This year’s Administrative Law Forum, set for Nov. 15, will include a panel discussion of the agency deference doctrine, a session delving into the implications of policymaking and rulemaking, and an ethics session that includes updates from the BPR and an ethical analysis of ex parte communications. This year’s program also features a free “Meet Local” breakfast and networking event for government and public interest attorneys. Find out more and get registered here. 

State Rep. Harold Love Jr., D-Nashville, says he'll work to have the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust removed from the state capitol if action is not taken before the session begins, WKRN reports. Love, who spoke with Gov. Bill Lee at Tennessee State University’s homecoming last weekend, says he informed Lee of his plans to bring about legislation if the state Capitol Commission does not vote on the issue before January. In September, Gov. Bill Lee appointed two new members to the state Capitol Commission, the group responsible for determining the fate of the bust. Lee says he’s sure the commission will take up the issue, but made no comment on when they might meet or what his recommendations to them would be.

The Tennessee Supreme Court clarified today that a defendant is entitled to a jury instruction on the defense of necessity when it is fairly raised by the evidence presented at trial, regardless of whether the instruction is requested in writing. Defendant Brandon Cole-Pugh was charged with being a felon in possession of a handgun. Cole-Pugh was involved in a physical altercation at a convenience store when another individual dropped a handgun on the floor. The defendant picked up the gun and exited the store, but before leaving the scene, someone procured a second handgun and two individuals were shot. A Madison County trial court denied defense counsel’s oral request for an instruction on the defense of necessity, after which a jury convicted the defendant. Read the unanimous opinion authored by Justice Roger Page.

Gov. Bill Lee told reporters Thursday that his administration is undecided on whether to accept President Donald Trump’s offer to let states and local governments refuse to accept refugees, the Times Free Press reports. The state legislature sued the federal government in 2017 over a refugee resettlement program they say forces states to pay for resettlement. Just last week, a federal appeals court refused to hear that lawsuit. In 2016, Former Gov. Bill Haslam declined to sign a resolution demanding the lawsuit and Attorney General Herbert Slatery declined to file it for legislators. Gov. Lee says his team will address the decision once a timeline is set.

The Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance is hosting its third annual Pro Bono & Faith Days Training, a series of events designed to help faith leaders and community partners learn about free legal resources and pro bono help in their area. This year, the program partners with the National Interfaith Alliance Against Domestic and Sexual Violence and Tennessee Senior Law Alliance for a special resource presentation on community legal care for those experiencing abuse and domestic violence. The next program in the series will take place in Memphis on Oct. 29 at Church Health, 1350 Concourse Ave., Ste. 142. Register for this event here. Trainings have been held in each grand division during the month of October, with the fourth and final event planned for Oct. 31 in Chattanooga.

The ABA Journal has hired John O’Brien as publisher and editor-in-chief, Bob Ambrogi reports on his LawSites Blog. O’Brien is a journalist who has held several reporting and editing roles in the Chicago area. Most recently, he was a senior editor/copy chief at Patch.com. O’Brien replaces former editor and publisher Molly McDonough, who resigned in September after three years in that role and 18 years as a member of the ABA Journal’s editorial staff. Her resignation came after ABA-imposed budget cuts at the magazine and before its move to a .org website platform that does not support all of the editorial and advertising features now available on ABAJournal.com.

Vanderbilt University has renamed its recreation and wellness center in memory of law school professor and former athletics director David Williams, who passed away unexpectedly in February. A ceremony to unveil the David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center was held on Oct. 18. Williams was the first black athletics director hired by an SEC school and had served in that position for 16 years. He had returned to being a full-time law professor where he focused on establishing a new Sports, Law and Society program shortly before his death. 

Shelby County lawyer William Allan Cohn was publicly censured today by the Supreme Court of Tennessee. On June 5, 2018, the Board of Professional Responsibility filed a Petition for Discipline alleging that Cohn accepted a non-refundable fee and cost deposit to handle an uncontested divorce. After completing the necessary pleadings, his client’s wife refused to sign the documents, and Cohn was terminated by his client. Cohn believed that the fee agreement entitled him to additional fees, and he used the cost deposit to cover the additional fees. No costs had been incurred during the course of the representation, and the cost deposit should have remained in Cohn’s IOLTA account until they were refunded to the client. A Hearing Panel found Cohn violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15(c) and 8.4(a).

While researching state public assistance programs, the nonpartisan Beacon Center of Tennessee think tank discovered $730 million in unused federal block grant funds intended to help poor working families, the Tennessean reports. Tennessee receives $190.9 million each year from the federal government's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, but spent only $71.1 million last year. The leftover money went to a reserve fund that, as of September, totaled $732.7 million. Funds from the federal program are meant to provide temporary cash assistance, transportation, child care assistance, job training and other support services to help low-income working families.

Anna Rickels has been chosen to lead the University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic’s efforts in advancing expungements. Rickels, a 2014 graduate, will serve as a reentry fellow working with the ExpungeTNProject that provides legal services for those struggling to overcome criminal records. The position was made possible by a $100,000 grant UT Law received from the Tennessee Bar Foundation’s Tennessee Legal Initiatives Fund to better represent vulnerable populations. In addition to working with UT Law professors and student attorneys to help individuals clear their records, Rickels will also help launch ExpungeTN.org, a website offering expungement resources to individuals statewide.