Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) announced a new project in collaboration with the Tennessean in which students will report on the federal judicial system and federal law enforcement operations in Nashville. Named after journalism icon and former Tennessean CEO John Seigenthaler, the Seigenthaler News Service selected seven seniors as the first program scholars. Read the full story at the Daily News Journal.

Lawyers make up a surprisingly large number of the defendants in civil and criminal mortgage-related fraud cases, according to the ABA Journal. Within a national database of 25,000 complaints about suspected mortgage fraud, more than 6,000 are against attorneys and law firms. The executive director of the State Bar of California called the involvement of lawyers a “huge” problem.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee has inducted four people into its Pro Bono Hall of Fame, the Chattanoogan reports. The attorneys were chosen based on their commitment to pro bono, access to justice and the Legal Aid mission. This year's honorees are Richard D. Crotteau with Miller & Martin; Sam Elliott with Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon; Joseph C. Simpson with Husch Blackwell; and Glenn C. Stophel with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. 

The Memphis City Council voted 7-5 to add sexual orientation to its ordinance banning discrimination based on age, disability and national origin for city employment. But the council then voted to delay the amendment for 30 days while the legal department decides if the provision is legal under the city's charter. The Memphis Flyer has more.

The homeowners association (HOA) of a Spring Hill subdivision told a resident he must remove a honey-producing beehive from his backyard because it violates a bylaw banning non-household pets as well as conducting business or trade from home, News Channel 5 reports. A Tennessee state law protects the rights of property owners to keep honeybees, but a lawyer for the HOA says the organization is not a form of government and is therefore exempt from that law. The case will go before the Tennessee Attorney General for an opinion.

Songwriter Danny Tate’s Belle Meade home was auctioned to cover more than $150,000 in fees amassed during a two-year legal battle with his brother, WSMV Nashville reports. Tate’s brother alleged Tate was a drug addict and sought a conservator to safeguard his wealth. Tate fought the conservatorship but was ordered to pay his own and his brother’s legal fees.

The Tennessee Bar Association and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will hold a public forum on free speech and civility tonight in Memphis. The first in a series of three forums across the state, the Balancing Civility and Free Speech Initiative is designed to encourage a public conversation about the tensions between civility and free speech, and will focus on how these issues play out in public policy debates -- especially those with cross-cultural implications. The event will be held tonight, Sept. 18., from 7-8:30p.m. in the law school’s Wade Auditorium. 

A class-action lawsuit filed in Tennessee State Court against Nashville-based J. Alexander’s and Fidelity National Financial has been settled, the Nashville Business Journal reports. Shareholders accused J. Alexander’s of not doing enough on their behalf after the proposed acquisition by Fidelity. They also allege Fidelity influenced the deal by offering J. Alexander CEO a job before the merger.

Many law firms are struggling to control expenses in the face of stagnant revenue growth, AmLaw Daily reports. A survey of 115 firms by Wells Fargo’s Legal Specialty Group found that financial troubles are affecting firms across the board, the publication says. Legal Specialty Group national managing director Jeff Grossman was cautious in forecasting 2012 results. "Profit is a question mark," he said. "All indicators suggest it'll be down, but it depends on how firms manage expenses."

The state Supreme Court temporarily suspended the law license of Rogersville attorney John Douglas Godbee on Sept. 14 after finding that he poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. Godbee had been reinstated to the practice of law on Feb. 28 subject to full compliance with his Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) monitoring agreement. On Aug. 8, TLAP discharged Godbee from his monitoring agreement. This non-compliance with the February court order led to the current suspension. Godbee also was suspended on Aug. 6 in light of a pending criminal trial in which a female client alleged he was trading legal services for sexual favors. That suspension has not yet been dissolved. Download the BPR notice, and read the news story at Timesnewsnet.com.