U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger has struck down a Tennessee law requiring businesses to post special signs if they allow transgender individuals to use a bathroom of their choice. The move comes after she issued a temporary halt to the law soon after it was signed. A challenge to the law was brought by the ACLU on behalf of Nashville business owner Bob Bernstein, who owns Nashville coffee shops Bongo Java and Fido. Trauger's decision rejected state arguments that the law does not target transgender individuals and does not prohibit anyone from using a restroom of their choice. Instead, she wrote: “Transgender Tennesseans are real. The businesses and establishments that wish to welcome them are real. And the viewpoints that those individuals and businesses hold are real, even if they differ from the view of some legislators or government officials. While those government officials have considerable power, they have no authority to wish those opposing viewpoints away.” WPLN has the story.

An unresponsive female inmate at the Silverdale Detention Center died this week, Chattanoogan.com reports. On Monday at approximately 2 p.m. EDT, Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services was called to the Silverdale facility in response to a medical emergency where a 53-year old female inmate was found unresponsive. She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. At the request of the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an investigation.

Whoever wins the race to be the next Hamilton County district attorney — either John Allen Brooks or Coty Wamp — will be able to refashion the office if experienced prosecutors and staff depart the office with the change of administration. Chattanoogan.com reports that the first person to leave following the defeat of incumbent District Attorney Neal Pinkston is prosecutor Andrew Coyle. His last day will be May 27. Coyle says he has been asked to join the law firm of Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway, where former prosecutors Lance Pope and Kristen Williams are also on staff. “Being a prosecutor is incredibly rewarding and provides such a sense of job achievement," Coyle said. "I will miss it tremendously." 

The Miles Mason Family Law Group is seeking an associate attorney to work in its Germantown office. Candidates should have at least one year of experience in family law, be detail-oriented, be able to work independently in a team environment, and maintain a positive attitude. To apply, email resume, salary history and salary requirements to Sharon Mason. A writing sample may also be included. Learn more about the position.

Shelby County lawyer Brett B. Stein received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday. The court found that Stein violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4 and 5.1. Stein was hired to file a petition for habeas corpus relief in federal court in Mississippi — a court in which he was not admitted to practice. He also failed to adequately supervise a junior attorney’s preparation of the petition and an accompanying motion for pro hac vice admission. The motion for admission was denied for failure to comply with court requirements, but Stein did not inform the client of this development, which caused the client to suffer potential harm.

Funeral and visitation details were released today to celebrate the life of Memphis attorney John Ryder. Visitation will be held Sunday from 3-5 p.m. CDT at Canale Funeral Directors, 2700 Union Ave. Extended, Memphis 38112. The funeral will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at St. John's Episcopal Church, 3245 Central Ave., Memphis 38111. A reception will follow in the parish hall. Memorials may be sent to St. John's Episcopal Church, Opera Memphis or Wabash College, 301 W. Wabash Ave., Crawfordsville, IN 47933. Ryder died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. He was 72 years old.

Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark received the Nashville Bar Foundation’s David Rutherford Award posthumously at the foundation’s Annual Fellows Dinner last month. The award is given to a fellow who exemplifies the memory and ideas of Rutherford, including professionalism, charitable contributions in the legal field and in the community as a whole, and the spirit of collegiality among the bench and bar. Justice Sharon G. Lee accepted the award on Clark’s behalf, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. In her remarks, Lee recognized Clark’s devotion to her faith, her family, her community and the rule of law. Clark died Sept. 24, 2021, following a short battle with cancer. She was 71 years old.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeff Bivins recently gave the keynote address at the 16th Judicial District Recovery Court graduation at the Rutherford County Judicial Center. More than 125 people were present for the ceremony where Bivins applauded the seven graduates and the program’s staff saying, “Programs like this one reunite families and restore lives.” The program, administered by Judge Jimmy Turner, is a court-monitored intensive outpatient program for individuals with severe addictions to controlled substances. Turner said that participants “start in very dire circumstances, including homelessness, unemployment and a complete lack of family support” but completely change their lives with the help of the court. Read the full release from the court and see pictures from the event.

The third installment of the American Bar Association’s Model Diversity Survey is out and shows that large law firms hired more Hispanic, Black and Asian associates leading up to the pandemic, but continued to struggle with moving diverse lawyers into partnerships. Michelle Behnke, chair of the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession told Law.com: “I wasn’t terribly surprised to not see a lot of movement in the equity partnership space for diverse partners. That is not new. It is one of the things we are putting more of an emphasis on.” The survey also showed that attrition rates in 2019 were higher for women (16%) than men (11%). “This is a cause of concern for us,” Behnke said. “If we were already seeing more pronounced attrition among women, it will be hard to look at what we end up seeing as a result of the pandemic.”

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday limited the ability of federal courts to review certain factual findings in immigration proceedings that determine whether noncitizens will be deported or allowed to remain in the country. The majority opinion, written by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, states that federal law prevents review of factual findings that are connected to the executive branch’s judgments about granting discretionary immigration relief. “Federal courts have a very limited role to play in this process,” Barrett wrote. “With an exception for legal and constitutional questions, Congress has barred judicial review of the Attorney General’s decisions denying discretionary relief from removal.” Justice Neil Gorsuch joined with the court’s three more liberal justices in dissent. Read more in SCOTUSBlog.