Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, said Achievement School District, Tennessee's school turnaround model, is “the new slave trade” and plans to introduce legislation on the issue in the upcoming session. The Commercial Appeal reports the Shelby County Schools board voted Tuesday to call for a moratorium on new ASD takeovers following a Vanderbilt study that revealed ASD’s impact has been minimal. "A local district does not have the authority to issue a moratorium but can certainly work to improve their schools to avoid ASD eligibility,” a statement from Education Commissioner Candice McQueen’s office said.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Memphis lawyer Andrewnetta Melissa Boyd from the practice of law on Dec. 21 for one year with 30 days to be served as active suspension and the remainder on probation. As conditions of probation, Boyd must have a practice monitor and undergo an evaluation by Tennessee Lawyer’s Assistance Program and enter into a monitoring agreement if deemed appropriate by TLAP. Boyd failed to act with diligence in the handling of a petition to change custody, failed to deposit an unearned fee in a trust account and failed to refund the fee when terminated prior to performing the work. Read the BPR release.

Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, claimed God is telling him to fight same-sex marriage in Tennessee, WZTV reports. Pody sponsored the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act, which defines “natural marriage” as one between a man and a woman. "(What) the representative really needs to consider is whether he's in the wrong line of work," Chris Sanders, Tennessee Equality Project executive director, said.

President Obama shortened the sentences of 95 federal prisoners Friday, USA Today reports. The majority of the shorter sentences dealt with drug offenders given long mandatory minimum sentences, but also included 15 gun crimes. Obama issued complete pardons to two people involved in counterfeiting and bank fraud.

The annual Ethics Roadshow CLE series is now available online. The program offers three hours of dual credit.

The Tennessee Bar Association will offer three tracks of live dual and general credit CLE programs at the 2015 CLE Blast to help you meet your last-minute CLE needs. This four-day program at the Tennessee Bar Center will be held Dec. 28-31 from 7 a.m. – 6:45 p.m. You can create your own schedule and attend as many CLE programs as you need.

Knox County Law Director Richard Armstrong is being accused of “playing politics” after Armstrong requested an opinion from Attorney General Herbert Slatery on a new schools superintendent contract. Armstrong is challenging Knoxville lawyer Nathan Rowell, who had a hand in editing the contract, in the March 1 Republican primary for law director. "It is not the law director's job to decide if the superintendent should have been given a new contract, but whether it is legal. He is unsure if it is legal or not. It speaks volumes to his inexperience," Rowell said. Read more from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Judges Don Poole, Barry Steelman and Tom Greenholtz received positive reviews from a recent Chattanooga Bar Association poll, the Times Free Press reports. CBA members rated each judge on their legal ability, good moral character, diligence and judicial temperament. Poole had the highest superior rating at 87 percent. 

This is a dependency and neglect case. Appellants adopted the minor child, who is the subject of this appeal, from China. Thereafter, Appellee Tennessee Department of Children‘s Services received a referral that the child was dependent and neglected. The Juvenile Court held that the child was dependent and neglected and was the victim of severe abuse at the hands of Appellants. Appellants sought a de novo review in the Circuit Court. Following a hearing, the Circuit Court held that the child was the victim of severe child abuse and was, therefore, dependent and neglected.