NewsChannel 5 reports that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has opened a criminal investigation of Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office. Skrmetti’s office is specifically interested to learn whether anyone on Funk's team violated the state's wiretapping statute by installing listening devices in and around Funk's office in downtown Nashville. In a written statement, Funk's office insists the devices were a necessary part of office security and that "there is no reasonable expectation of privacy for conversations in public places." 

The Associated Press reports that the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case this week that challenges Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which states that “no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” Gonzalez v. Google contests the 1996 law, alleging that tech companies are liable for content posted on their platforms.

State Rep. Ronnie Glynn will hold the first public town hall meeting of his term on the future of public education on Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m. CST at Burt-Cobb Recreation Center, the former site of historic Burt High School. During the forum, Rep. Glynn will discuss the three education-related bills he introduced upon entering office. MainStreet Clarksville has more information on the bills; participants are encouraged to RSVP for the event on Rep. Glynn’s Facebook page.

The TBA’s Mentoring Program needs you!

Did you have a mentor when you first started practicing law? Someone you could ask questions of without fear of judgement? Someone who could help you learn how to be a professional? You could be that person for someone else.

The TBA Mentoring Committee, chaired this year by Wes Bryant, designed the TBA Mentoring Program to foster mutually beneficial relationships between the participating attorneys, reduce the isolation experienced by some beginning attorneys, improve the quality of legal services received by clients, place renewed emphasis on the importance of professionalism and generally benefit the legal profession.

One of his goals for the program, Bryant says, is to highlight the importance of mentoring for the overall health of the profession. A local judge told him that the Board of Professional Responsibility anticipates “dealing with more issues from new lawyers in solo practices and rural areas because there’s no one to teach them how to practice law or take some of the burden of just figuring it all out. It’s enormously helpful to have a model for work/life balance when you’re just starting out.” Read more...

The January/February issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is live online! This issue's cover story from James L. Cresswell discusses the history of choice-of-law issues in tort lawsuits in the United States and the current state of the law on this issue in Tennessee. We present a feature story on truth in sentencing from David L. Raybin, as well as columns on non-disclosure provisions in the sexual harassment context and a break down of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision Golan v. Saada. TBA President Tasha Blakney wishes a fond farewell to former Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson, who has returned to private practice, and we get a jaw-dropping update on one of Russell Fowler's stories from 2021.

Due to a burst pipe and subsequent damage to the event space at Montgomery Bell State Park, the TBALL Opening Retreat will be  moving to Henry Horton State Park, located at 4209 Nashville Highway, Chapel Hill. The dates and times of the event will remain the same, only the location is changing. If you are involved in the TBALL Opening Retreat as an attendee or speaker, you will receive communication and a revised agenda from Kate Prince, TBA's Digital Media & Leadership Development Coordinator in the coming days. If you have questions, please email Kate at kprince@tnbar.org.

William Keith McCord died on Dec. 21. He was 89. McCord graduated from Alamo High School. He then served in the United States Marine Corp, graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and later graduated from Duke Divinity School and the University of Tennessee College of Law. He practiced law in East Tennessee for 50 years, and was a farmer and outdoorsman. McCord was appointed to the Tennessee Board of Regents by Gov. Ned McWherter and reappointed by Gov. Don Sundquist. He  served in that capacity for 12 years. He also served on the board of Lincoln Memorial University. The family requests that any memorials be in the form of donations to the William Keith McCord Scholarship at Pellissippi State Community College. A gathering of friends will be held on Jan. 12, 2023, from 5-7:30 p.m. CST at the Smith Life Event Center.

A Hamilton County resolution providing $50,000 to support temporary housing for displaced guests of the Budgetel Inn went into effect Christmas Eve without Mayor Weston Wamp's signature, according to an email to commissioners, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. The funding was part of an agreement with the city of Chattanooga that provided a total of $100,000 to the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition to extend hotel stays for families who had previously lived at the Budgetel Inn in East Ridge. The motel housed hundreds of people when it was shut down Nov. 16. Both boards approved their $50,000 support unanimously. Wamp, however, released a statement saying the "resolution came together hastily and lacked protections to ensure taxpayer money would only go to people in need."

Public speaking is a core leadership skill and in today’s business environment, attorneys are expected to be comfortable with everything from moderating a panel discussion to leading a virtual meeting. Mimi Bliss of Bliss Communications has updated her highly-rated 2022 CLE on virtual presentations to cover a range of professional situations, from virtual courtrooms to professional conferences, panel discussions, and informal communications. In this on-demand workshop, you’ll learn how to sharpen your message; engage your audience; master the virtual presentation, including technology tools, lighting and set-up; and use voice, gestures and eye contact to speak effectively. Attorneys who participated in last year’s workshop said the speaking tips were actionable and relevant to lawyers. Join us online tomorrow from 12-1 p.m. CST for this CLE and receive one dual credit hour.

Nashville’s NewsChannel 5 reports that one of the five teens who escaped from the Natchez Trace Youth Academy in Waverly says a staff member at the facility helped them get out. Investigators said following the escape early Wednesday morning, the teens had stolen a car in Humphreys County before carjacking someone in Hickman County. But DeJuan Prime — who says he was one of the teens involved in the escape — said that an employee at the youth academy helped the teens plan it out. Prime said the teens and the staffer had planned the escape during the week prior: “It's five youth who escaped to see their parents on the holidays. Yes, I'm one of them.” According to the youth academy, all five teens have been safely located.