Applications are now being accepted for 3rd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge, made vacant by the retirement of Judge Thomas J. Wright. The 3rd Judicial District encompasses Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, and Hawkins counties. Attorneys at least 30 years of age who have been residents of the state for five years and are currently residents of the 3rd Judicial District may apply by submitting a Trial Court Vacancy Commission Application to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) by noon CDT on July 27. The commission will hold a hearing for the vacancy on Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. EDT. Read all application instructions on the AOC’s website.  

Clarksville attorney Liz Evan played an essential role in enacting new legislation that makes it a Class E felony for members of the clergy to engage in sexual contact with anyone they treat for an emotional, mental or physical condition. The Tennessean profiled Evan, a judicial law clerk at the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, who pulled from similar laws in Wisconsin and North Dakota to write Senate Bill 1531. The legislation passed the state House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law. It went into effect July 1. The new law also applies to healthcare professionals and alcohol and drug abuse counselors. It says a victim receiving treatment from members of these professions "is incapable of consenting to sexual contact” in that relationship. "Clergy members all need to know that they're going to be held accountable for misusing their power," Evan said.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed Charles K. Grant to serve on its Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). Grant is a shareholder in the Nashville office of Baker Donelson where he practices in employment and business litigation matters. He previously served on the state Supreme Court’s Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure and the Disciplinary Hearing Committee, District V. Grant is a past president of the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the Nashville Bar Association, the Napier-Looby Bar Association and a past recipient of the TBA’s Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Award. Read more on Grant’s appointment to the BPR from Baker Donelson.

Save the date for this year’s Animal Law Forum, taking place live and in-person at the Nashville Zoo on Sept. 24. Programming will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT and will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to brush up on trends and advancements in animal law, while networking and enjoying the fun and activities the zoo offers. The zoo’s president and CEO and the board’s general counsel will discuss conservation efforts and laws affecting procurement and care for zoo animals. Other topics include ethical considerations for animals and the law, legislative updates, laws governing farm animals and more. Zoo admission, breakfast and lunch are included with the program.

Friday is the deadline to submit nominations for the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) annual access to justice awards. The Janice M. Holder Award, the B. Riney Green Award and the New Advocate of the Year award recognize those who have contributed to Tennessee’s equal justice community. The recipients will be recognized during the annual Equal Justice University (EJU) virtual conference Sept. 21-23. Visit TALS’ award nomination page for nomination instructions, the awards nomination form, and specific eligibility and criteria for each of the three awards.

Top aides to two Republican leaders in the state House are leaving their positions for other roles in government, the Nashville Post reports. James Dunn, top aide to House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, is the new executive director of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability. He succeeds Nashville Vice Mayor Jim Shulman. Holt Whitt, previously the interim chief of staff to GOP House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has been hired as a senior human resources adviser in Gov. Bill Lee’s administration. Whitt was placed on paid leave in January after being questioned by the FBI as part of an investigation into Tennessee lawmakers. The Tennessean reports that federal prosecutors consider Whitt a witness to possible crimes, not a suspect. 

Judge Phillip R. Hilliard has barred public access to an informal hearing on the license suspension of a facility for unaccompanied migrant children in Chattanooga, the Associated Press reports. The license of the Baptiste Group was suspended after an employee was arrested and charged with sexual battery following an investigation by the Department of Children’s Services into child abuse claims. Representing the Baptiste Group, attorney Mark Baugh argued that the names of the children housed at the facility would not be revealed and asked that the proceedings be kept open to the public and news outlets. Hilliard ultimately ruled that the state had an obligation to ensure the privacy of certain records that he said “outweighs any right or need for the proceeding to be made open at this point.” 

The YMCA Virtual Nationwide Judicial Competition is searching for volunteers to help score and preside over Zoom court sessions on July 27-29. Teenagers from more than 12 states will be competing. Morning sessions will run from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. CDT and afternoon sessions are from 2 to 4 p.m. CDT. Sessions are two hours in length and volunteers will need time at the end to fill out score sheets. Volunteer evaluators are also needed in both mock and appellate divisions. Those interested can sign up to volunteer online.        

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board in recent weeks has made several key rulings regarding medical records. The opinions examined the admissibility of Form C-32 at two different stages—summary judgement and at an expediated hearing. Full descriptions of those opinions can be found on the Court of Workers’ Compensation’s website.

East Ridge City Court Judge J. Cris Helton has resigned and will step down from the bench effective Aug. 1, the Chattanoogan reports. City officials say Helton cited health reasons for his departure. Helton was elected to the bench in 2014, defeating incumbent Arvin Reingold.