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LAET Hosts Legal Clinics for Wildfire Victims, More Planned

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017
Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) has two legal clinics in the pipeline to assist those impacted by the Sevier County wildfires, with plans for more down the road. The first will be held this Friday at the Boyd’s Bear Donation Center in Pigeon Forge, located at 149 Cates Lane, from 2 – 6 p.m. The second is on Feb. 27, with location details still begin locked down. “We expect legal issues to continue to appear for at least six months. Our plan is to continue holding monthly clinics so wildfire survivors have access to legal advice as issues arise,” LAET’s Knoxville Pro Bono Director Kathryn Ellis says.  Those who can help at either clinic should email Ellis.

State Faces Legal Challenge Over Online Sales Tax

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017

Tennessee is facing a legal challenge to the state requirement that online vendors collect state and local sales tax, according to comments from Gov. Bill Haslam reported by the Times Free Press. Haslam said that the legal challenge was a welcome opportunity to bring the issue before the U.S. Supreme Court. Details surrounding the proceeds are secret, with a Haslam official citing state confidentiality laws regarding taxpayer information.

Haslam Bill Package Filed

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017
Gov. Bill Haslam's legislative agenda was filed this week, including his much-discussed transportation funding bill, the Nashville Post reports. The agenda also includes a bill to ban open containers of alcohol in vehicles, a bill to increase internet access in rural communities and a proposal to fund scholarships for non-high school students to attend community college, among others. All bills are sponsored by House Assistant Majority Leader David Hawk, R-Greeneville, with the exception of the transportation bill, called the IMPROVE Act, which is sponsored by Majority Leader Glen Casada, R-Thompson Station.

Report: Durham Gave Campaign Funds to Pro Gambler

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017
Former State Rep. Jeremy Durham gave more than $20,000 in campaign funds to a professional gambler, the Tennessean reports. The recipient of the funds was David Whitis, a friend of Durham’s who Durham represented in a least two criminal proceedings. More information is expected to be revealed tomorrow, when findings from the state campaign finance and ethics investigation into Durham are expected to be released.

ABA Groups Create Website to Respond to Immigration Order

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017
The American Bar Association’s Futures Initiative and Center for Innovation has created a new website to respond to the executive order that bans citizens of seven countries from entering the U.S., the ABA Journal reports. ImmigrationJustice.us is a portal for attorneys interested in volunteering their legal expertise, language experts who can volunteer to translate, as well as members of the public looking to find information on the travel ban and other immigration-related issues. The website was created in just a few hours after an American Immigration Lawyers Association member told the groups that the AILA was struggling to coordinate the flood of pro bono volunteers since the announcement of the order. 

KBA to Host Regular Free Clinics for Vets

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017
The Knoxville Bar Association will host a free legal advice clinic for veterans tomorrow at the Knox County Public Defender’s Office, reports Knoxnews. This year, the association plans to host free clinics for veterans on the second Wednesday of each month. They are expected to serve 20-30 veterans at each event. For questions about how to get involved, email tchain@knoxbar.org.

Chattanooga VW Employee Files Brief Against NLRB Decision

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 7, 2017
A Chattanooga Volkswagon employee is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals D.C. Circuit to overturn a National Labor Relations Board decision that allows the United Auto Workers to bargain on behalf of maintenance employees at the plant, Nooga.com reports. A spokesperson from the National Right to Work Foundation, which provided free legal help to the employee, said the decision forced workers “into a monopoly union.”

Death Penalty Bill Heads to Committee This Week

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 6, 2017

A bill that would remove appellate review from death penalty cases, sending them straight to the Tennessee Supreme Court, will head to committee tomorrow, according to the Tennessean. The legislation is scheduled to be taken up in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee at 1:30 p.m. and the Senate Judiciary Committee at 3:30 p.m.

Memphis Judge Moderates ABA Panel on Batson Decision

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 6, 2017
Judge Bernice Donald of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit moderated a panel reviewing the 30 years of the Batson v. Kentucky decision of 1986. It ruled that a prosecutor’s exercise of race-based peremptory challenges to jurors violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The panelists at the ABA Midyear Meeting event called the ruling a “tremendous failure,” and said that lawyers need to be trained on how to choose a jury without excluding due to race. Read more at the ABA website.

ABA Rejects Tighter Law School Standards

Posted by: Katharine Heriges on Feb 6, 2017
The American Bar Association House of Delegates today voted against a proposal to tighten bar passage rate standards for accredited law schools, the ABA Journal reports. The proposal faced criticism due to concerns including different state scoring standards and a failure to address racial inequalities in the admissions process. The resolution comes after a recent investigation shows LSAT numbers and bar-pass rates getting worse at so-called “high-risk” law schools – institutions seen as the most at risk for exploiting students. 
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