The 2015-2016 edition of the Tennessee Blue Book will be dedicated to the late U.S. Sen. Howard H. Baker Jr.  After being elected to the Senate in 1966, Baker served as Senate majority leader and later served as President Reagan's chief of staff. "Senator Baker set the highest of standards for excellence in public service to our great state and nation,” Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said. 

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands announced Trey Harwell will serve as the 2016 chair of the Campaign for Equal Justice, an annual initiative that raises funds for the Legal Aid Society. Harwell is an attorney and partner at Neal and Harwell PLC. “A longtime champion of access to justice, Trey has provided pro bono representation for our clients. He is a trusted ally, and we are grateful for his continued support of our mission across the region,” said Gary Housepian, Legal Aid Society’s executive director.

Get access to a variety of juvenile law topics to help you build a successful practice at Juvenile Law Forum 2015: Keys to a Successful Practice. This year's program on Dec. 3 at the Tennessee Bar Center in Nashville will focus on key areas of advocacy, law, representation and ethics for juvenile law practitioners. Speakers include representatives from the Department of Children’s services, juvenile law practitioners, and the Board of Professional Responsibility. The course is scheduled from 9 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. and is approved for six CLE credits.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, along with the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, announced a settlement with Education Management Corporation (EDMC) that requires the EDMC to forgive more than $2.1 million in loans for over 1,400 former Tennessee students. Pittsburgh-based EDMC is also required to significantly reform its recruiting and enrollment practices. “This agreement … not only provides some relief to a large number of former students through loan forgiveness, but it also helps ensure that the company will make substantial changes to its business practices for future students,” Slatery said.

Sumner County Schools must change its policy for citizens to submit records requests following a ruling that the schools violated the Tennessee Public Records Act. The Tennessean reports Criminal Court Judge Dee David Gay’s decision Friday means the school board may no longer require citizens to submit records requests exclusively in person or through the U.S. Postal Service. Judge Gay’s decision comes after a Joelton man filed a lawsuit against the schools after his records request was denied because he made the request by email and telephone.

Attorney Meggan Sullivan is questioning Wilson County juvenile Judge Barry Tatum’s practice of periodically ordering and paying for haircuts for boys. The haircuts – ordered when Tatum feels the boy's hair is too long – can only occur with the consent of parents or guardians, but Sullivan recently witnessed an incident where she did not see a parental consent form. “Judicial bullying is what it was. That kid did not feel he had choice, and I didn’t feel like the dad did either,” Sullivan said. Read more from The Tennessean. 

State comptroller Justin Wilson has raised concerns about Gov. Bill Haslam's proposed privatization plan, The Commercial Appeal reports. Wilson, who wrote a letter to Haslam's administration last month, said the procurement process being used “is largely untested” in state government. “Is the process fair? Is the process transparent? Was there a level playing field? The answers to these questions should be clear, but I still have some questions ... that can only be answered by having seen the process work,” he wrote.

The Tennessee Supreme Court said John Jay Hooker must go through a regular appeals process in his attempt to bring death-with-dignity to the state, The Tennessean reports. Chancellor Carol McCoy dismissed Hooker’s case in September, saying the former gubernatorial candidate did not have the stranding to pursue legal action. Hooker says McCoy should not have heard the case because her husband – Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Roger Page – applied to fill a Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy.

A recommendation by the ABA Pro Bono and Public Service Committee to create a new national pro bono web site based upon OnlineTNJustice.org was unanimously approved by the organization’s Board of Governors this weekend. Since May, about 40 states have signed on to participate, including Texas, Pennsylvania and New York. "The final hurdle to clear is funding. We are seeking sponsors inside and outside of Tennessee to help make this a reality in 2016,” Buck Lewis, chair of the Committee's Technology Subcommittee, said. “We are asking for all Tennessee lawyers to help with the effort to recruit sponsors."

Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings will host an Open House on Dec. 9 to celebrate its new location at The Freedom Cetner, 223 Rosa L. Parks Ave., Suite 200. The event is scheduled for 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 615-254-8801.