The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for two cases on Nov. 30 in front of hundreds of high school and college students when it brings court to Lane College in Jackson as part of the Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students (SCALES) program. This 20-year-old program has allowed thousands of students across Tennessee to learn more about the legal system and the function of the appellate courts. “Taking cases directly to Tennessee students is one of our most enjoyable experiences,” said Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted amendments to Rule 7 of the Rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners petitioned for changes in August. After review, the court amended Rule 7, with changes going into effect immediately.

On Sept.13, the Tennessee Supreme Court filed an order soliciting written comments concerning proposed amendments to Rule 12, section 1, and the First-Degree Murder Report which is appended to Rule 12. The deadline for submitting written comments was Oct 13, and the Court received no written comments during that period. The amendments were adopted and take effect immediately.

Greg Fodness, a businessman who runs Mountain Muscle Cars, announced his run for state House, challenging incumbent Rep. Jeremy Faison in the Republican primary, Humphrey on the Hill reports. Faison has served as the representative for District 11, which includes Cocke, Greene and Jefferson counties, since 2010. Fodness, like Faison, is a resident of Cosby.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) today said it opposes to the confirmation of state Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, as a federal judge, the Nashville Post reports. Norris was nominated to serve as a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee by President Donald Trump earlier this year. LDF President Sherrilyn A. Ifill cited Norris’s record “opposing equal rights” as reason for the position, pointing to his support of voter ID laws, separate school districts in Shelby County and the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act as evidence. The People for the American Way and the Alliance for Justice have also come out against the federal nomination.

Use the pre-paid credits that come with your TBA Complete Membership and register free for TBA's Ethics Roadshow. A program will be held in Memphis on Dec. 6, offering three hours of dual CLE credit. This year's program will focus on the 13 reasons why ethics issues are more complicated than ever. The Ethics Roadshow will also be held in five other Tennessee cities.

A portrait unveiling for retired Shelby County Judge Robert L. Childers will be held on Jan. 19 at the Shelby County Courthouse’s main hall at 4 p.m. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony at the office of Glassman Wyatt Tuttle and Cox PC, 26 N 2nd St. in Memphis. Childers retired in June after 33 years on the bench.

An investiture ceremony for Barry R. Tidwell, who was appointed as Circuit Court Judge for the 16th District last week by Gov. Bill Haslam, will be held Friday. The ceremony will take place at the Rutherford County Historic Courthouse in Murfreesboro at 3 p.m., with a reception immediately following. The 16th Judicial District includes Rutherford and Cannon counties. Tidwell was appointed following the death of Judge Keith Siskin earlier this year.

Tennessee is one of five states with pending lawsuits from defendants who saw their licenses suspended for unpaid court debt, and the suits could signal a move away from the practice, the ABA Journal reports. The Nashville woman involved in the Tennessee case, Ashley Sprague, was given a speeding ticket and a citation for failure to produce proof of insurance that totaled $477.50, and when she couldn’t afford to pay, her license was suspended. Forty-three states and the District of Columbia currently allow the practice, but only four states require a hearing before the suspension to determine whether the failure to pay is willful or simply a reflection of poverty. Lawsuits are also currently pending in Virginia, California, Michigan and Montana.

In the parental termination case In re Bentley D., the Tennessee Supreme Court concluded that a father’s notice of appeal, signed by his attorney but not the father personally, satisfies the statutory signature requirement for appeals in parental termination cases. The court remanded the case to the Court of Appeals for consideration of the father’s appeal on the merits. Chief Justice Jeffrey S. Bivins authored the unanimous opinion.