Are you interested in serving on TBA's Board of Governors or House of Delegates, or as a TBA delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates? The 2025 Election Notice has more information on what positions are open and the qualifications for each. Questions? Visit the TBA’s website at www.tba.org/election_guidelines. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2025.

Hamilton County commissioners plan to discuss at a meeting on Wednesday a proposal from County Mayor Weston Wamp to replace long-serving county attorney Rheubin Taylor with Janie Parks Varnell. Taylor has served as the county attorney since 1993 and his contract expires in June. When Wamp took office in September 2022, he attempted unsuccessfully to fire Taylor, citing Taylor's handling of public records and his work on noncounty legal business. The commission supported Taylor, and a judge ruled Taylor could serve out his term. The proposal calls for Varnell to start in January and transition into the role. Though Taylor's term expires in June, some are considering keeping him on as a contract counsel through the end of 2025. Wamp recently scheduled a private meet-and-greet — which he says was strictly informational — for commissioners to interact with Varnell. Some feared the gathering violated Tennessee’s open meeting laws. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) last week announced Kathy Sinback’s departure from the role of executive director. In a release, Sinback said, “It was an honor for me to build on the work of the legendary Hedy Weinberg and to help position ACLU-TN for future success. It is evident now more than ever that we need nonpartisan organizations like ACLU-TN to unite people around common values such as freedom, democratic participation, due process and respect for our neighbors.” The ACLU-TN Board of Directors has named Phyllida Burlingame as interim executive director and is initiating a search for a permanent executive director.

University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law has released Season Two of its "Show Cause" podcast. Episodes include discussions about the risks to Tennessee's wetlands, helping pediatric victims of gun violence through a partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety and LeBonheur Children's Hospital, and a new disability rights legal clinic launching in the spring. Listen to all episodes here.

Members of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) joined the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands on Saturday evening to celebrate the group's 55th anniversary. TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. was in attendance at the gala — held at the historic Fisk University in Nashville — to honor LAS' dedication to justice and the progress made in the last past, as well as to inspire the work ahead. Congratulations to LAS Executive Director DarKenya W. Waller on a successful event.

A challenge to the legality of the Nashville transit referendum will go to trial Jan. 8-9, 2025, Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin announced Friday, The Tennessean reports. If the challenge is successful, the results of the referendum will be voided. Former Metro Council member Emily Evans and the Committee to Stop an UnFair Tax filed suit against the Davidson County Election Commission the day before Thanksgiving to contest the election results, which endorsed Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s $3.1 billion transit plan. The group argues that some of the plan’s projects, such as sidewalk improvements, are not allowed under the IMPROVE Act, the state law that permits local governments to impose tax increases to fund public transit systems. Before the trial, the case will return to court Dec. 20 to determine the structure of the proceedings.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) recently awarded $424,694 to West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) for it to modernize and enhance its pro bono program based on the findings of a recent planning assessment. WTLS plans to hire additional staff, integrate pro bono into core practice areas, develop clear priorities and protocols and improve volunteer engagement. It also will create a pilot project to address the region's need for re-entry legal services. The funding comes as part of a large award of more than $5.4 million to 21 legal aid organizations in 14 states. As noted in past reporting, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee (LAS) and the Cumberlands also received $73,218 from the Pro Bono Innovation Fund to conduct a six-month assessment focusing on staffing structures, integration of services, and technological enhancement to optimize pro bono legal service delivery.

Demetrius Haley, who was convicted in October of civil rights violations related to the death of Tyre Nichols, is appealing the denial of bond while he awaits sentencing on Jan. 22, 2025. The appeal was filed with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Daily Memphian reports. Haley's attorneys argue he should be released pending sentencing because he was not convicted of a "crime of violence." In related news, the federal sentencing date for another of the five former officers charged in the Nichols case has been delayed until early next year. Emmitt Martin III, who pleaded guilty to federal charges in August, is now scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 28, 2025. He was originally set to be sentenced Dec. 5. Martin will be tried separately from the other officers because of his cooperation with prosecutors in his federal case.

A Hamilton County attorney has been charged with forgery after an investigation found he allegedly forged a judge's signature on court documents. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Alan Norton faces a felony charge of forgery and a misdemeanor charge of criminal simulation. He turned himself in at the Rhea County Jail last week after a grand jury returned an indictment Tuesday, according to a news release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). He was released on a $15,000 bond. The district attorney for Tennessee's 12th Judicial District asked the TBI to investigate allegations that the signature of a 12th District judicial chancellor had been forged. Agents identified Norton as the person responsible. According to the paper, the alleged forgery occurred on chancery court orders filed between June and September.

The Greene County Courthouse was named a recipient of a $500,000 Tennessee Historic Development Grant last week to help fund rehabilitation of the building. According to WJHL News, a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) indicated that more than $6 million will be distributed to recipients across the state for the rehabilitation of historic buildings. The program helps communities and private developers invest in structures that contributed to a town’s history. This round of grants is expected to also leverage more than $13 million in private investment, the paper reports.