West Tennessee Legal Services will hold a legal clinic at the Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA) Soup Kitchen on Feb. 25 from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. RIFA is located at 133 Airways Blvd., Jackson 38301. Call 800-372-8346 for more information. 

The TBA’s 2020 Animal Law Forum will provide updates on trends and advancements in animal law, while attendees enjoy fun activities at the Nashville Zoo. The zoo’s president and chief executive officer will be on hand to discuss conservation efforts, laws affecting procurement and care for zoo animals and more. The program will take place on April 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Nashville Zoo, 3777 Nolensville Pike. Zoo admission, breakfast and lunch are included with the program.

The state House today passed a measure that would give Williamson County its own judicial district, the Nashville Post reports. The legislation, which would split Williamson from Hickman, Perry and Lewis counties in the state judicial system, failed in the House last year, but the $1.4 million needed for this move was included in Gov. Bill Lee's budget proposal. Williamson County would join Shelby, Davidson, Sullivan, Blount, Knox, Anderson, Hamilton, Coffee and Sumner counties as the only counties with their own judicial districts.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced it is joining Alabama, Louisiana, Nebraska and South Dakota in a motion to intervene in litigation over whether the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) can be placed into the Constitution. Illinois, Nevada and Virginia recently sued the Archivist of the United States — the federal officer who oversees the ratification process for constitutional amendments — seeking to require him to add the ERA to the Constitution. Tennessee and the other states intervening in this case argue that the deadline to ratify the ERA has long expired. Read the copy of the motion to intervene online.

State lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a proposal that would amend controversial voter-registration restrictions passed last year, the Tennessean reports. Last year’s GOP-backed restrictions would allow the state to fine registration groups for turning in too many incomplete signup forms, a move that opponents say would suppress efforts to register more minorities and other voters. Two lawsuits were immediately filed against the measure and its implementation was blocked by a federal judge as it awaits trial in February 2021. Yesterday’s proposals would again change the rules for signing up new voters, adding a requirement that the state offer voluntary training on registration laws and requiring applications to be submitted within 15 days of a registration drive. The latest measures were approved by the House Elections and Campaign Finance Subcommittee and must now pass the full House Local Committee before going to the House floor for consideration.

Hamilton County attorney Charles Gammon Wright today received a public censure from the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Wright failed to advise his client of the one-year statute of limitations prior to its expiration and did not notify his client of the termination of his representation. Wright’s actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.16(d) and 8.4(a) and he has been ordered to pay the costs of the disciplinary proceedings.

Ooltewah attorney George Edward Koontz died on Feb. 17 at the age of 66. Koontz earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law where he was elected Dean’s Advisory Committee and won the American Jurisprudence Award for the highest grade in his class for Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law I and Constitutional Law II graduating 11th in his class. In 1984, he co-founded the Chattanooga law firm of Kennedy, Fulton and Koontz, which ultimately grew to 10 lawyers and is known today as Kennedy, Koontz and Klingler Law Firm. Visitation services will be held Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Rd., Chattanooga. On Saturday, a celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. at Grace Works Church, 6445 Lee Highway, Chattanooga.

Knoxville attorney Ursula Bailey is the guest star on the latest episode of the TBA YLD Presents: War Stories podcast. Bailey sits down with Julia Hale and YLD President Troy Weston to discuss her unique and successful legal career, the opportunities and challenges a solo practice can present and more! War Stories is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found online or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Virginia-based lawyer Jordan Jones Hays on Wednesday was publicly censured by Order of Reciprocal Discipline entered by the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board issued a public reprimand of Hays in August for falsely communicating with two of her clients and later, their counsel. A Notice of Reciprocal Discipline was entered by the Tennessee Supreme Court in December, giving Hays 30 days to explain why the discipline imposed in Virginia should not be imposed in Tennessee. Hays did not file a response.

Tennessee’s Right to Work Law is one step closer to becoming engrained in the state Constitution, the Daily Memphian reports. The bill flew through the Senate this week, backed only by Republicans in a 24-5 vote. Since 1947, the state’s Right to Work law has prohibited agreements between companies and labor unions requiring all employees to pay union fees even if they benefit from a union contract. By adding language to the state Constitution, the resolution, sponsored by Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, would make the law difficult to repeal. The resolution must be passed in consecutive sessions of the General Assembly and then approved by a majority of voters participating in the ensuing governor’s election before it can be placed in the Constitution.