The Rotary Club of Memphis East is accepting nominations for its annual Bobby Dunavant Public Servant Awards, which recognize distinguished work by public servants of the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County. Winners will be honored at a luncheon on May 11, 11:45 a.m. at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn Ballroom. Nominations can be made by anyone. The form is available online and must be submitted by noon Monday.

The state legislature adjourned for the year earlier this afternoon. The Associated Press shares some of the winning and losing legislation from this year’s session. Winners include: permitting counselors to turn away patients based on counselors’ religious beliefs; calling for a national convention on amending the U.S. Constitution regarding federal power limits; and TBA-opposed legislation requiring people who sue the state to pay legal feels if they lose their lawsuits. Among the measures that didn't make it were designating the Bible as Tennessee’s official book; blocking the implementation of U.S. Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling in Tennessee; and eliminating the requirement to have a permit to carry handguns in public.

Circuit Court Judge Michael Binkley upheld the state's method of counting votes on the 2014 abortion measure Amendment 1, The Tennessean reports. Following its passage, eight voters and the chair of Planned Parenthood of Middle & Eastern Tennessee filed suit in federal court challenging the state's method of counting votes. In a 22-page order issued Thursday, Judge Binkley said the language in the state Constitution on how votes for amendments should be counted is “unambiguous.”  

On May 4, the YWCA will host its annual Stand Against Racism at noon at Nashville’s downtown Public Square Park. The event will be co-hosted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. Juvenile Court Judge Shelia Calloway will be one of the speakers. Registration is available online. 

Law360’s third annual “Glass Ceiling Report” revealed women at Wall Street firms are rarely promoted to partners, the ABA Journal reports. Of the 8,549 attorneys practicing at Wall Street firms, only 3.9 percent are female partners, compared to male partners at 17.1 percent. The study (sub. req.) noted 40 percent of law school graduates are women.

Following a heated debate, the state legislature last night passed a bill stripping state funds from the University of Tennessee’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion of funding for one year. The Associated Press reports the funds – a total of nearly $337,000 – will be used for minority scholarships instead. 

The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued a formal ethics opinion this week that addresses the propriety of referral fees and explains that clients must consent to such arrangements. The opinion also provides examples of when a lawyer does or does not have a conflict of interest, according to the ABA Journal. 

Ellen Levy, owner of Levy’s Clothier for Men & Women in Nashville, will host an in-store book signing event with former TBA President Bill Haltom, author of Milk & Sugar: The Complete Book of Seersucker, on April 29. Laurie Haspel Aronson of century-old retail brand Haspel – the company credited with introducing the seersucker suit – will join Haltom at the event, scheduled from 3-6 p.m. The event is part of Levy’s annual “Dressing for Steeplechase” event, ahead of the Iroquois Steeplechase. Read more from The Tennessean. 

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands launched a new education program with the Coffee County General Sessions Court to support pro se litigants. A Legal Aid Society staff member from the Tullahoma office will provide a free, monthly presentation to self represented litigants while the General Sessions Court is in recess from its civil docket. The program will begin by focusing on detainer actions and may expand to include presentations for other case types. The Legal Aid Society representative will provide educational materials, explain court procedures and clarify the legal rights and responsibilities of renters and landlords.  

The Tennessee Court of Appeals has restructured how it assigns cases to panels. All cases before the Court of Appeals are considered by panels of three judges. Under the new procedure implemented April 1, cases that are submitted on briefs without oral argument will be assigned to a panel that consists of one judge from each of the three grand divisions – East, Middle and West. For oral argument cases, judges will sit at least once a year in all three sections. The new system is expected to ensure that more than 75 percent of the oral argument dockets consist of judges from two or more sections.