St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio has welcomed 27 students to its inaugural fully online Juris Doctor program, the first to be accredited by the American Bar Association. The law school also offers a traditional J.D. program and had 791 applicants for its first all-remote cohort. The online program offered admission to 71 applicants, a 9% acceptance rate that falls close to top-ranked Yale Law School. Dean Patricia Roberts said that the program’s large applicant pool “showed us that there is an interest and a need for this.” The ABA in May 2021 granted St. Mary’s permission to offer its fully online degree as a five-year pilot program. That approval came after law schools were quickly forced to switch to remote classes by the COVID-19 pandemic, giving them more experience with distance education.

WREG reports that Pamela Moses, who was convicted of voter fraud in January of this year, is suing the state of Tennessee, current Memphis District Attorney Steve Mulroy and former Memphis District Attorney Amy Weirich, citing emotional damages. After Moses’ sentencing in February, a judge later granted her a new trial, stating that information about a previous conviction should not have been considered by the jury, and that a document from probation officials was not disclosed at trial. Weirich later dismissed the charges. Moses is asking for compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants.

Metro Nashville Police Department investigators working with the district attorney’s office were attempting to serve two arrest warrants for Zachary Johnson on Thursday afternoon. They claim Johnson was threatening and stalking Nashville attorneys Bernard McEvoy and Emily Todoran, who had represented him in the past. Johnson, however, refused to come out of his home, which led to an hours-long standoff, shots fired and a house fire.

The Tennessee Commission on Youth and Children (TCYY) says that almost 90% of kids who move homes five or more times while in the foster care system will end up in the criminal justice system. “In the foster care system, a huge risk factor is multiple moves,” said Kylie Graves, communications and policy specialist for the TCCY. “Thirty three percent of our kids who are in foster care are going to move three or four times within their first year. Nationally, that number is 14%.” Reports show Tennessee has the highest rate of foster care instability in the nation. Read more about the root causes of violent juvenile crime in Tennessee from WKRN.

Former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter died suddenly of a “cardiac event” at age 68. He served as secretary of defense under former President Barack Obama from February 2015 to January 2017. His family said in a statement, "As secretary, he launched the successful campaign to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, opened all combat positions to women, and forged new connections between the Department of Defense and the nation’s technology community." Read more from ABC News.

Charles Van Morgan, an independent candidate for governor, was arrested at a Hamilton County voting site Monday, and was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and intimidation of voters. Police said they responded to a call from the Hamilton County Election Commission stating that “a man was screaming about politics, cursing, getting into people’s faces and harassing the voters.”

Attorneys from Butler Snow, Bradley, Baker Donelson and Adams and Reese participated in an expungement clinic at Belmont School of Law on Friday as part of the Capitol City Challenge. Attorneys and Belmont Law students were welcomed by TBA Vice President Ed Lanquist and Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry. Attorneys, students and representatives from the clerk’s office then assisted clients in filling out and filing expungement paperwork. The clinic was sponsored by the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. Over $12,000 in legal services were donated during the clinic. Click here to view photos from the event.

The 31st Judicial District Public Defender’s Office is hiring an assistant public defender. Applicants must be hard working attorneys licensed to practice in Tennessee ready to join a team representing appointed clients in juvenile, general sessions and circuit courts in Warren and Van Buren counties. This position is funded by the state and the assistant public defender will receive all state employee benefits. Pay varies based upon experience. For information on how to apply, visit TBA's JobLink posting.

The Rogersville Review reports that Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny has chosen long time Coffee County resident and attorney Ed North as the temporary part-time Coffee County attorney, effective Oct. 1. North received his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 2003. He has practiced continuously as an associate and partner of the Manchester-based law firm of Rogers, Duncan and North, and he is the owner and operator of North Properties and North Farms. North has served on the Tennessee Bar Association's House of Delegates since 2009, representing the 14th district.

Sumner County is seeking qualified applicants for the position of the Sumner County Law Director. The Law Director is responsible for handling all the legal matters of Sumner County and is expected to be competent in a wide range of practice areas, including litigation, workplace and employment law, compliance with laws and regulations governing county governments, and more. Visit TBA JobLink for more information.