Rev. Sondrea Tolbert, a Nashville lawyer, educator and faith-based leader, has been chosen to serve as executive director of the Scarritt Bennett non-profit conference center, the Nashville Post reports. Tolbert has previously practiced law with Watkins, Clayton & Tolbert and was most recently a judicial law clerk for Judge Monte Watkins at Davidson County Criminal Court Division V. She is also the immediate past director of the National Consortium of Black Women in Ministry, Nashville Chapter, where ministry initiatives involved breast cancer awareness, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS. 

Former Chattanooga judge Rebecca Stern yesterday announced she has entered the race for Hamilton County Criminal Court, a position she previously held for 17 years, the Chattanoogan reports. Stern retired from the bench in 2015 and opened a criminal defense law practice in Chattanooga one year later, noting that she was “ready to return to work.” She began her legal career at Strang, Fletcher, Carriger, Walker, Hodge & Smith and later worked as a prosecutor at the Hamilton County District Attorney General’s Office, where she focused on child abuse and domestic violence cases. Stern began presiding over criminal court cases in 1997, continuing to hear cases after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She continued to work through surgery and treatments, but says her decision to retire in 2015 was made to prioritize her health. During her time as judge, Stern presided over the successful Hamilton County Recovery Court. She seeks to fill the seat that will soon be vacated by Judge Don Poole.

The Harvard Business Review has released findings from the 2021 Mental Health at Work Report. Responses were collected from 1,500 U.S. adults with full-time jobs and with statistically significant representation across racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, generational divides and other factors. The study revealed that younger and historically underrepresented workers still struggle the most and that workers are increasingly leaving their jobs due to mental health reasons like overwhelming and unsustainable work. The number of employees reporting at least one symptom of a mental health condition was 76% compared to 59% in 2019. The survey also found that, although many companies still haven’t achieved true cultural change, many are finally investing in mental health support. Read the full report at Harvard Business Review.  

According to the Associated Press, progressive prosecutors from across the U.S. are increasingly refusing to enforce some GOP-backed laws. The AP included Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk as an example of the trend after several instances in which he has vowed to not enforce certain laws, including those pertaining to low level marijuana offenses, abortion and, most recently, Gov. Bill Lee’s school mask opt out order. Funk told the AP that prosecutors need to use the “levers of power” to provide “a check and balance on overreaching” by other branches of government. 

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery on Monday criticized a proposed ballot initiative that would require the state AG be confirmed by state lawmakers after being selected by the Supreme Court, the Associated Press reports. Speaking to the Nashville Rotary Club, Slatery said it “would be a shame” to make the position a “political office.” Slatery said the measure would allow involvement by companies under investigation by the attorney general’s office and worried could leave the attorney general position empty for months due to when annual legislative sessions take place. “Legislators will then be lobbied and the Supreme Court would have to say, ‘Instead of the top lawyer, we’ve got to be sure, we’ve got to get somebody who can actually be confirmed, that the legislators will like,’” Slatery said. The amendment would also cut the AG’s term from eight to six years.

Nashville attorney Danielle Nellis has announced that she will run for Nashville district attorney, Axios Nashville reports. Nellis worked as a prosecutor in current Nashville DA Glenn Funk’s office and says her time there taught her "how crime impacts victims and families involved on all sides, as well as how the community at large is impacted." She resigned from the position in 2018 after it was revealed that she had applied for the job of a man she was prosecuting. Funk alerted the Board of Professional Responsibility to the issue, but the board found no ethical issues with Nellis’ actions. A Boston University School of Law graduate, Nellis spent two years clerking for Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton and recently joined the firm of Klein Solomon Mills. Nellis is the first to challenge Funk for his position since his election in 2014.

The Wilson County Commission yesterday voted to appoint attorney Jimmy Lea as General Sessions Division II judge after current Judge Haywood Barry retires at the end of this year, the Tennessean reports. Lea became an assistant district attorney for the 15th Judicial District in 2007 and in 2020 was named deputy district attorney general. He will assume the judge's position on Jan. 1, 2022, and serve the remainder of the term through the August election. The person elected to the General Sessions Division II judge seat in August will begin a new eight-year term. Lea was the only nominee for the seat.

The Department of Revenue will discuss how to prepare and file your Tennessee sales tax return during a free webinar on Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. CDT. Revenue staff will discuss requirements, how to file, schedules, amending a return, general tips, and common mistakes. The webinar is part of a free series of programs the department offers each month on various tax topics. You can find archived recordings of all previous tax webinars and a calendar of upcoming programs on the department’s website.

Hendersonville attorney Russ Edwards has announced he is running for Sumner County General Sessions Court judge on the Republican ticket. Edwards practices civil and criminal law at Hendersonville’s Edwards & Edwards law firm. He has previously taught criminal justice as an adjunct professor at Volunteer State Community College and has coached Gallatin High School’s mock trial team. According to a press release from his campaign, Edwards prioritizes public safety. “My duty as judge will be to ensure that we preserve the safety of our community in which our citizens live, work, play and raise their families.” 

The Memphis Bar Association will present its Access to Justice Committee awards during an Oct. 29 ceremony, from noon until 3 p.m. CDT. Speakers for the virtual program include: Constance Brown, Memphis Area Legal Services managing attorney; Linda Seely, Butler Snow pro bono counsel; Danielle Woods, MBA Access to Justice chair; Morgan B. Hanna, Children’s Project staff attorney & Welcome South pro bono coordinator; and Tina Lum Perrusquia, Community Legal Clinic pro se divorce clinic attorney and pro bono coordinator. The awards ceremony will immediately follow the program, titled “Pro Bono During the Pandemic.” Learn more and register here.