education for 54 women. ETLAW Outreach Chair and LMU Law Professor Bianca White reports that 185 toiletry kits were prepared. The group also recently honored Knoxville attorney and Bernstein, Stair & McAdams partner Heather Anderson with its 2022 Spirit of Justice Award. The award celebrates an ETLAW member who provides support for women lawyers and the advancement of women in the community. See photos from the events.

The U.S. Congress yesterday gave final approval to a defense authorization bill that would allow U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges to shield their personal information from being viewed online. The Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act, named for the son of a federal judge who was fatally shot in 2020, was added to the must-pass bill and now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature, Reuters reports. ABA President Deborah Enix-Ross applauded the move saying that threats against judges have skyrocketed in recent years.

A federal judge in Texas yesterday ruled that the Biden administration wrongly ended a Trump-era policy that makes asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration court, the Associated Press reports. The move comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June that Biden could end the policy but asked the lower court to determine whether the action was “arbitrary and capricious.” The judge said it was because the administration did not consider the benefits of the policy or the impact of unmeritorious asylum claims. The “Remain in Mexico” policy kept some 70,000 asylum-seekers out of the United States until President Joe Biden suspended it on his first day in office. The ruling comes as border agents and policymakers prepare for the end of another Trump-era immigration policy: the use of public-health rule Title 42 to limit asylum. That policy is set to expire on Dec. 21, NPR reports.

Charges have been dropped against four Chattanooga activists who blocked a road and burned a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office flag during protests against police brutality in 2020. Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Boyd Patterson dismissed the charges yesterday after activists agreed to pay restitution for the flag, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. All four activists were charged with misdemeanors while two were also charged with vandalism and reckless burning.

Two weeks after narrowly losing a bid for re-election as House Democratic Caucus chairman, Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, says House Speaker Cameron Sexton interfered in his leadership election by leaning on colleagues to vote against him. Dixie was defeated by Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, by one vote. “[Sexton] made threats that there would not be certain things that would take place if I was the chairman,” Dixie told Tennessee Lookout this week. Asked if he threatened Democrats, Sexton said, “Neither I nor any Republican had a vote in their caucus meeting; it was up to Rep. Dixie to get a simple majority ... which apparently he was unable to achieve.”

Cherokee High School students in Rogersville observed a session of the Tennessee Supreme Court on Dec. 6 as part of the “Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students” (SCALES) program. Students witnessed a real case being presented to the court and got a firsthand look at the justice system in action, The Rogersville Review reports. After the hearing, students were served lunch and given an opportunity to ask questions of the lawyers who participated in the case. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah K. Campbell, a Cherokee High School graduate, also took time to speak with the students. See a photo from the day.

If you missed attending the Ethics Roadshow as it traveled across the state the past two week, take heart — the program is now available on-demand from the TBA. Presented by Memphis attorney Brian Faughnan, the program focuses on ethics rules changes that occurred while we were “sheltering in place” during the last couple of years. The three-hour session features an update on which rules have changed, an overview of important rules that remain unchanged, and a look ahead at rules changes that may be on the horizon. Sign up for it now.

The Southeastern Legal Foundation is hiring for two litigation attorneys in its Nashville office or a remote setting. The first position is for an attorney with two to five years of experience. The second position is for a lawyer with at least seven years of experience. Applicants for both positions should support the mission of the foundation and be willing to take on difficult issues and unpopular causes. Desired skills for both positions include ability to conduct legal research, write briefs, and conduct discovery and depositions. The foundation focuses on cases involving constitutional law, individual rights, property rights law and separation of powers issues.

A federal judge has denied a request by two Tennessee Tech professors to overturn disciplinary action levied against them after posting fliers on campus calling a fellow professor a “racist.” The pair alleged in a lawsuit that the school’s provost retaliated against them for the fliers by curtailing their ability to serve as faculty advisors to student organizations, participate in study abroad programs and benefit from pay increases for one year. They also alleged their due process rights were violated. Judge Waverly Crenshaw said the professors failed to prove either portion of their case, the Tennessee Lookout reports.

After more than three decades, Kathy Walsh is no longer the leader of the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, WPLN reports. Walsh built the coalition’s reputation as the leading voice for domestic and sexual violence victims in the state, and as a registered lobbyist, she helped shape legislation in the field. Her exit comes after a federal investigation found the organization unlawfully retaliated against an employee who spoke up about potential misuse of federal grant funding. Three other former employees also expressed concerns about Walsh’s management of staff and unhealthy communication patterns. The board chair declined to say whether Walsh resigned or was fired.