Hosted by the TBA Family Law Section, the Intersections of Family Law CLE will examine how domestic law intersects with other legal segments, providing a more holistic view to incorporate into practice. Sessions will cover litigation regarding closely held businesses in divorces and criminal law considerations for domestic lawyers. A networking reception will follow the program. Join colleagues in Memphis on April 19 from 2-4:30 p.m. CDT for this program.

Join the East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (ETLAW) on May 3 for the annual Tennessee Supreme Court Luncheon. Each year, ETLAW joins together with members of the state's highest court to honor their service. This year’s program features Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger A. Page. Members of the judiciary, judicial officers and members of the bar across East Tennessee are all invited to join ETLAW in this annual tradition. Learn more or register now.

A bill is advancing in the state legislature that would require every polling place in Tennessee to display signs saying it is a crime to vote in a primary without being a bona fide party member. Tennessee currently has open primaries; voters aren’t required to register with a political party in order to vote, leaving it to voters to self-declare their party affiliation and vote in the primary of their choosing. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, said the intent of the bill (SB0978/HB0828) is to “remind people they have to vote in the proper political party that they’re in.” Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, noted the state does not require any formal party registration in order to vote in primaries and such signage could serve to wrongly signal to voters that they had failed to take a necessary step before voting. The Tennessee Lookout has the full story.

The annual Robert Ballow Excellence in Writing Awards were presented to Nashville School of Law students on March 22. Eight students were recognized for their performance in the Rigorous Writing Exercise program. The Rigorous Writing Exercise is a project all Nashville School of Law students embark on as a requirement of graduation. Working with a volunteer mentor from the legal community, students research and write a 15–20-page paper on the topic of their choice. First prize went to Allison Wilson’s “Felony Voter Disenfranchisement: Putting an End to Second-Class Citizenship in Tennessee with the Implementation of Automatic Voter Restoration.” Visit NSL’s website for a complete list of the winners, their mentors and to read their submissions.

“Show Cause,” a Memphis Law School podcast, released a new episode featuring Prof. Daniel Kiel talking about his forthcoming book, “The Transition: Interpreting Justice from Thurgood Marshall to Clarence Thomas.” Kiel makes the case that not only did this particular transition shift the ideological balance on the court, it was inextricably entangled with the persistent American dilemma of race. He explores the lives and writings of the first two African American justices on the court, touching on lasting consequences for understandings of American citizenship as well as the central currents of Black political thought over the past century.

WPLN reports that the state legislature is deferring action on gun legislation, despite protests from students and local gun reform activists. The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee postponed hearing a bill, SB1503, that would decrease the age for permitless carry in Tennessee from 21 to 18; the Senate Judiciary Committee pushed hearing three gun-related bills to the 2024 legislative session, including SB1325, which would have allowed teachers and other school employees across the state to carry concealed handguns on campus. SB1029 would have required safe storage of guns, but the Tennessee Lookout reports that it has been taken off notice to be reworked as a bill that could possibly earn bipartisan support.

The Nashville mayor’s race widens as state Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, announces her campaign. The Tennessean reports that Campbell said Nashville is “in the midst of a hostile takeover” and she has a “deep understanding” of the issues between the state and Nashville governments. Prior to entering state politics, Campbell served as mayor of the Davidson County suburb Oak Hill from 2014 to 2020.

The U.S. Justice Department is appealing a decision by U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, that blocked the federal government from enforcing requirements that insurance plans cover preventive care, including screenings for certain cancers and pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP). Reuters reports that if the judge’s ruling is not paused or overturned on appeal, insurers will be able to charge patients copays and deductibles for such services in new insurance plans.

The family of Gershun Freeman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Chief Jailer Kirk Fields and the Shelby County government, the Commercial Appeal reports. Freeman was an inmate at the Shelby County Jail who died after corrections officers pepper sprayed him, hit him and kneeled on his back for multiple minutes. The lawsuit accuses corrections officers and Shelby County leadership of disregarding the jail's standard procedure, interfering with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and displaying a pattern of violence against inmates.

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 host a debt relief legal advice clinic for pre-screened individuals on May 13, beginning at 8:45 a.m. at the Public Defender’s Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. The advice clinic will be available to qualified individuals in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Sevier counties. Attorneys will volunteer to conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Qualification for the free services will be income-based, with pre-screening by LAET. The clinic clients may also be eligible for free bankruptcy services. Individuals who live in the counties listed above may sign up by contacting the LAET at (865) 637-0484. Clients must register by May 5.