The U.S. Supreme Court has opted to keep live audio broadcasts of oral arguments for its upcoming term, the Associated Press reports. The nation’s highest court began providing live audio after COVID-19 forced the courtroom to close to the public in March 2020. As the justices begin their new term on Monday, the public will once again be allowed to enter the courtroom during oral arguments, but a link to access the live audio feed will still be available. The court will provide that link on the homepage of its website.

The TBA's Environmental Law Forum returns this year as a hybrid program to be held in-person and virtually on Dec. 2. This program offers timely information on legal issues, including a brownfields update, a session that covers the scope of the recent West Virginia v. EPA decision, and more. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned practitioners in the field! Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. CST at Bass, Berry & Sims, 150 3rd Ave. S., 28th floor, Nashville. Those who wish to attend virtually may note that preference at check out. Learn more and register here.

A resolution to enforce curfew laws for minors was today passed by the Memphis City Council public safety committee and will now head to the full council, the Daily Memphian reports. The measure, part of a broad strategy to fight a growing crime problem, would call on the Memphis Police Department to strongly enforce the curfews set by the Child Curfew Act of 1995. The act requires those 17 or 18 years old to not be out in public past 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday or midnight Friday through Sunday. Those 16 or younger are not to be out in public past 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Councilman JB Smiley expressed concerns that the resolution could increase the number of minorities sent to juvenile court, but MPD assured him that summons to the county’s Youth Resource Center can keep children accused of committing certain crimes from entering the juvenile justice system. The resolution will be considered at the Oct. 11 meeting.

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.