The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday announced it will meet April 4 for a vote on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. Committee Chair Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, said the panel will reconvene at 10 a.m. EDT for a vote that would advance Jackson’s nomination to the full floor. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, has said he hopes to hold a final confirmation vote before the Senate’s expected Easter recess, which begins on April 8. Yahoo News has the story.

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is seeking a qualified person for the position of general counsel. Applicants should be experienced in both civil and criminal law and be confident in their ability to provide sound advice that furthers the mission of the AOC. The position performs administrative legal work across all areas of the AOC and reports to the deputy director. Read the announcement or access the full job description and information on how to apply.

State Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, filed papers today to run for the U.S. Congress in the newly redrawn 5th Congressional District. Campbell is the first well-known Democrat to enter the race since incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper announced he would retire, the Nashville Post reports. Campbell, the former mayor of Oak Hill in Davidson County, won the senate seat in 2020, beating incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Dickerson.

The Nashville Bar Association today released the results of a member poll of candidates being considered to serve on the bench, as district attorney or as court clerk in Davidson County. Members were asked to rate candidates in contested races as of noon on March 14. The NBA received 523 responses. Results are reported as raw ballot results with no attempt to extrapolate results. The association says it regularly polls its members regarding judicial elections to help the public assess candidates and help to ensure that the Nashville judiciary is highly qualified and dedicated to a fair and equitable legal system. The Nashville Post has initial reporting on the findings.

Sessions from the TBA’s 2022 Construction Law Forum are now available as a 1-Click Package. Purchase the full forum or just the individual sessions desired. This year’s forum focused on the unique aspects of mechanics' and materialmen's lien law, exploring special situations such as when liens on leaseholds are proper; whether a lien or bond claim should be used against a hybrid project; who qualifies as an "owner" for purposes of serving certain notices; and what exactly is "visible commencement of operations" and "completion of the improvement." There also will be an ethical discussion about whether lawyers can "bluff" by serving a notice of nonpayment and/or notice of lien when certain prerequisites have not been satisfied?

The Tennessee General Assembly agreed Monday to ban newcomers from running for U.S. House and Senate seats and make the ban effective for the next election, the Nashville Post reports. The Tennessee House had preferred delaying the effective date until after this year’s election but the Senate argued it should go into effect immediately. Following negotiations, the House adopted the Senate language. If signed by Gov. Bill Lee, the measure could keep Trump-backed candidate Morgan Ortagus and music video producer Robby Starbuck from running in the state’s newly redrawn 5th Congressional District. Some have questioned the constitutionality of the measure since the U.S. Constitution specifically lays out requirements for congressional candidates, which do not include residency rules other than the candidate live in the state. In related news, Punchbowl News reported today that the Tennessee Conservative PAC is planning to fund a lawsuit to overturn the bill.

U.S. News & World Report has unveiled its 2023 Best Law Schools rankings with one big change this year: for the first time since 1990, Harvard Law School is no longer in the top three. In this latest ranking, Harvard now ties Columbia Law School for fourth place. University of Chicago Law School took Harvard’s place, after having tied Columbia for fourth place last year. The only Tennessee school to make the Top 50, Vanderbilt University Law School, dropped one position from last year, from number 16 to 17. The University of Tennessee College of Law ranked just outside the Top 50 with a score of 56, while Belmont University College of Law came in at 133 and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law came in at 142. LMU Duncan School of Law was unranked beyond the #147-192 category. Read more about the rankings from Above the Law or see the full list from U.S. News & World Report.

The Tennessee Bar Association Academy offers an exciting opportunity for a limited number of Tennessee attorneys to be admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. The 2022 admission ceremony will take place Oct. 4 at the court in Washington, D.C. In addition to taking part in the private ceremony, participants will be invited to a TBA President's Reception and a special celebration dinner, and receive three hours of prepaid credits to use for future CLE programming. The group will stay at the Hay Adams Hotel, where a block of rooms has been reserved at the discounted rate of $345 a night. The cost to register is $725 for TBA members and $300 for guests. Those interested in participating should complete this online form by June 1. Applicants will be considered on a first-come basis and will be contacted to confirm their interest and complete the application process.

Gov. Bill Lee has announced the selection of three new appellate court judges. For the Tennessee Court of Appeals in the Middle District he named Belmont University law professor Jeffrey Usman. Lee also announced the appointments of 11th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Thomas Greenholtz and 6th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Kyle Hixon to Eastern Division seats on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. Each appointment is effective Sept. 1 and subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. “Each of these qualified Tennesseans will bring valuable experience to their respective roles,” Lee said in a release. “I am confident they will serve our state with the highest integrity, and I look forward to their service.” The Nashville Post also has the story.

The American Inns of Court on Saturday posthumously awarded the Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics to former Memphis attorney Leo Bearman Jr. Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch Jr. — now dean of the Nashville School of Law — presented the award at the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Bearman’s son Edward Bearman, who practices at the Law Office of Edward M. Bearman, received the award on behalf of his father. He was joined at the event by his brother David Bearman, a shareholder at Baker, Donelson; his father’s long-time secretary Judy Birchler; firm shareholder Kristine Roberts; and Judge Thomas Parker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The award recognizes exemplary service to the legal profession in the areas of professionalism, civility and ethics. Bearman practiced law for 60 years in Tennessee primarily with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz. He was a past president of the Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association and recipient of that group’s Lawyers Lawyer Award for professionalism.