The Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) announced that, beginning today, Meghan Fowler will serve as the conference’s new West Tennessee pro tem prosecutor. The TNDAGC Legal Services Division facilitates the processing — and in some cases prosecution — of all criminal cases for which a local district attorney general or judge has identified a conflict of interest that requires recusal. Fowler is a career prosecutor who has previously served as an assistant district attorney in both Tennessee and Mississippi. Read the group's press release.

Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Duncan School of Law is seeking attorneys and judges who would be willing to be interviewed for 30 minutes by law students in the spring semester of 2024. As part of a new required 1L class, students will be interviewing attorneys and judges about the role that one of the following values has played in their legal careers: service, excellence, resilience, integrity, empathy and self-awareness. Interviews may be done via Zoom, telephone or an in-person meeting, as convenient to the interviewee. If you are interested in participating, please share your contact information by filling out this form.

Three of the nine corrections officers indicted in the beating death of Shelby County Jail inmate Gershun Freeman allegedly beat another inmate, Corey Lurry, days before Freeman’s death. Lurry filed a pro se motion in Memphis federal court on Nov. 12, alleging a violation of his civil rights. The Daily Memphian reports that the motion requests the court to review camera footage of the attack, to hold jail staff accountable for “unjust actions” and award $15 million for “physical, mental and emotional stress/PTSD” that the alleged attack caused.

Chancellor Russell T. Perkins yesterday filed a temporary injunction against musician John Oates, who is trying to sell his shares of Whole Oats Enterprises to third party publisher Primary Wave Music. Daryl Hall, the other half of the music duo Hall & Oates, filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court on Nov. 16, alleging the sale violates a business agreement between the musicians. The Tennessean reports that the injunction blocks the sale until a private arbitrator hired to weigh in on the dispute decides whether a restraining order in the arbitration is appropriate, or until Feb. 17, 2024, at 1 p.m. CST, whichever comes first.

Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, has died at age 93. Nominated to the court by President Ronald Regan in 1981, O’Connor served until 2006. In his nomination, Reagan called her “truly a person for all seasons, possessing those unique qualities of temperament, fairness, intellectual capacity and devotion to the public good which have characterized the 101 brethren who have preceded her.” During her tenure, O’Connor became known as a moderate conservative and was often the deciding vote on thorny social issues, including affirmative action and abortion rights. Chief Justice John Roberts described O’Connor as a “patriot” and a “fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education.” CNN has this remembrance. Members of the Tennessee judiciary also reflected on O'Connor's impact as a jurist.

State Rep. Jay Reedy, R-Erin, has filed a bill to give most dependents of Tennessee veterans with a 100% disability rating a “waiver of tuition, maintenance fees and student activity fees,” allowing the student to attend any public state university or college for free. WATE News in Knoxville reports that generally, a veteran who has a 100% disability rating is someone who was injured while serving. They cannot work and are mostly unable to take care of themselves because of their condition. In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Tennessee had more than 37,000 veterans with at least a 70% disability rating or higher.

In a historic vote, the U.S. House of Representatives today voted to expel New York Republican Rep. George Santos, making him only the sixth person ever to be expelled from that body. The final vote was 311 voting for expulsion, 114 against and two Republicans voting “present.” The Hill reports that Santos is facing federal indictment on 23 counts of wire fraud, identity theft and other campaign finance charges.

The TBA will be making major updates to its CLE website this Sunday night, resulting in the site being offline beginning at 9 p.m. CST. The outage should last no longer than two hours. Please contact TBA's CLE customer service team at cle@tnbar.org with any questions.

Join veteran attorney Cindy Sharp and certified contemplative practices teacher and attorney Becky Howlett as they unpack age bias in the legal field, including what it is, why it matters and ways to enhance collaboration across all age levels. In this one-hour dual-credit CLE, attendees will learn concepts to help identify and address age bias when dealing with colleagues, clients and others; how enhanced cultural competency will help attorneys advocate more effectively; and more! Register now for this Dec. 11 webcast beginning at noon CST.

Back by popular demand, TBA CLE brings you an attorney wellness session providing tools to combat and avoid legal burnout. This one-hour CLE session will empower lawyers to protect themselves from burnout; improve focus and boost overall productivity and efficiency; curb anxiety and stress; and use mindfulness to enhance ethical decision-making and conflict resolution. Join colleagues on Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. CST to earn one dual credit hour.