The TBA is offering two criminal law programs next week. On Wednesday, the 2022 Criminal Law Forum will be presented virtually from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CST. This year's forum will focus on the mental health of criminal justice professionals and explore real life courtroom exchanges where situations became heated. Panelists include Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Robert Wedemeyer and U.S. Attorney Sean Deitrick with the middle district of Georgia. Then on Thursday, a one-hour webcast will look at various aspects of federal criminal practice. Topics include charging considerations, expert witness testimony and sentencing guideline considerations. This program will run from 1-2 p.m. CST.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a veterans clinic next Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. To volunteer for the clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all December clinics.

The law firm of Jackson Lewis is seeking an associate attorney for its Nashville office. The individual will be responsible for defending against and litigating lawsuits involving a broad range of employment-related claims and agency charges of discrimination, as well as providing advice to employers on a wide range of labor and employment laws and regulations. Applicants should have at least three years of experience. A background in employment law is preferred. Get the full job description and instructions for applying on the TBA’s JobLink platform.

The Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims has announced that the settlement approval process in Memphis will change effective Jan. 3. Starting on that date, settlement approvals will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9-11 a.m. CST. Approvals will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Lawyers must be in the courtroom, ready to present, by 11 a.m. to have their settlements heard that day. No settlements will be scheduled in advance, but parties are asked to submit a petition for settlement approval 48 hours before the date desired. Read more from the court about these new processes.

Williamson County lawyer Rebekah Henderson Bartlett was reinstated to the practice of law today after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that her delinquent student loans had been paid. The court made the reinstatement retroactive to Nov. 22.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order reinstating the law license of Florida attorney Delana Sands McFarlin effective Nov. 28. McFarlin was placed on inactive status on Nov. 5, 2008. She filed a petition seeking reinstatement and the court found that it was satisfactory.

The U.S. Supreme Court took up one of the most closely watched cases of the term today, SCOTUSBlog reports. The case is a Republican-backed appeal of a decision by North Carolina's top court to throw out a map of the state's congressional districts approved by the state legislature. The Republicans are relying on a legal theory called the "independent state legislature" doctrine, which holds the U.S. Constitution gives state legislatures, not state courts, the power over election rules and electoral maps. Politico reports that the justices “struggled to find consensus” about the theory but a “critical bloc … seemed likely to reject the most robust version,” which could “unleash dramatic change in how states oversee elections.”

Washington, D.C., attorney General Karl Racine filed a lawsuit yesterday against SmileDirectClub, alleging the Nashville-based company requires customers to sign nondisclosure agreements in order to receive refunds. This action, Racine says, prevents consumers from making informed purchasing decisions. The suit is seeking a court order to invalidate the requirement and bar the company from using deceptive business practices. It also is seeking restitution for consumers and imposition of civil penalties. SmileDirectClub said its policy follows American Association of Orthodontics guidelines for refunds. The Nashville Business Journal has more from both sides of the dispute.

A multi-state action against JUUL Labs Inc. has resulted in a $434.9 million settlement. Of that total, Tennessee is slated to receive approximately $13 million, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced today. The pay-out is the result of a 34-state investigation into JUUL’s marketing and sales practices, which found the company tailored their products and advertisements to minors. In addition to the financial settlement, JUUL agreed to refrain from a number of marketing tactics, including using cartoons, depicting persons under 35, selling brand name merchandise, using paid influencers, and advertising on billboards, public transportation and most social media. 

Lauren Sudeall will join the faculty of Vanderbilt Law School in summer 2023, the school reports. Sudeall is currently on the faculty of Georgia State University College of Law, where she is the founding faculty director of the Center for Access to Justice. At Vanderbilt, Sudeall will launch and direct the school’s Access to Justice Initiative as part of the George Barrett Social Justice Program. She earned her law degree from Harvard Law School, has clerked for a number of federal appellate court judges and worked for the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta.