Need to catch up on the latest legal news, TBA events and upcoming programs? Listen to this month’s episode of the TBA BarBuzz podcast! TBA’s Kate Prince hosts the April episode with special co-host Ateia Aldridge, who is the Young Lawyers Division & Law Student Development Coordinator at the TBA. Kate and Ateia bring listeners all the big headlines from the Tennessee legal community and beyond. BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA’s website or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law’s Clinical Training program has made U.S. News & World Report’s list of Top 50 programs. The program jumped up 20 spots since 2019 and claimed this year’s ranking of 46th best clinical training program in the country. Additionally, the Clinical Training program is ranked as a Top 25 program amongst public law schools, coming in at #21 in the latest rankings. The James S. Gilliland Legal Clinic is composed of several area-specific clinics, including the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic, Elder Law Clinic, Mediation Clinic, Neighborhood Preservation Clinic and the Housing Adjudication Clinic. Read more on the clinics and the faculty and staff who run them.

Four Memphis attorneys have been nominated for awards from the National Bar Association Women Lawyers Division. Amber Floyd with the Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority and Catherine Costict with Allstate Corporation are among the seven nominees for Outstanding In House Counsel. Janika White of the Walter Bailey Law Firm and Laquita Stokes of Stokes & Glass PLLC are among 11 nominated for the Outstanding Woman Lawyer Solo/Small Firm award. Winners will be announced during the NBA WLD 50th Anniversary Honors and Achievement Awards Breakfast on July 26 at the Memphis Convention Center. Read more from the NBA Region Six Facebook page.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper today announced that the city will invest $600,000 to help vulnerable misdemeanor defendants access care outside of the criminal justice system, the Tennessean reports. General Sessions Court Judge Melissa Blackburn worked with District Attorney General Glenn Funk, Public Defender Martesha Johnson and a mayoral task force to find ways to help those caught in the “revolving door” of low-level charges, specifically those people struggling with mental health issues. The money will fund a one-year pilot program that involves collaboration between the courts, public health, medical professionals and the police department. Cooper called the investment the “first-of-its-kind” that will “be critical in getting people struggling with mental health conditions the services and aid they need…”

Henry County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Vicki S. Snyder was recently honored with the Presidential Leadership Award from the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. Snyder was recognized for her years of meritorious leadership and unwavering support to the juvenile courts across the state of Tennessee. In addition to the General Sessions and Juvenile courts, Snyder presides over Safe Baby Court in Henry County. “They say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life,” Snyder said. “I feel like that.” The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on Snyder’s extensive work in the juvenile justice system.  

Several third-year students at the University of Tennessee College of Law were recently honored for their leadership and overall excellence at the 2022 Julian Blackshear Jr. Gala, hosted by the Black Law Student Association. The 20th annual scholarship event celebrates the College’s commitment to diversity and recognizes pioneers like Blackshear whose experiences influenced positive change. Interim Dean Doug Blaze and incoming Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. both spoke, as did Blackshear’s daughter, Lillian Blackshear, who accepted an award on her father’s behalf. Mecca Shabazz received the Roy BJ Campbelle Leadership Award; Zaria Walker received the Julian Blackshear Outstanding Student Award; and Mikayla Swinson was honored with the Frank Ennix Award for Excellence. Read more from the College of Law.

Crossville attorney Patrick Reynolds Egger passed away on Saturday. He was 71. Born in California, Egger was a 1972 graduate of Notre Dame University. He practiced law in California for 30 years before relocating to Crossville, where he continued to work as a public defender. A Celebration of Life service was held today for family and friends and a California service will be set at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Childrens’ Research Hospital.

The bill putting residency requirements in place for most Congressional hopefuls became a law yesterday despite Gov. Bill Lee’s refusal to sign it, the Associated Press reports. Under the new law, U.S. House and Senate candidates must be Tennessee residents for at least three years and residents of the county they’ll represent for at least one. Lawmakers began seriously pursuing the measure after former President Donald Trump endorsed 5th District Congressional candidate Morgan Ortagus, who legislators pointed out is new to Nashville and Tennessee. But a spokesperson for Secretary of State Tre Hargett clarified that the “requirement does not apply retroactively” to anyone who qualified for the race by the April 7 deadline – which includes Ortagus. A lawsuit challenging the bill has already been filed by several Ortagus supporters. A spokesperson for Lee explained why the governor withheld his signature from the rule, saying he feels “voters are best able to determine who should represent them in Congress.”  

The Tennessee Supreme Court today denied a petition from the Nashville Bar Association (NBA) that would have required attorneys to annually complete two hours of CLE programming on diversity, inclusion, equity and elimination of bias. The NBA’s proposed amendment to Rule 21, section 3.01(a) was published by the Supreme Court in September 2020 and public comments were accepted until March 2021. The high court said it received 57 comments from members of the bar, the public and other organizations. In today’s order, the court recognized “the importance of ensuring that our judicial system and the legal profession are free from bias or prejudice and encouraging related continuing legal education,” but ultimately declined the NBA’s petition. Read the order here.  

A new episode of the TBA Legislative Updates podcast is now streaming with TBA Public Policy & Government Affairs Director Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley. This week, Berkley and Brad discuss the Tennessee Supreme Court’s ruling on the Senate redistricting plan and the TBA’s probate bill (HB2359/SB1799) which just cleared the Senate, as well as providing an update on the professional privilege tax. To see a list of all of TBA’s bills, visit our online bill tracker. Legislative Updates airs every Thursday on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.