Former Memphis mayor and school superintendent Willie Herenton cleared a hurdle last night in gaining support for his plan to bring two 200-bed facilities to Shelby County to house local juvenile offenders. The Shelby County Commission signed off on the proposed resolution for the NewPath Restorative Campuses that will include mental health care and educational training. Read more from The Commercial Appeal. 

The New York Times profiles several emerging technologies across the country that are improving access to legal aid. The article also explores how attorneys can use the online tools to make the legal process faster and more accurate, sometimes providing resources that can be helpful for attorneys who do not have expertise in a particular field. 

Nearly 10 percent of federal judgeships are vacant, according to the Washington Post. The number of unfilled judgeships is nearly twice as high as the number of vacancies at this point of President George W. Bush’s presidency. But the report notes that while some judges and lawmakers believe the situation is a “judicial emergency,” a spokeswoman for the Judiciary Committee chairman called it a “made-up crisis.”  

Randy Spivey, attorney and Academic Director of Lipscomb's Institute for Law, Justice, and Society, will host a panel on June 11 following a performance of “To Kill a Mockingbird” at Lipscomb University's Shamblin Theatre. The panel will include appellate attorney Donald Capparella, attorney Billye Sanders and Judge Richard Dinkins. 

A case argued last week before the Tennessee Supreme Court challenged a state law that bars inmates who have past-due court fees from filing new cases. David Veile of the firm Schell & Davies argued the case on behalf of Reginald D. Hughes, an inmate whose appeal of a parole denial was dismissed because he owed hundreds of dollars in fees. Veile added Hughes “was denied access to justice because of two reasons: He is indigent and he is incarcerated.” Assistant Attorney General Michael Polovich argued that the law is in place to keep inmates from filing “frivolous lawsuits,” The Tennessean reports.  

Judge Monte Watkins today denied a request by Brandon Vandeburg’s defense team that asked the state to give them all of the digital media collected during the 2013 rape. Attorneys for Vandenburg, a former Vanderbilt football player, said they wanted their forensic expert to argue against what detectives found. Watkins has yet to rule on the defense team’s additional request to call an expert witness in case Vandenburg's sobriety comes into question, WSMV reports. Jury selection in Vandenburg's retrial is scheduled to begin this week in Memphis.

White Bluff resident Tommy Craig has filed a complaint with the Tennessee Board on Judicial Conduct against Nashville General Sessions Judge Rachel Bell, saying she delayed his case and interrupted his testimony to take a picture with a high school class. The Tennessean reports Bell, whose schedule has previously drawn criticism, denied the claims outlined in Craig’s complaint. 

Tennessee has one of the highest criminal record expungement fees in the country at $450. The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization, takes a look at how the cost is impacting residents wishing to clear their name, and details the battle in the state legislature as lawmakers debate lowering the fee.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reports A.B. Culvahouse, an attorney originally from East Tennessee, will lead the team tasked with helping Donald Trump choose his vice-presidential running mate. Culvahouse led the vice presidential vetting process in 2008 for Arizona Sen. John McCain. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) praised the decision to put Culvahouse over the process, describing him as "a good listener" with "unquestioned integrity."

Legal Aid of East Tennessee seeks to hire a full-time staff attorney for the Johnson City office to handle domestic violence matters. Three years of experience is preferred. Applications must be submitted by June 10.