Initiatives dealing with recidivism, state election law and criminal fines are among a series of new laws set to take effect on Jan. 1., the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Portions of Gov. Bill Lee’s Reentry Success Act will soon go into effect, including a law that will allow victims or their representatives to submit electronic “impact statement” videos to be played at an inmate’s parole hearing. Another portion of the act will allow local correctional facilities to develop programs to reduce recidivism. Changes to the state’s election procedures will also begin on Jan. 1. Under those laws, absentee ballots must now include an official watermark that must be verified by a counting board official. Another measure expands the application of convenient voting centers – a practice authorized as a pilot project in 2020 in Monroe, Williamson and Wilson counties. Beginning Jan. 1, criminal fines must go toward victim restitution. Victims will have up to two years to file a claim for the criminal injuries compensation fund. Streamlining the way disorderly students are disciplined, starting the payment of compensation for college athlete, controlling prescription drug pricing and several other laws will also take effect in the new year.

Tenth Judicial District Public Defender Richard Hughes has announced he’ll be retiring after 32-years, the Times Free Press reports. Hughes went to work as an assistant public defender in Cleveland in 1989, representing clients in Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties. He was later appointed to fill the public defender role by former Gov. Phil Bredesen in 2005 and won a contested election the following year. Among his accomplishments as public defender, Hughes was a founding member of the 10th Judicial District Recovery Treatment Court, the Bradley County Juvenile Recovery Court and the 10th Judicial District Mental Health Court. "It's been a very good career for me here, but to avoid stagnation, to avoid complacency, I want to pursue some other opportunities that are out there," Hughes said. Assistant public defender, Donald Leon Shahan Jr., is the only person so far to announce a bid for the position.

Normally known as the Ethics Roadshow, TBA CLE’s popular ethics program is back as the “Homeshow,” with a two-part program hosted by Brian Faughnan of Lewis Thomason. Each part will feature a one-hour program that utilizes a game format to delve into 30 unique topics of ethical discussion. Part one of the program will replay on Dec. 31 from 9 to 10 a.m. and part two will play from 11 a.m. until noon CST. Register for one or both parts here.  

The ABA Journal has compiled its favorite 2021 articles from the “Your Voice,” “Mind Your Business” and “On Well-Being” sections that are sure to help you improve your practice and personal life in 2022. The sections cover a variety of topics, including tips for working with difficult clients, avoiding burnout, a guide to walking meditation, how to release self-destructive thoughts and more. Read the compilation of articles here.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday issued two orders announcing it will hear legal challenges to the Biden administration’s employer vaccine mandates next month, The Hill reports. The justices set a rapid schedule for the cases, which will begin on Jan. 7 with oral arguments against President Joe Biden’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers and a regulation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requiring vaccines for health care workers. The Supreme Court deferred ruling on whether to block the new rules until after hearing the challenges. Lower courts have split over both rules, prompting a sense of urgency for the Supreme Court to intervene.

Vanderbilt University has announced the schedule for its 2022 series honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The theme of this year’s four-day virtual event is “Where We Belong—Building an Inclusive Community.” The kickoff lunch and speaker event will begin on Jan. 14 with keynote remarks from Equity Alliance Co-Founder Charlane Oliver. A joint day of service will be held on Jan. 15, which offers students from local colleges an opportunity to add a service component to MLK Day. On Jan. 17, a virtual candlelight vigil will be held at 4:30 p.m. CST, followed by a keynote presentation from poet, professor and author Nikky Finney. Learn more and get registered for the events here.

Twenty second Judicial District Circuit Court Judge David Allen was recently honored for his role as Recovery Court judge during the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals, Lawrenceburg’s WLX reports. Allen was presented with the “Judges Making a Difference” award which, according to the organization’s website, “is for recovery court judges who are champions for recovery and are making contributions to the recovery court system in Tennessee.” Allen presides over Recovery Courts in Lawrence and Maury counties. “It’s the most rewarding part of my job,” Allen said.

Tennessee is facing a lawsuit over its decision to deny a public records request for a private contractor’s report that provided recommendations on how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reports. Gov. Bill Lee asked consulting firm McKinsey & Co. to prepare the report that was required to provide a “government efficiency assessment and review” and identify “performance improvements” to the state’s COVID-19 response. The plaintiff in the case, state employee Thomas Wesley, filed the public records request as a state citizen. An attorney for the Department of Human Resources denied the request in September, saying the records are “subject to the deliberative process privilege and contain confidential information that is subject to the exception for information regarding operational vulnerabilities.” Attorneys for the plaintiff argue the report doesn’t fall under a deliberative process exemption.

John W. Stewart of Adams died on Oct. 31. He was 70. Stewart graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1976 and became only the second African American to serve as an Assistant Attorney General for the state of Kentucky, He also served as First Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for Jefferson County from 1988 to 1993. He was informally known as the “I-65 Lawyer.” In lieu of flowers, please make donations in John's memory to: Kappa Alpha Psi, Epsilon Rho Achievement Fund and mail to: WKU Foundation, 292 Alumni Ave., Bowling Green, KY 42101 or Benevolent Lodge Order #210, P O Box 3774, Clarksville, TN 37043.

Davidson County Night Court Magistrate John Manson last week announced his intentions to run for the county’s Division 7 Circuit Court, the Tennessee Tribune reports. Manson began practicing law at Nashville’s oldest African American law firm, Manson Johnson Conner PLLC. He has served as a judicial officer for more than 12 years, serving in domestic, civil, probate, environmental and criminal courts. “I believe that my experience dealing with the citizens of Nashville during particularly unpleasant moments in life makes me uniquely qualified for this role,” Manson said. He seeks to fill the vacancy that will be made when current Division 7 Judge Randy Kennedy retires next year.