Giles County lawyer Richard Hannah Dunavant was reinstated to the active practice of law on Oct. 26 after being on disability inactive status since Jan. 21, 2016. He filed a petition on Sept. 28 demonstrating that the disability had been removed. The Tennessee Supreme Court removed the disability status and Dunavant is immediately eligible to resume the active practice of law in Tennessee.

Dickson County High School has a new four-legged student. The Tennessean reports that CJ, an 11-week-old Chocolate Labrador Retriever, will work alongside students enrolled in the criminal justice career and technical education pathway. The dog will provide the high school's criminal justice students with a hands-on learning approach to a number of scenarios they may face in the field upon employment. Criminal Justice Career and Technical Teacher John Patterson says students will have to work to motivate CJ and be able to recognize his indicators when performing jobs, such as sniffing out drugs.

A lawsuit filed last week in Memphis federal court against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) alleges that two teenage boys with disabilities were denied their constitutional rights while being detained in the DCS-run Wilder Youth Development Center in 2021. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the suit alleges the boys were denied their regular medications, which were prescribed for psychiatric diagnoses. The suit claims that one suffered injuries after being assaulted by fellow inmates and was hospitalized; the other was assaulted by two security guards who joined other youth in an attack and then was denied medical treatment for his injuries. The state announced in October that it is investing millions of dollars into upgrades at the facility.

The Biden administration today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will expand health care coverage for certain groups of veterans and their families and create new programs meant to make care more accessible. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the administration also will create a new graduate medical education program to help expand health care availability for veterans in rural, tribal and other underserved communities, and that the VA will spend $5 million on an advertising campaign aimed at getting more veterans to sign up for services.

On Monday, reports emerged that Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert’s office was closing its Poplar Plaza location and that the office had been evicted for non-payment of rent. Halbert later issued a statement confirming the office closure but, according to the Daily Memphian, denied reports of eviction. She did however admit that the office was two months behind on rent payments, saying, “We were not evicted. Whether or not we may have gotten behind on a rent or two — that’s a different issue.”

The Freedom from Religion Foundation is asking Robertson County Schools to investigate a religious event that happened during basketball practice at White House Heritage High School on Nov. 1. The foundation, which works to uphold the separation of religion and governance, alleges that a member of the Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA) was invited to a basketball practice and was allowed to lead a “feet-washing and proselytizing event” during practice. The Tennessean reports that the school system says it is “exploring the entire event and doing an investigation to make sure we've got all the information and that our assessment is accurate.”

Longtime Lawrenceburg attorney Paul Alan Bates died Nov. 8 at age 75. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1967–1971. He attended law school at the University of Memphis and practiced law in Lawrenceburg from 1976 until he retired in 2010. Bates was also a substitute Lawrenceburg city judge for 15 years, a past president of the Lawrence County Bar Association, and a past member of the TBA, ABA, Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and The Association of Trial Lawyers of America. A funeral service will be held on Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. CST at Heritage Funeral Home in Columbia with visitation beginning at 11 a.m. Following the service, Bates will be interred in Maury Memorial Gardens with military honors.

Cassidy Busbin, an active-duty U.S. Army solider at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, was arrested this week on charges of cyberstalking after allegedly making threatening social media posts targeting judges, including one involved in his divorce and child custody proceedings. That post referenced a news story about a family court judge in Maryland who was murdered after granting full custody to the mother in the case. Court records say that Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Olita “felt that if she continued to do her job, she may suffer the same fate as the Maryland judge,” and she felt “her life was in danger.” CNN has the full story.

Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh PLLC yesterday announced that Memphis lawyer Christopher S. Campbell has been selected as chief manager of the firm. Bringing more than 25 years of diverse litigation and appellate expertise to the position, he becomes the first African American attorney to lead the law firm. “As we move into next year, so much is happening in our area – Blue Oval City is making a billion-dollar investment just north of Memphis, Nashville is growing rapidly, and Oxford continues to steadily grow and diversify,” said Campbell. “As we add new attorneys, we do so with the mindset of meeting the growth and innovation across different industries. The law continues to evolve, and so do we.” The firm has offices in Memphis, Covington and Nashville and Oxford, Mississippi. Read the firm's press release.

This is your last chance to register for CLE Ski 2024 in beautiful Snowmass, Colorado! You can view more information and register for the course here. To reserve your room at the Stonebridge Inn, call 970-429-5055 and identify yourself as part of the Tennessee Bar Association CLE Ski group to get the discounted rate. You will be asked to provide your name, address and email address, any special requests and check in/check out dates. For the best service, contact the Stonebridge during the week from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. MST or on the weekend from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST.