Drue D. Birmingham of Olive Branch, Mississippi died Monday (May 26) at the age of 82. After a tour in Korea with the 1st Marine Division, he attended the University of Memphis School of Law and earned a master of laws from the University of Mississippi. Birmingham practiced in Mississippi, but was a member of the Tennessee Bar Association and a senior counselor. Funeral services were held today at 10 a.m. at Olive Branch First Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to American Center for Law and Justice. Read more about his life in the Commercial Appeal.

According to a new American Lawyer survey, only 3 percent of lawyers and 1.9 percent of partners at large law firms are African American. While the percentage of all minorities increased slightly last year at the 223 law firms polled, the number of black lawyers fell to its lowest level since 2000. Asian-Americans are now the largest group of minorities in law firms, comprising 6.3 percent of the lawyers and 2.7 percent of the partners. The next largest group is Hispanics, which account for 3.2 percent of the lawyers and 2.3 percent of the partners. The ABA Journal has the story.

Kristopher Gore, a Democratic candidate for the state House of Representatives, has been charged with two felonies for writing one bad check over $10,000 and another over $1,000 to a sign company. Gore, two other Democrats and a Republican are running in the Aug. 7 primaries for the open House District 43 seat. The Tennessean has more.

Memphis lawyer John Robert Hershberger was suspended on May 30 for two years, with 60 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder to be served on probation so long as he meets several conditions. Those conditions include working with a practice monitor, establishing an operating account for his law practice and undergoing an evaluation by the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program. View the BPR notice.

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday approved an amendment from Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, that would transfer $5 million in federal money to a grant program to help local governments reduce their backlog in testing of rape kits. The amended bill, which funds the Department of Justice, awaits final approval in the House, the Commercial Appeal reports.

Tennessee’s judicial system does not need Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s campaign to unseat three state Supreme Court justices for political reasons, an editorial in the Jackson Sun asserts. "While Ramsey is free to pursue his political interests in the legislature and with the executive branch...he has no business inserting political partisanship into the selection or retention of judges," the paper writes. “There simply is no place for politics in the judicial system. That’s why it is a separate arm of government intended to offer checks and balances. Judicial impartiality is critical to public trust in the law and the courts,” the editors conclude.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is accepting nominations for the B. Riney Green Award and the New Advocate of the Year Award. The awards will be presented at the group's Access to Justice Dinner Sept. 10 during the Equal Justice University conference. Submit nominations to TALS Operating Director Samantha Sanchez by June 27.

A group of advocates that comprise the Middle Tennessee Veterans Mental Health Council is working to establish a Rutherford County Veterans Court, the Daily News Journal reports. The group states that many of the veterans who face misdemeanor and felony charges could use a court that tailors justice to the support and treatment they need to cope with lingering memories of war. Council Chairman Michael Cowger said many veterans return from war with post-traumatic stress syndrome, and this condition can lead to domestic violence, divorce, drug addiction, alcoholism, homelessness and suicide.

Gideon’s Promise is hosting an event from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on the Square Gastropub in Memphis tonight (Thursday) to advocate for public defense reform. The organization states it is “setting out to ensure the 12 million citizens who move through America’s criminal justice system each year receive a fair and zealous defense.” Tennessee public defender Keeda Haynes is slated to provide remarks, as well as photography and B-roll of Gideon’s Promise Founder and President Jonathan Rapping delivering remarks to an assembled crowd.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee’s (LAET) Family Stabilization Project continues to reap great benefit for the local community. The project focuses on the recently unemployed in the Chattanooga area to identify those who lost a job through no fault of their own, and yet were denied unemployment benefits. Funded by an anonymous $34,000 grant, the program provides legal services to help low-income residents appeal wrongful denials by the Tennessee Department of Employment Security. In its four-year history, the project has appealed and won 744 cases, bringing $2,465,471 into the Chattanooga economy. For more information on this program, contact LAET’s Chattanooga office at (423) 756-4013.