State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Memphis, is facing a grand jury probe concerning campaign finance transactions during his failed 2016 congressional bid, the Tennessean reports. Former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey confirmed he’d been interviewed by a federal agent earlier this year, who asked if Kelsey gave Ramsey money with a request to “move it” to the West Tennessee lawmakers’ congressional campaign committee. Ramsey denies this happened. Nashville At-large Councilman Steve Glover and an unnamed lawmaker were also interviewed by federal agents. Glover gave money to Kelsey’s federal PAC months after receiving money from Kelsey’s state PAC. Kelsey says he welcomes any investigation because “all donations were made in compliance with the law and on the advice of counsel.”

Attorneys for death row inmate Leroy Hall Jr. on Monday argued that his conviction should be vacated after “newly discovered evidence” proves one of the jurors in his trial was biased. Hall was convicted in 1992 of first-degree murder in the burning death of his estranged girlfriend, Traci Crozier, and was scheduled to be executed in December. Hall’s defense claims the juror failed to disclose that she had been a victim of domestic violence and rape during the jury selection process, therefore denying Hall his right to a fair and impartial jury. Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don Poole set the next court date for Nov. 14. Read more from the Times Free Press.

The 2019 Tennessee Court of Appeals Boot Camp allows lawyers to observe oral arguments in real cases being presented to the court, followed by analysis and discussion on preparation, tips and considerations for deciding to seek review in the state Supreme Court. Earn up to six hours of CLE credits for this course taking place tomorrow in Nashville.

The U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee is now accepting applications for a full-time courtroom deputy position in Nashville. Job responsibilities include managing the judge’s caseload, drafting and processing orders and judgements, attending court proceedings and more. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to applications@tnmd.uscourts.gov with the subject line “Courtroom Deputy." All applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Central on Nov. 6. Learn more here.

Shelby County lawyer Clay M. McCormack was reinstated to the practice of law on Oct. 29 subject to certain conditions, including the requirement that he engage a practice monitor. McCormack was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 5, 2018, for five years, with one year to be served on active suspension and the remaining four years to be served on probation. McCormack filed a petition for reinstatement, which the Board of Professional Responsibility reported it found to be satisfactory.

A volunteer opportunity is available at the Tennessee Justice Center to help with the organization’s end-of-year mailing. Mailings are sent to partners, donors and friends each year to inform them of the work TJC is doing. To help with scheduling, there are two volunteer times: noon – 1 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 13. Get registered here.

Butler Snow attorney Edward L. Stanton III has been appointed to serve as a board member of the National Association of Former United States Attorneys (NAFUSA) for the 2022 class. Stanton was appointed to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee in 2010 by former President Barack Obama, a position he held until 2017. Stanton practices in Butler Snow’s Memphis office where he leads the commercial litigation practice group.

University of Tennessee College of Law Professor Maurice Stucke recently submitted a statement to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee, which has been investigating whether top tech companies hold too much power in the marketplace. Stucke and Ariel Ezrachi, who co-authored the book “Competition Overdose," were asked to give a written statement for the subcommittee’s meeting that centered on online platforms and market power with a focus on how data and privacy affect competition. UT College of Law has more on Stucke’s statement.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit has reinstated a copyright lawsuit filed by two songwriters who claim musician Taylor Swift stole their lyrics for her hit 2014 song, “Shake It Off.” A district court judge dismissed the case in 2018, saying the lyrics cited in the suit “didn’t merit copyright protection” because they are so often used. This week however, the 9th Circuit said the trial court wrongly acted as the “final judge of the worth of an expressive work.” Nashville-based lawyer Jeff Allen of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings spoke to Bloomberg Law, saying the suit could “potentially open the floodgates for people filing lawsuits over people using colloquial phrases.” He added, “that’s not what copyright law was intended to protect.”

A student and her mother are suing Shelby County Schools and the principal of Central High School in Memphis for more than $1 million for civil rights breaches, failing to provide accommodation for a special-needs learner and retaliation against the student when she complained. The suit claims the student, who uses a wheelchair, was made to pound on a door each day to be let into school, resulting in being locked out of the building for 30 minutes or more on several occasions. It also claims the student was left alone during a fire alarm and later punished for using her cellphone to call her mother and the fire department during that alarm. The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial. Read the full story at the Daily Memphian.