The John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, part of The City University of New York (CUNY), and the National Italian American Bar Association (NIABA) have partnered to conduct a study on Italian Americans and the legal profession. This study is the first to explore Italian Americans’ representation and experiences in various sectors of the legal field. Law students and lawyers are invited to take this three-minute survey. The deadline to complete the survey is April 30. Read more about the effort.

Do you love to celebrate the good in your community? If so, prepare to join the Community Legal Center (CLC) in Memphis on April 1 at the historic Stax Museum. The center's fundraiser will take place from 7-9:30 p.m. CDT as it celebrates another year of impact. The night will feature soul music from the Stax Music Academy Alumni Band and food from Coletta’s. Thanks to the event's generous sponsors, all ticket sales will go directly to serving the CLC's low-income legal clients. Get more information and purchase tickets.

Join members of the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee for a live interactive roundtable for law students and young lawyers on how best to manage work-life balance as a legal professional. This 45-minute Zoom event on March 29 at noon CDT will feature seasoned lawyers discussing their day-to-day practice, and provide effective tools for personal well-being. The event is free and open to all currently enrolled law students and TBA members but reservations are required. Questions and feedback are encouraged for this interactive roundtable. Submit any questions in advance to jword@tnbar.org.

The AP reports that Tennessee Republican lawmakers yesterday advanced legislation that would prevent transgender people from changing their driver’s licenses and birth certificates, a move that officials warn could cost the state millions in federal funding. LGBTQ-rights advocates have long argued that having a driver’s license or birth certificate match a person’s identity is not only personally important but also beneficial to avoiding harassment. If enacted, the proposal would define male and female in state law and base people’s legal gender identities on their anatomy at birth. Legislative officials tasked with calculating the fiscal impact of bills have stated that the bill would likely open the state to “civil litigation and could jeopardize federal funding” because it could conflict with federal rules.

The Department of Children’s Services (DCS) commissioner gave an update to the legislature that showed improvements to the troubled system. Margie Quin went before the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee yesterday as part of the department’s budget request. Quin highlighted several ways that DCS has made changes already this year, and how more funding could help it continue that upward trajectory. “We’re not doing all that we want to be able to do,” Quin says. “And we’re here looking for a better solution.” She says one of the biggest victories is that kids are no longer sleeping in office buildings, except for in Shelby County. WPLN has the story.

This year's Business Law Forum will be a hybrid program, so we hope you will join us either virtually or in person at Bass Berry & Sim's Nashville offices on April 21. In-person registration is at 9 a.m. CDT and the program will begin for both in person and virtual attendees at 9:30 a.m. A networking reception for in-person attendees will follow the forum at 4 p.m. The focus of the program will be business transactions in the news and how they apply to those practicing law in Tennessee. Additional details on the sessions coming soon.

The Times Free Press reports that around 350 Chattanooga residents demonstrated during a downtown rally in Miller Park Wednesday against bills that would ban public drag performances and transgender medical care for minors. The bills have had wide support in the Republican-dominated legislature and are making their way to Gov. Bill Lee's desk. Lee has supported the bills and said he plans to sign both.

Two people protesting LGBTQ-related legislation were briefly detained during an appearance by Gov. Bill Lee at a grand opening celebration in Memphis, the Commercial Appeal reports. Memphis police confirmed that both John Wilbanks and Brandy Pride were detained and issued misdemeanor citations in lieu of a physical arrest. Wilbanks is charged with disorderly conduct while Pride is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting official detention. Lee was in town for the opening of the Whitehaven YMCA.

The Daily Memphian reports that a grand jury has returned indictments on two defendants accused in the killing of Rev. Autura Eason-Williams. Miguel Andrade, 15, and Eduard Rodriguez-Tabora, 21, are indicted on charges of first-degree murder, first-degree murder in perpetration of a robbery, and especially aggravated robbery, according to a press release from the Shelby County District Attorney General’s office. Eason-Williams, a district superintendent for the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church, was killed during a July 18 carjacking in front of her Whitehaven home.

Nashville’s NewsChannel 5 reports that Maegan Hall, a former LaVergne police officer who was fired along with the police chief and four other officers, is suing over sexual misconduct within the department. The federal suit names two supervising sergeants, the police chief and the city of LaVergne for alleged civil rights violations. Hall says a culture of sexual misconduct and pressure to engage in “sexual antics” led to her to participate "under duress." The city has not yet responded to the lawsuit.