The state’s textbook commission could need additional staff and an attorney to help deal with the aftermath of a new law that requires schools to catalog and publicize a list of all available library and classroom materials, the Tennessean reports. Tennessee Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission Chair Linda Cash appeared before a legislative subcommittee today, suggesting the commission hire an independent attorney to answer commission questions. They are currently seeking legal answers from the Attorney General’s Office. The commission has until Dec. 1 to issue statewide guidance on the library materials law, including what is age-appropriate, which is not settled in state law, in addition to establishing an appeals process for local decisions on contested materials. The General Assembly passed the bill this year in response to allegations that students were being exposed to “inappropriate” school materials.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear one case tomorrow using Zoom. Per court order, the case will not be livestreamed, but will be shown publicly in the courtroom of the Nashville Supreme Court building at 9 a.m. CDT. The case, In re Markus E., is an appeal to consider whether parental rights were properly terminated.  

The Shelby County Commission has approved 10 executive reappointments by Mayor Lee Harris as he begins his second four-year term, the Daily Memphian reports. Shelby County Chief Public Defender Phyllis Aluko, Divorce Referee Cary Woods and County Attorney Marlinee Iverson were among the reappointments. Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. cast the only vote against Iverson’s reappointment, saying the county attorney’s office has been “political” during Iverson’s tenure. Harris praised Iverson for managing “dozens of lawyers and hundreds of lawsuits.”

A yearslong NCAA infractions investigation into the University of Memphis basketball program came to an end today after an Independent Accountability Resolution Process (IARP) ruling found the university committed four Level II and five Level III violations. The men’s basketball program faces three years of probation, $5,000 in fines and must vacate two wins in which former star player James Wiseman participated. The investigation stemmed from inducements Wiseman’s family received before he enrolled at Memphis and for NCAA allegations that he played in three games while ineligible. The ordeal prompted Wiseman to file for a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in 2019. He later dropped the suit and withdrew from Memphis to prepare for the NBA draft. He currently plays for the Golden State Warriors. The Commercial Appeal has more on the story.   

National law firm Polsinelli has announced plans to leave its office in downtown Nashville’s Truist Plaza and move to the Fifth + Broadway development located at 501 Commerce, the Nashville Post reports. Polsinelli office managing partner John Peterson said in a release that the move would give the firm “the event space and amenities crucial to offering our clients and our attorneys the best-in-class experience the have come to expect from Polsinelli.” The firm will lease 37,429 square feet of space at the downtown mixed-use development. Polsinelli opened a Nashville office in 2015 and currently lists 29 Nashville-based attorneys on its website.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti yesterday announced he would join 18 states in opposing the federal Energy Independence and Security Act of 2022. In a letter to Senate leadership, the attorneys general say the Act will “allow the restriction of the electric grid by abrogating states’ traditional authority to set their own resource and utility policies, and upset the careful balance of states and federal authority that has been a cornerstone of the Federal Power Act (FPA) for nearly a century.” Skrmetti also expressed concern that the bill would threaten “Tennessee’s continued access to affordable, reliable, resilient power.” Read more from the AG’s Office.

While corporate counsel are best known for their legal advice, let’s talk about how you can take it to the next level with your stakeholders. Join the TBA Corporate Counsel Section’s Executive Council for a virtual session on tips of the trade and practical guidance to set yourself apart as a strategic business partner to your client. The webcast “Corporate Counsel 2022: How to Be a Strategic Business Partner,” is set for Oct. 18 from noon until 1 p.m. CDT. Learn more and register here.

Ballad Health, an integrated healthcare system headquartered in Johnson City, is now accepting applications for its next executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of the board. The general counsel will serve as a legal advisor to Ballad Health's Leadership Team and Board of Directors, provide legal insight with respect to the strategic direction of the organization and participate in a wide range of projects where legal, regulatory and compliance knowledge is needed. The position will also provide guidance on all legal initiatives, corporate and commercial transactions, litigation, intellectual property and more. Learn more about the job and how to apply on the TBA’s JobLink site or browse all available job openings.   

Davidson County lawyer John Martin Drake was today reinstated to the active practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. However, the court conditioned his reinstatement on him serving two years on probation during which time he must complete five addition hours of continuing legal education and engage a mentor in his area of practice. The mentor must report to the Board of Professional Responsibility every six months. Drake had been suspended on April 28, 2017, for two years. He filed a petition for reinstatement in March and a hearing panel found his petition to be satisfactory.

A Middle Tennessee State University professor is suing state Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, after Faison blocked him on Facebook, WPLN reports. MTSU adjunct professor Dean Fox argues that being denied access from an elected official’s account violates his First Amendment right to speak freely in a public forum. Fox and Faison earlier this month exchanged words on the social media platform, resulting in the lawmaker deleting comments he had written to Fox and blocking the professor from his page. His attorneys are asking that Faison unblock Fox and stop him from deleting Fox's comments.