Early voting for the Aug. 4 election begins Friday and runs through July 30. This year’s ballot will be longer than usual, featuring four constitutional amendments, as well as judicial and other court races. The Secretary of State’s office in a statement urged people to take advantage of the early voting period. Tennesseans can find early voting and Election Day polling locations and sample ballots through the GoVoteTN app or online at GoVoteTN.gov. Learn more from WPLN.  

The Nashville Business Journal has announced Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle as its Lifetime Achievement honoree for 2022. According to NBJ, Lyle was a partner at local law firm Trabue, Sturdivant & Dewitt from 1984 until 1995 and has served Davidson County as a judge for more than 20 years. The publication also announced its 2022 Best of the Bar list. Read more on Lyle’s award and the full Best of the Bar list from the Nashville Business Journal.  

The Tennessee Supreme Court will begin accepting applications for the position of State Attorney General and Reporter on Friday. Interested candidates must submit an application by noon CDT on July 29. The Supreme Court will interview all candidates at public hearings on Aug. 8 and 9 at the Nashville Supreme Court Building. The hearings will be livestreamed on the TN Courts YouTube page. Per Tennessee’s constitution, the attorney general is appointed by the Supreme Court and serves an eight-year term. The new attorney general will begin their term on Sept. 1. Attorney General Herbert Slatery announced in May he would not seek a second term.

Three attorneys have applied for a vacancy on the 11th Judicial District Criminal Court, which covers Hamilton County. Robert Davis, Amanda B. Dunn and Alexander K. McVeagh will be interviewed by the Trial Court Vacancy Commission during a public hearing on Aug. 5 at 9 a.m. EDT. The commission will vote immediately after the interviews and forward the names of qualified candidates to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on each candidate. 

Attorney Michael Barry Swindle of Altamonte Springs, Florida, died on June 18. He was 77. Swingle attended college at the University of Tennessee and, after a brief stint with the U.S. Army and as a member of the Office of Staff Judges Advocate (JAG), returned to UT where he earned his law degree from the College of Law. Swindle eventually made his way to the Orlando area, where he practiced law for the remainder of his career. Though he lived for many years in Florida, his friends say he always identified as a Tennessean. A celebration of life will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. EDT at All Saints Episcopal Church of Winter Park, 338 East Lyman Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789. The family asks in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to All Saints Episcopal Church in Winter Park.

James “Jim” Montague Jr., a longtime Knoxville criminal defense attorney, passed away Saturday. He was 66. Originally from Nashville, Montague moved to Knoxville and earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He practiced with Randall Reagan at the firm Montague and Reagan before joining the Knox County Public Defender’s Office where he spent the last 25 years of his career. A funeral mass will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT at Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 711 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville. A celebration of life will follow at approximately 3:30 p.m. EDT at The Square Room, 4 Market Square. Burial and graveside service will occur later in the week at Calvary Cemetery in Nashville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Montague’s honor to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - Make a Memorial Donation.

Eighth Judicial District Judge E. Shayne Sexton has left the bench after more than two decades of service. Speaking with the Administrative Office of the Courts, Sexton says he feels good about his years of service to Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties. “We made a difference,” Sexton said, noting his work on the creation of the district’s recovery court. He spent nine years as assistant district attorney general in the 8th district and one year in private practice before being elected to the bench in 1998. Although his official retirement date was June 30, Sexton will continue his judicial duties through the end of August.

The TBA’s Tennessee FastTrack program is coming to Nashville on Sept. 16. Fulfill all your annual CLE requirements with this program, which will provide attendees with tips and updates in a wide range of practice areas. The program will provide you with a combination of 15 hours of live credit and prepaid credits to complete online anytime — at home or on your mobile device — allowing you to customize your learning to your schedule. The Nashville program will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT at Belmont University College of Law. The series will also hold sessions in Memphis on Aug. 26 and Knoxville on Sept. 23.

Memphis law firm Nahon Saharovich & Trotz PLC is now accepting resumes for an associate attorney position. Successful candidates will have one year of legal experience and strong academic background. Experience in the personal injury field is preferred. To apply, email Greg Coen. Read more about this posting and find others like it on the TBA’s JobLink site.  

A celebration of life for former Davidson County General Sessions and Circuit Court Judge Barbara Haynes has been set for July 16 at 1:30 p.m. CDT at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3900 West End Ave., Nashville. Haynes passed away in January after a long illness. She was 84. Haynes was the first woman elected general sessions judge in the county and was later elected to the circuit court. Guests are asked to consider wearing orange in honor of Haynes’ love for the UT Vols or red as she was proud to wear a red robe on the bench. Guests are also invited to join the family at the Hillwood Country Club afterwards and toast to Haynes. The Tennessean has more on the ceremony and Haynes’ life.