The Cozza Law Group is planning an expansion to Nashville this fall. The Nashville Post reports that the firm is focused on business and entertainment law and has a presence in New York City and Pittsburgh. Firm founder Rocco Cozza is also the CEO of Alpha LPO, a legal process outsourcing provider.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee yesterday appointed Shari Tayloe as District Attorney General for the 10th Judicial District to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of General Stephen Crump, effective immediately. The 10th Judicial District covers Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties. Tayloe brings nearly 25 years of prosecutorial experience to her new role, most recently serving as deputy district attorney general for the 10th Judicial District, a position she has held for six years. Tayloe earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and her law degree at the University of Tennessee College of Law.

“Welcome to Capitol Hill,” a new book by veteran Tennessee state house reporters Joel Ebert and Erik Schelzig, will be available Aug. 17 through Vanderbilt University Press. The book covers Gov. Ray Blanton's pardon scandals, the secret FBI wiretap used in the Rocky Top investigation and more recent examples of sexual misconduct in the legislature. Axios Nashville reports that the authors say studying the scandals is more than just an academic exercise; it reveals the vital importance of the media as a watchdog. Several times, the public learned of politicians' dubious behavior through investigations by Nashville journalists, including Schelzig and Ebert's own reporting of the more recent scandals.

The Wilder Youth Development Center in Fayette County, from which three juveniles escaped in March, will receive almost $2 million for updates, including security cameras and more than 100 beds. According to ABC24 in Memphis, a recent report by Disability Rights Tennessee entitled “Designed to Fail: A Report on Wilder Youth Development Center, a Department of Children’s Services Facility," documented what the rights group describe as “destructive practices” upheld by the Wilder Center. The report also alleged that parties responsible for investigations of physical and sexual assault did not follow up or perform in-depth reviews of center employees who were the subject of 10 or more investigations.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed a new rule that would prohibit disclosure of medical records of individuals who cross state lines to obtain legal abortion or gender-affirming care. The Tennessee Lookout reports that Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined counterparts in 18 states in an effort to prevent the federal government from shielding those records. Under the proposed rule, the records would be protected from law enforcement, court subpoenas in civil lawsuits and family court proceedings.

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 Aug. 17 from 2-4:30 p.m. CDT for this program.

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz today announced the creation of a National Security and Civil Rights Unit within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This move permanently positions a supervisory attorney and several prosecutors to respond to and prevent hate crimes and civil rights violations, as well as threats to national security. According to a press release from Ritz' office, the new unit prioritizes cases consistent with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s May 27, 2021, directive to U.S. attorneys to combat hate crimes and incidents, address them when they occur, support those victimized by them and reduce the pernicious effects these incidents have on our society.

Sullivan County lawyer Ricky A. W. Curtis received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Curtis violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 (diligence), 3.4(c) (fairness to opposing party and counsel) and 8.4(d) (prejudice to the administration of justice).

Shelby County lawyer Urura W. Mayers was permanently disbarred from the practice of law Friday by the Tennessee Supreme Court. After a hearing on the disciplinary petition, a hearing panel determined Mayers withdrew client funds from her trust account without authorization on multiple occasions and used those client funds to gamble at casinos, and attempted to deceive investigators by making false factual statements and submitting altered bank records. After being temporarily suspended from the practice of law pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, § 12.3, for misappropriating funds and posing a threat of substantial harm to the public, Mayers failed to comply with Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, § 28 requirements for suspended attorneys by failing to notify the courts, opposing counsel and clients of her suspension. Mayers continued to engage in the unauthorized practice of law for an extended period of time, failed to respond to subsequent lawful board requests for information and failed to participate in the disciplinary process.

Dr. Catherine Burks-Brooks, a member of the Freedom Riders with a Nashville connection, has died at age 83. WPLN reports that she was among the Nashville students who joined the original 13 Freedom Riders in May 1961, after violent attacks by white mobs in Alabama. Burks-Brooks’ participation in the Freedom Rides led to her expulsion just nine days before graduation from Tennessee A & I, now Tennessee State University. She worked as a social worker and an entrepreneur before moving to the Bahamas in the 1970s. In 1979, she returned to Birmingham, where she served for many years as a substitute teacher in Birmingham City Schools. In 2008, Tennessee State University awarded her and the other expelled Freedom Riders an honorary doctorate.