The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will host a Diversity and Pre-Law Day Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. as part of the university’s ongoing commitment to diversity in the legal profession. Judy Smith, former press aide to President George H.W. Bush and current president of Smith & Co., a leading strategic and crisis communications firm, will give the keynote address. Smith is the inspiration behind the hit television drama “Scandal.” With this year’s theme of “Planning for Success,” participants will receive tips on preparing for law school, submitting a competitive application and applying for financial aid and scholarships. For more information contact Brigitte Boyd.

Davidson County General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland (Division X) has announced his campaign for re-election in the May 2014 Democratic primary. Moreland has served 18 years on the bench. He was first appointed in 1995, elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2006. Prior to his appointment he worked as an attorney in Nashville for 12 years focusing on both civil and criminal law. “It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the citizens of our county as General Sessions Judge,” Moreland said in a press release.

Candidates running in Hamilton County judicial races submitted campaign finance reports last Friday, the Chattanoogan reports. Attorney J.B. Bennett, who is vying for circuit court, division I, raised more than $100,000 in the two-month period covered by the report. Stuart James and Catherine White also are seeking the post. In the race for criminal court clerk, Republican Rep. Vince Dean was able to convert his state funds for use in the current race against longtime incumbent Gwen Tidwell, a Democrat. Others filing reports included County Commissioner Larry Henry, who is running for circuit court clerk, and General Sessions Court Judge Christie Mahn Sell.

The Legal Challenge, a program that encourages Nashville-area attorneys to become more involved in domestic violence prevention, has been extended through February by the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Supported by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, District Attorney Torry Johnson and YWCA leaders, the program aims to get attorneys who are not typically involved in domestic violence cases to learn more about the issue and volunteer to perform pro bono work for victims. The YWCA created a brief online course in domestic violence that attorneys can take prior to volunteering. Law firms with the most participation will be recognized by the YWCA in April. The Tennessean has the story.

Rep. Richard Floyd, R-Chattanooga, announced today that he is retiring from the state House, the Chattanoogan reports. “The desire to spend more time with my family and the need to properly recover from recent surgery has prompted me to not seek re-election,” he stated. Signal Mountain resident Tommy F. Crangle has announced his intention to qualify as a Republican candidate to succeed Floyd. Crangle is a licensed professional engineer and a former senior executive with the Tennessee Valley Authority. He retired early in the late 90’s.

The Napier-Looby Bar Association will host the 10th Annual Barristers’ Banquet and Awards Program at the Music City Center in Nashville on Feb. 20. Cocktail reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and awards presentation. This year’s honorees are Sheila Calloway of the Metro Nashville Juvenile Court, Cynthia Fitzgerald of the Law Offices of Cynthia Fitzgerald, Jerrilyn Manning of the Metro Public Defender’s Office and Robert Smith of Smith Hirsch PLC. Please RSVP by Feb. 12.

GOPAC, a national group that works to elect what it considers promising conservatives, announced today that it is backing state Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, in his GOP primary challenge of U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais. Founded by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., the group says Tracy is one of four "proven and tested conservative state leaders" the group is backing nationwide in primary and general elections as part of its "Called-Up" program. Tracy is running against DesJarlais as he seeks a third term representing Tennessee's 4th Congressional District. Teacher John Anderson of Bell Buckle is also running in the GOP primary. Democrat Lenda Sherell of Monteagle officially launched her campaign on Monday. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.

Christy Crider, a shareholder in Baker Donelson’s Nashville office, takes over this week as head of the company’s firmwide Women’s Initiative. One of Crider’s chief tasks in her new role, which comes straight from CEO Ben Adams, is to improve the firm’s retention of top-tier female lawyers. In an interview with the Tennessean, Crider talks about why offering a certain perk to men can actually help support female attorneys, and how she plans to spread the principles of Baker Donelson’s Women’s Initiative across Nashville’s health care community.

President Barack Obama today nominated five lawyers for trial and appellate courts, including a state judge in Florida who would be the first openly gay male African-American on the federal bench. According to the National Law Journal, the White House is touting the nominations as part of Obama’s effort to expand the gender and racial diversity of the nation’s courts. The White House today published an updated graphic that spotlights Obama’s judicial nominations to date.

Attorney James Esseks, director of the LBGT and AIDS Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, will speak at Vanderbilt University on Feb. 11 at noon in Flynn Auditorium in the law school. Esseks played a pivotal role in the Supreme Court’s recent landmark ruling (United State v. Windsor) striking down portions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In his talk, “The Road to Windsor: Marriage and the Broader Struggle for LGBT Rights,” Esseks -- who represented Edie Windsor -- will discuss the case, as well as the ACLU’s plan for achieving the freedom to marry for same-sex couples nationwide, and where marriage fits into the larger agenda of LGBT rights, including employment discrimination, parenting rights, transgender equality and school bullying. The event is free and open to the public.