The Daily News reports Memphis-mayor elect Jim Strickland has formed a team of six advisors and division directors. The move is a structural change to how previous mayoral administrations have operated. “This restructuring will allow me to have a more hands-on approach in directing city government, and is aligned with my commitment to transparency,” Strickland said. Bruce McMullen, a shareholder at Baker Donelson, will serve as city attorney and chief legal officer.

George Johnson, a Nashville singer-songwriter and non-attorney, has gained attention for standing toe-to-toe with attorneys in a case that will determine new royalty rates for record labels, artists and popular internet music services. Artists and record labels are asking the Copyright Royalty Board to set the rate for non-interactive music at $.0025 cents per stream, compared to rate proposals from the service providers starting at $.0005 per stream. Johnson, the only artist representing in the rate-setting hearing, says artists and labels should be paid a licensing fee of between 10 cents and $1 for each song. Read more from The Tennessean.

William C. Killian, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, joined Polsinelli’s Chattanooga office as a shareholder. He will work within the national Government Investigations and Compliance-Civil and Criminal Practice. “Joining the firm allows me to have a platform to focus on critical health care and fraud issues, and I look forward to working with Polsinelli’s highly recognized team of attorneys,” Killian said. Read more from The Chattanoogan. 

The Leaf-Chronicle features an interview with Judge Jill Ayers, who was appointed by Gov. Bill Haslam in October to fill a newly created Circuit Court judgeship. “I have a lot going on right now. I was full-time practicing law, and I’m still winding down that practice and making sure I take care of my clients there and closing out their matters … It’s a busy time,” she said. Ayers has been a partner at the Batson Nolan law firm in Clarksville since 1997.

The Tennessean shares how Tennessee residents in poverty can receive free legal help by calling 1-844-HELP4TN, a free statewide legal helpline operated by Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. “Getting connected to free legal help can be the difference in being homeless or not, suffering continued abuse or achieving protection from abuse, maintaining financial self-sufficiency or being driven into hopeless debt,” the author writes.

The American Bar Association (ABA) is seeking nominations for its Standing and Special Committees, Commissions, Working Groups, Task Forces and other ABA entities for the 2016-2017 membership year. Recommendations can now be made online and must be received by Feb. 26.

The Memphis Daily News reports the downtown Memphis office of Bass Berry & Sims will undergo a $2.1 million renovation. The project announcement comes after the Nashville-based firm renewed its lease in October at the office tower located at 100 Peabody Place.

Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. will join the Nashville School of Law Board of Trustees Jan 1. He replaces Douglas M. Fisher, who is retiring from the Board after more than 25 years of service. “I’ve grown up in Nashville and went to school in Nashville all my life,” said Crenshaw, a federal district court judge nominee. “I long have admired the mission of the Nashville School of Law and the accomplishments of many of its graduates.” As a partner at Waller, Crenshaw leads the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice.

Juvenile Judge Daniel G. Boyd last week dropped a show cause order against a Kingsport Times-News reporter, but encouraged the reporter to use more “discretion.” The order came after Jeff Bobo published a story in November involving a juvenile murder suspect. Judge Boyd issued a gag order that did not include the media; Bobo’s story did not mention the 14-year-old suspect by name. Read more from the Kingsport Times-News.

Bloomberg View highlights unlikely political pairings committed to a sweeping overhaul the U.S. criminal justice system. The effort is led by the U.S. Justice Action Network, which contains groups of opposite political ideology like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “This is a once in a generation chance to bring together this coalition,” says Wade Henderson, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The network is pushing to reform some of the mandatory sentencing laws enacted in the 1970s.