A U.S. House subcommittee yesterday heard from three federal judges who spoke about case delays and high workloads as lawmakers considered whether to expand the number of federal judgeships, the ABA Journal reports. Judges and law professors said they feared litigants may think they can’t get their day in court as cases are delayed and oral arguments are curbed due to increased filings that don’t match increases in federal judgeships. The last time Congress increased the number of judgeships was in 2002, and then only a handful were added. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle showed interest in expanding judgeships, but there were disagreements over timing and whether to split the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco.

A new report from practice management company Clio has found that solo practitioners struggled more significantly than larger law firms in adapting to remote work throughout the pandemic, Robert Ambrogi’s LawSites reports. The report also found that solos who harnessed modern legal technologies fared significantly better during 2020 than those who did not — bringing in $50,000 more in revenue on average — and solos who continue to adapt and innovate are most likely to do well both in the immediate future and in years to come. Clio’s Legal Trends for Solo Law Firms, published earlier this week, used data from its annual Legal Trends Report, which is based on analysis of data from tens of thousands of legal professionals and surveys of legal professionals and legal consumers.

Vanderbilt Law School’s director of diversity, equity and community will have a new title after anonymous donors committed to fund an endowed directorship in honor of longtime law professor Robert Belton, the Nashville Post reports. Professor Yesha Yadav has overseen the office since its creation last summer and her new title is associate dean and Robert Belton Director of Diversity, Equity and Community. Belton was the first Black professor to gain tenure at Vanderbilt Law School and was an expert in labor and employment law. He joined the faculty in 1975 after five years as an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and a stint in private practice. Belton retired in 2009 and died in 2012 at the age of 76.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division concluded its leadership application process for the 2021-2022 bar year with eight new officers and district representatives deemed to be elected. The new officers are: Treasurer, Justin Faith; East Tennessee Governor, Alex McVeagh; Middle Tennessee Governor, Sean Aiello; West Tennessee Governor, Kortney Simmons. The new district representatives are: District 1, Hunter Shelton; District 5, Logan Threadgill; District 7, Kelly Gray; District 9, Rachel Bishop. A number of board vacancies remain, including vice president and secretary. Any member of the YLD interested in filling a vacant position or wishing to nominate someone for the position has until March 5 to email their statement of interest or nomination to Stephanie Vonnahme. A full list of remaining vacancies can be found here. 

A proposed constitutional amendment that would allow voters to change the way Tennessee’s Attorney General is selected cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, the Chattanoogan reports. Senate Joint Resolution 0001 (SJR0001) calls for a transparent nomination process by the Tennessee Supreme Court in selecting the State Attorney General, followed by a confirmation vote of the nominee by a majority of both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly. The TBA has expressed its opposition to the resolution, a decision that is detailed in today’s episode of the TBA Legislative Updates podcast. In addition, TBA Public Policy and Government Affairs Director Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley cover SB0633/HB0385, a proposal that would make it a criminal offense if a bystander witnesses a medical emergency and fails to report it to emergency services immediately. You can watch the full video of Legislative Updates on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also available as a podcast on the TBA’s website or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle and 20th Judicial District Chancery Court staff attorney Justin Seamon have conducted seven bench trials and over 60 hearings using Zoom Video Conferencing and a YouTube channel with all attorneys, parties, witnesses and court staff participating remotely. Watch as they detail their experience on the CLE webcast Our 9-Month Journey Conducting Zoom Trials During the Pandemic. The pair will discuss the pros, cons and logistics of conducting trials via Zoom, how to prepare witnesses, appropriate safeguards for remote witness testimony, managing trial exhibits, public access to the proceedings, and the ramifications of this technology for the future of litigation. Catch this webcast replay on March 10 from noon until 2 p.m. CST.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings attorney and TBA member Alé Dalton has been selected as a 2021 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinder. The LCLD Pathfinder program aims to increase diversity at the leadership levels of the nation’s law firms and corporate legal departments. As a Pathfinder, Dalton will connect with other high-potential attorneys for a year-long professional development series focused on leadership and relationship building. Dalton is part of Bradley’s Nashville office and her practice covers a wide range of transactional, operational and regulatory healthcare matters. She is a member of the TBA Young Lawyers Division and a TBA Health Law Section member.

The Senate Republican Caucus on Monday asked Tennessee colleges to adopt policies that would prevent student athletes from kneeling during “The Star Spangled Banner,” the Tennessean reports. The letter comes after members of East Tennessee State University’s men’s basketball team knelt during the national anthem before a game on Feb. 16. Senate Republicans expressed outrage in legislative meetings, social media posts and on local news segments before finally sending the letter, which was signed by all 27 members of the Caucus.  The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee in a statement today condemned policies such as those in the letter, calling them unconstitutional. ETSU men’s basketball coaches have said the team meant no disrespect, but instead sought to prompt discussions on racial inequality.

The U.S. Senate will soon take up new legislation seeking more than $250 million for home security and 1,000 more deputy marshals to help provide better security for federal judges, CBS News reports. The bill comes as threats to federal judges have jumped 400% in the last five years, with more than 4,000 reported threats last year alone. Many of those are death threats, sometimes ending in violence. 60 Minutes spoke with federal Judge Esther Salas whose son was shot and killed in their New Jersey home in July by a disgruntled attorney. Her husband was also shot but survived. Salas, who was the intended target of the attack, has since advocated for legislation that would scrub judges’ personal information from the internet.  The last judicial security upgrade was 15-years ago after a Chicago judge’s husband was killed by an angry plaintiff.   

The ABA is hosting a program this week featuring a panel of six trailblazing Black judges who will discuss the obstacles they have overcome in the legal profession. Judge Bernice Donald of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, and the first Black female judge in Tennessee, will be among the panelists in the program titled, “Judicial Trailblazers and the Hills They've Climbed: A Discussion with Preeminent African-American Judges and Their Challenges and Triumphs.” Howard University School of Law Dean Danielle R. Holley-Walker will moderate the panel, which will take place on Friday from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. CST. The event is free and registration is now open.