Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands announced David Kozlowski, managing attorney of Legal Aid Society’s Columbia office, will also assume the newly created role of director of advocacy. Kozlowski will now lead and coordinate the non-profit firm’s advocacy work throughout its eight offices and entire 48-county service area. “This will be a chance for me to work with the lawyers and advocates in each of our offices as we work together to address the most significant problems — domestic violence, healthcare, housing, consumer and financial maintenance,” Kozlowski said.

House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, named her five appointees to the state's Trial Courts Vacancy Commission tasked with nominating judges to fill vacancies to the state's lower courts. The Nashville Post reports Harwell’s appointees are: Ed Lancaster, a Columbia attorney; Kim Helper, District Attorney General for the 21st Judicial District; Bradford Box, equity member with the Jackson firm of Rainey Kizer Reviere & Bell; Bill Koch, dean of the Nashville School of Law; and DeWayne Bunch, magistrate judge in Cleveland. Harwell’s appointees join Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s five appointees who were named earlier this month. Nashville attorney Tom Lawless will chair the commission.

The defendant, Charles Speed, appeals the denial of his Rule 36.1 motion to correct what he alleges is an illegal sentence. He argues that his sentence is illegal because the State never filed a noticed to seek an enhanced sentence within ten days of the entry of his guilty plea. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

A Madison County jury convicted the Petitioner, Kentavis Jones, of two counts of aggravated assault, one count of reckless endangerment, and one count of employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony. The Petitioner filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which the post-conviction court denied after a hearing. On appeal, the Petitioner maintains that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. The State contends that the Petitioner?s appeal is untimely and that he is not entitled to post- conviction relief. After review, we conclude there exists no error.

The defendant, Derek Burgess, committed new criminal offenses while on probation, and the trial court revoked his probation and ordered him to serve the remainder of his sentence in prison. The defendant appeals the trial court’s order sentencing him to serve his sentence in incarceration, arguing that the trial court incorrectly calculated the length of his remaining sentence. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The University of Tennessee said in a memorandum filed last week that the plaintiffs in their Title IX lawsuit repeatedly published "irrelevant and incorrect (if salacious) allegations intended to inflame the passions of journalists and sports fans alike." The Tennessean reports the memorandum is in support of the university’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit or transfer the case to a federal court in Knoxville instead of Nashville. Federal Judge Aleta Trauger asked plaintiffs in the lawsuit to reply by today on the change-of-venue motion. Plaintiffs previously requested to keep the trial in Nashville to avoid the “trauma” of holding the trial close to the university.

This appeal arises out of a breach of contract action. The plaintiff is a corporate entity that represents a musical group. The defendant is a venue owner that cancelled the show in which the musical group performed. After a bench trial, the trial court found in favor of the plaintiff and ordered the defendant venue owner to pay $195,741.86 in damages for breach of contract and $166,353.77 in prejudgment interest. The defendant appeals, arguing that the award of prejudgment interest was erroneous according to Nebraska law, which the parties chose to govern their contract.

On appeal, the defendant, Anne Elizabeth Cushing, has presented a certified question of law for our review. Following the denial of her motion to suppress, the defendant entered a guilty plea to one count of driving under the influence (“DUI”) but reserved a certified question.

The Nashville Bar Association honored its 2016 Class of Fellows on March 12. The event also honored Ashley T. Wiltshire Jr., former director of the Legal Aid Society, with the David Rutherford award.

March 18 marks the anniversary of Gideon v. Wainwright, a 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that recognized that people who are charged with crimes are entitled to legal counsel even if they cannot afford to pay for it themselves. The day has now been dubbed Public Defense Day. Kira Fonteneau, an Alabama public defender, writes on Al.com about the importance of ensuring all defendants receive a fair trial. “Justice is only possible when it is extended to all parties in the criminal system,” she writes.