Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) is losing its largest source of funding, effective June 30. According to the Daily Memphian, the congressionally funded Legal Services Corporation sent a letter to MALS Board Chair Brian Heim on April 5, stating that MALS had failed to improve operations and had not engaged in best practices to effectively provide legal services. Heim responded to the news saying, “MALS is assessing that funding decision’s impact on our ongoing operations. We are assessing the opportunities to convince LSC to reverse their decision.” The funding — roughly $1.7 million — will be turned over to West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS), which is based in Jackson. That office is preparing to take over operations July 1.

The Tennessee State Legislature on Monday unanimously passed a bill that would involuntarily commit certain criminal defendants for inpatient treatment and temporarily remove their gun rights if they are ruled incompetent to stand trial due to intellectual disability or mental illness. Named for Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig, who was killed in November after she was hit by a stray bullet while walking near campus in Nashville, "Jillian's Law" requirements would kick in for defendants charged with felonies or class A misdemeanors. The Associated Press reports that the person would remain committed until they are deemed competent to stand trial, or until the court approves a mandatory outpatient treatment plan that accounts for the community’s safety. The bill now heads to Gov. Bill Lee.

Four candidates have applied to run for the Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9 judgeship formerly held by Melissa Boyd. If the state legislature does not move the seat elsewhere, the following candidates will appear on the Aug. 1 ballot: Jahari Dowdy, an attorney with 20 years of experience in criminal defense and Shelby County Juvenile Court representation; Michael Floyd, an attorney who was appointed special judge to Memphis City Court in 2005; Shelby County District Attorney First Deputy Chris Lareau; and Joe Ozment, a criminal defense attorney with 32 years of experience. The Daily Memphian has more.

Gov. Bill Lee has joined five other Southern governors in issuing a joint statement opposing the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) unionization campaign. The statement comes days before votes will be cast in a unionization effort at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga. The Tennessean reports that the election is being watched as a sign for whether unions can gain ground in the South, a region that has long resisted organized labor and in recent years has attracted both American and foreign car manufacturers.

Knoxville attorney Jack H. "Nick" McCall Jr., 63, died April 13 on the final day of his family vacation in the Bahamas. McCall was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, serving as a Regular Army captain before receiving his law degree from the University of Tennessee, where he served as editor in chief of the Tennessee Law Review. He was of counsel with Hunton & Williams’ Knoxville office from 1994 to 2003, and served as general counsel and secretary of CTI Molecular Imaging Inc. from 2003 to 2005. During that time, he taught as an adjunct professor at UT Law. The author of various articles on legal, foreign policy and historical topics, and the author/co-author of three books, McCall served on the TBA Board of Governors as well as on the Knoxville Bar Association Board, and the founding board of Legal Aid of East Tennessee. He was a member of the TBA’s Leadership Law Class of 2005, among other honors, awards, activities and community service roles. In his last position, McCall served as a senior attorney and deputy designated agency ethics official with the Tennessee Valley Authority in Knoxville, from which he retired in 2021. Our thanks to the Knoxville Bar Association for its assistance with this story. Arrangements are pending.

Nashville native and rap/country artist Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason DeFord, is being sued for alleged trademark infringement. Kurt L. Titchenell is the leader of a Pennsylvania-based dance band called Jellyroll, and in his suit, he states that his band has used that name since March of 1980, more than four years before DeFord was born. The band received a trademark in August of 2010, and renewed that trademark most recently in December of 2019. Rolling Stone has more.

The Diane Nash Plaza in front of the Metro Nashville Courthouse will be dedicated to the civil rights leader on April 20. The celebration will commence with a press conference at 8:30 a.m. CDT at the historic First Baptist Capitol Hill Church, immediately followed by a parade to the Plaza, featuring high school bands and many local organizations, civic leaders and other civil rights icons. The dedication will begin at 10 a.m. Nash rose to prominence as an activist, leader and strategist in the student wing of the Civil Rights Movement. The Tennessee Tribune has more information.

East Tennessee Lawyers’ Association For Women (ETLAW) will host its annual Tennessee Supreme Court Luncheon on May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. Join the East Tennessee legal community at The Square Room, 4 Market Square, Knoxville 37902, to honor state Supreme Court justices and other members of the judiciary. Individual tickets are $50. A table of eight may be purchased/sponsored for $350. Register here by May 16. Contact Bianca White with questions.

Join your colleagues April 26 from 3-4 p.m. CDT for Pro Bono 101: Skills for Legal Volunteers. This webcast will cover helpful practice tips and cultural competency skills for working with clients, especially in pro bono and other access to justice contexts. Presenters will address various scenarios that may come up when working with legal service projects and pro bono clients. Get more information and register here. The program is free and offers one complimentary hour of CLE credit for TBA members.

The Knoxville Bar Association and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), will hold a Debt Relief Clinic to provide pro bono legal services to income-eligible consumer debtors in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Sevier counties. The clinic will begin at 8:45 a.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Attorneys will volunteer to conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Those interested in helping, or those seeking advice, should call the LAET office at 865-637-0484. The deadline for client registration is April 26.