The Nashville-based Center for Nonprofit Management is holding a free virtual event Friday to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. The “Virtual Day of Convening” will feature AAPI voices and narratives through panel discussions as well as visual and performance art. Topics include “What AAPI Means,” “How the AAPI Community Is Addressed in DEI Conversations,” “Hate Crimes and COVID-19” and “The Bamboo Ceiling.” Each session will run for 30 minutes between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Learn more about the event and register here.

New data from the U.S. Labor Department shows the legal sector added 4,700 jobs in April, in what's largely been a trend of monthly growth since May 2020, Reuters reports. According to preliminary seasonally adjusted data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, sector jobs totaled 1,177,900 last month.

Law.com and ALM Intelligence are out with their annual Mental Health Survey of the legal profession with more than 3,400 respondents detailing the state of their mental health, work environments, perceptions of colleagues, client expectations and the effects of remote work. The 2022 results show a slight decline in those reporting anxiety, depression and isolation from last year. And there was an increase in those who believe their firms provide a safe environment to raise concerns about mental health. However, for the third year in a row, close to three-fourths of respondents believe their work environment contributes to their mental health issues. Law.com analyzes the survey results and offers a data snapshot of the findings.

The TBA's 2022 Federal Practice Forum will take place Wednesday, May 18 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT, with presentations tailored to both experienced federal court practitioners and those who are new to federal practice. This program features a panel offering tips and tricks on court practice, plus dual sessions covering intentional equity and cybersecurity. The day wraps up with a session on the Ford Motor Company’s appearance in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in 2021.

Davidson County lawyer Katherine Elizabeth Curlee Hamblen was reinstated to the practice of law today after being placed on inactive status more than five years ago. The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Hamblen effective April 27.

The American Bar Association will hold its Law Practice Division Spring Meeting in Nashville this week and TBA members are invited to attend two sessions on Thursday for free. Thursday's program, which offers two hours of CLE credit, will focus on practical topics such as managing workload and cybersecurity ethics. The first session “Time, Task, Email & Distraction Management for Lawyers” will begin at 2:30 p.m. CDT followed by “Safeguarding Client Data in Today’s Emerging Hybrid Practice” at 3:45 p.m. Read more about the programs and register for free using the code “TBA.”

Davidson County lawyer Charles Martin Duke was suspended today from the practice of law for three years, with one year to be served on active suspension. The Tennessee Supreme Court also directed him to engage a practice monitor. The court found that while representing a client in a personal injury case, Duke failed to file an action within the statute of limitations and falsified a tolling agreement in an effort to mislead his client. Duke entered a conditional guilty plea acknowledging that his conduct violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4(a), 3.1, 3.3(a)(1), 3.4(b), 4.1(a), and 8.4(a), (b), (c) and (d).

The TBA Young Lawyers Division hosted a Debt Relief Clinic on April 30 to help low-income debtors in West Tennessee. Bankruptcy Judge Ruthie Hagan began the clinic with an overview of the bankruptcy system, and then clients met with volunteer attorneys in break-out Zoom rooms for counsel and advice about debt relief options. The award-winning clinic is supported by the TBA Bankruptcy Law Section, Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, Memphis Area Legal Services, and Legal Aid of East Tennessee. To learn more about pro bono opportunities with the YLD contact Alix Rogers.

In recognition of the judicial service of recently departed judges, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee is planning a memorial service on June 17 at 2 p.m. in the Rotunda of the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building. Members of the bar and public are invited to join the court to honor the contribution and legacy of district judges Thomas A. Wiseman Jr., John T. Nixon, Thomas A. Higgins and Todd J. Campbell, and Sixth Circuit Court Judge Gilbert S. Merritt Jr. and Magistrate Judge Kent Sandidge. A reception will follow with the opportunity to tour the new courthouse.

The American Bar Association is once again considering dropping its requirement that law schools use a “valid and reliable test” in admissions decisions, Reuters reports. It previously considered the idea in 2018 but the proposal was pulled moments before a vote by the House of Delegates. Supporters of the testing requirement argue that eliminating it would disadvantage weaker students who would spend considerable time and money but then likely not succeed in the first year. Opponents argue that the cost of standardized tests and uneven access to preparation programs can create disparities across racial groups. The ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar is slated to consider the proposal when it meets May 20. Any changes approved by the council would also need to be approved by the ABA House of Delegates.