Current and former employees filed suit against O’Charley’s and McDonald’s in separate federal wage-and-hour class action claims, stating they were underpaid. According to the Nashville Post, one current and two former Nashville-area employees allege they worked full shifts and attended training sessions at McDonald’s for which they were not paid. A former O’Charley’s server said he was paid $2.13 hour tip rate while doing untipped work and was denied overtime for working after closing time.

Judge C. Creed McGinley and Judge J. Steven Stafford will speak at the annual Court Square CLE in Dyersburg, Sept. 17. Judge Allen Phillips will talk about his role on the Court of Workers' Compensation Claim at the Court Square CLE in Jackson. Both programs offer three hours of CLE.

The Tennessee Department of Correction acknowledged in a letter given to lawmakers that “mistakes in the review of incidents do happen”, but continued to defend its controversial 28-day work schedule, the Tennessean reports. Commissioner Derrick Schofield and other department officials met with lawmakers Monday to discuss the scheduling system after officers and inmates said the staffing issues are leading to less safe prisons. A Senate hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.

The law license of Walter F. Williams was transferred to disability inactive status on Aug. 25 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Williams cannot practice law while on disability inactive status but may return to practice after reinstatement by the court. Read the BPR release.

William M. Monroe’s law license was transferred to disability inactive status on Aug. 24 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Monroe cannot practice law while on disability inactive status but may return to practice after reinstatement by the court. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Elbert Jefferson Jr. on Aug. 24 after Jefferson deposited funds from a client’s settlement check into his own trust account. Jefferson also misled his client about why he could not disburse her portion of the $2,100 settlement. Read the BPR release.

Jason Zachary was sworn in Monday as the State Representative for the 14th District, after winning the Republican primary earlier this month. Speaker of the House Beth Harwell swore in Zachary at his church, First Baptist Concord in Farragut, WBIR reports. The 2016 session of the General Assembly will convene on Jan. 12.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals said the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) can challenge The Memphis City Council’s 2013 renaming of Nathan Bedford Forest Camp, Memphis Daily News reports. The opinion dismissed the other 14 plaintiffs from a lawsuit that was filed following the city’s decision to strip Confederate names and themes from three city parks. Appeals Court Judge Brandon O. Gibson said the distinction is that the SCV’s Forrest Camp “suffered a distinct and palpable injury," referring in-part to the chapter’s funding and installation of a giant concreate marker at the edge of the park bearing its former name. The park was renamed to “Health Sciences Park”.

Five Republican senators have asked Gov. Bill Haslam to order a series of emergency rules to govern how abortion clinics dispose of fetal remains, The Tennessean reports. In a letter to the governor, the lawmakers also asked the governor to authorize a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe into Planned Parenthood and Tennessee’s other abortion providers. Planned Parenthood Tennessee officials say neither of its clinics participate in tissue sale or donation programs. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court denied former Shelby County and televised Judge Joe Brown’s application to appeal a Court of Appeals ruling in March, upholding Brown’s original jail sentence. Judge Brown was found in contempt of court and sentenced to five days in jail after a 2014 outburst in Magistrate Harold Horne’s court. Larry Scroggs, chief administrative officer of Juvenile Court, said if Brown does not ask for a rehearing, the state court clerk’s office would communicate the final decision on Brown's sentence with the Juvenile Court Clerk.