Department of Children's Services Commissioner Margie Quin appeared before a legislative committee yesterday to explain how her department plans to fix widespread problems at the agency, the Tennessean reports. The department's plans include raising staff pay, capping caseloads, temporarily privatizing some case management and studying counterparts in New Jersey. Quin, who became commissioner on Sept. 1, asked for a $156 million budget increase this coming fiscal year, which would include $15 million for pay increases. The hearing comes one day after the state Comptroller released a scathing audit that found an array of issues within the agency, including staggering turnover rates, high caseloads and failure to adequately investigate dozens of reports of sexual abuse and sexual harassment.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton yesterday announced that he has named attorney Kevin Johnson as chief of staff, the Chattanoogan reports. Johnson has served as general counsel and senior advisor to the speaker since 2019. He has previously served as counsel, campaign manager and field representative for Congressman David Kustoff. In his new role, Johnson will be responsible for managing daily operations within the state House, overseeing strategic projects and he will continue serving as chief legal counsel to Sexton.

Judge Bernice Donald is set to join Resolute Systems next month when she retires from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Daily Memphian reports. Milwaukee-based Resolute is one of the largest alternative dispute resolution firms in the nation. Donald will be a full-time mediator, arbitrator, discovery referee and special master, working with clients in high-profile national and international litigation. “I have a passion for the law,” Donald said. “Being able to assist attorneys and their clients with the resolution of complex civil matters is extremely rewarding.”

Democrats in the state Senate this week voted for a complete overhaul of their leadership team, the Tennessean reports. Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, will serve as the new minority leader, Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, as caucus chair and Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, as vice-caucus chair. Senate Republicans made no changes to the top of their leadership teams.

Retired 22nd Judicial District Judge Jim Travis Hamilton of Columbia died on Sept. 18. He was 81. Hamilton earned his law degree from Memphis State University School of Law in 1966. When he was just 26, Hamilton was elected mayor of his hometown, Selmer, Tennessee, making him one of the youngest mayors in the United States. Hamilton was elected to the bench for the 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court in 1982 and served until 2015. He had for 15 years been an adjunct professor for the Criminal Justice Department at Cumberland University and sat on the University Board of Trustees. He was also an adjunct professor at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski.

Nashville lawyer Robert Lee Ballow died yesterday. He was 91. Ballow, an east Nashville native, graduated from the Nashville School of Law at the top of his class in 1963. He opened King & Ballow with Frank S. King in 1969, growing it into a national law firm that represented newspapers and other media companies in every state. Ballow was a member of the Media Law Reporter Advisory Board and was previously a guest lecturer for the American Press Institute and Vanderbilt University. He is past president of the Southern Circulation Managers Association and twice served as chair of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Executive Clinic. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

A man sentenced to 162 years in prison for theft and forgery will soon be released after a judge cut back his sentence to 15 years, the Associated Press reports. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan asked the district attorney’s office to investigate the sentence of Courtney Anderson, who was given the long prison term in 2000 after having been found to be a repeat offender. The DA found legal ground for reopening the case and Skahan cut Anderson’s sentence down to 15 years on Tuesday. “This was clearly an excessive sentence, the kind of overreaction that sows distrust in our system and doesn’t make us safer,” Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said in a statement.

A new book on the life of the late Judge Gilbert S. Merritt is set to be released next month in Nashville. A Sense of Justice: Judge Gilbert S. Merritt and His Times was written by author and columnist for The Tennessean, Keel Hunt. It is a social biography of Merritt, who was one of the nation’s youngest U.S. attorneys, a congressional candidate, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and almost a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the book’s summary, it “depicts a much deeper weave of the power of friendship and loyalty, the influence of history upon individuals and generations, and of how communities of interest formed and evolved over time in our nation—and of how it is all connected.” A free book launch will take place on Jan. 17, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. CST at Parnassus Books in Nashville. Register for the event here.  

Baker Donelson is seeking an associate with three to four years of trial and complex litigation experience to join its Nashville office. The associate will work closely with senior litigators who will provide active mentoring and client contact. Preferred skills include analytical aptitude with deposition, discovery, motion practice and trial experience. The TBA’s JobLink page has more on the position and instructions on how to apply.  

If you missed out on attending this year’s “Raising the Bar: Recognizing Resiliency During Times of Change” program, it is now available online in a 1-Click package. Produced by the TBA Women in the Profession Committee, watch as an all-star lineup of female attorneys and judges from across the state discuss career adversity, flourishing in traditional and non-traditional legal careers, women helping women, productivity and much more. Watch the program now and earn 4.5 dual credits of CLE. Be sure to mark your calendar for next year's Raising the Bar program, which will take place on Nov. 2, 2023.