An ABA study, “First Chairs at Trial: More Women Need Seats at the Table,” found that women are still significantly underrepresented as lead trial lawyers. Based on a random sample of all cases filed in 2013 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (based in Chicago), the study identifies characteristics of cases, practice settings, type of client and other characteristics that impact the extent to which men are far more likely to serve in lead counsel roles. For example, data shows that 87 percent of all lead counsel in class action cases were men. The Philadelphia Business Journal has more.

Justice Antonin Scalia’s nasty barbs are a bad influence on law students, according to an op-ed by University of California at Irvine law dean Erwin Chemerinsky. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Chemerinsky says he has always taught students in debate and law that nastiness is a crutch for those who can’t win using reason or legal precedent. “But lately my students have been turning in legal briefs laced with derision and ad hominem barbs,” he writes. “For this trend, I largely blame Scalia. My students read his work, find it amusing and imitate his truculent style.” The ABA Journal has more.

NALS will host its third annual After Hours Silent Auction Thursday at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds benefit Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the state’s largest non-profit law firm. Attendees will have the chance to bid on donated items such as massages, gift certificates, hotel stays and more.

President Barack Obama laid out an expansive vision Tuesday for fixing the criminal justice system by focusing on communities, courtrooms and cellblocks, calling it an issue America can't afford to ignore. He announced a federal review of the use of solitary confinement and urged Congress to pass a sentencing reform bill by year's end. In a speech to the NAACP's annual convention, Obama also called for voting rights to be restored to felons who have served their sentences, and said employers should "ban the box" asking job candidates about their past convictions. News Channel 5 has more from the AP.

Following a deadly listeria outbreak in ice cream, the Justice Department is warning food companies that they could face criminal and civil penalties if they poison their customers. The DOJ wouldn’t say whether the government plans to pursue charges against Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries, which recalled all its products and shut down production earlier this year after listeria in the company’s ice cream was linked to illnesses and three deaths. A Food and Drug Administration investigation found that Blue Bell knew that it had listeria in one of its plants for almost two years before the recall. The Post Intelligencer has more from the AP.

The Montgomery County Drug Court celebrated its 10-year anniversary last week with five new graduates from the recovery program. Additionally, an award was presented to the family of longtime drug court supporter and team member Bill Cloud, who passed away in January of this year. “I’m really proud of the drug court, the drug court team and our graduates,” said Judge Raymond Grimes, who has been on the drug court team for all 10 years. “We’ve had 47 graduates over those years, and we feel like that’s a pretty good record.” The Leaf Chronicle has more.

A closely divided Bradley County Commission has tentatively agreed to fund half the $35,000 price tag for a new environmental court position, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. The Cleveland City Council recently voted to approve funding half the position's cost, contingent upon a similar commitment from the county. Cases coming before environmental court are generally property-related health and safety issues.

Knock out all your CLE requirements for the year at one time during the TBA’s Annual CLE program. Attend the full program in Nashville on August 13-15. The fast track programs will be held in Memphis on August 21 and Knoxville on August 28 for a live and online combo CLE with custom-learning options.

Two abortion clinics will remain open for at least another month after U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp yesterday stopped enforcement of a Tennessee law requiring them to meet new standards. Sharp extended a temporary restraining order and directed the clinics and state licensing board to work out a resolution outside of court. The law, signed by Gov. Bill Haslam in May, requires all clinics providing surgical abortions to become licensed as ambulatory surgical treatment centers. The Tennessean has the story.

The Hon. William L. Brown’s portrait was unveiled last week in the courtroom where he served as Hamilton County Circuit Court judge for 18 years. Brown’s successor, Judge W. Neil Thomas III, led the proceeding, during which Brown’s friends and family shed tears of laughter and happiness, according to the Hamilton County Herald.