A survey by the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism found nearly a quarter of lawyers in that state were victims of workplace bullying within the past year, according to Reuters. Of the more than 6,000 Illinois lawyers surveyed, 24% said they had recently experienced bullying on the job, with the rate higher among women, racial minorities, LGBTQ+ and younger lawyers, the survey reports. The report recommends that legal workplaces develop and enforce anti-bullying policies, that law schools offer anti-bullying training, and that judges enforce anti-bullying policies in their courtrooms.

A Memphis man who drowned while saving a child from a flooded ditch has been posthumously honored with the Carnegie Medal, a prestigious award recognizing civilian heroism, according to the Daily Memphian. Will Drennan, a father of two, died in August 2022 while attempting to rescue a young boy during a severe storm. This has earned him national recognition for his bravery. Drennan’s son, Hayden, who was present at the scene of the accident, often describes his father as a superhero, the paper reports.

Ascension Saint Thomas, Rutherford County’s largest hospital, plans to rebuild and expand its sexual assault exam program according to Tennessee Lookout. Earlier this year, the hospital had allegedly stopped providing specialized sexual assault nurse exams (SANE exams) according to the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Center in Murfreesboro and a Rutherford County district attorney, who also noted that the exams yield key evidence needed to bring perpetrators to justice. A hospital spokesperson earlier this month denied claims that the hospital had stopped performing exams. The hospital now has released a written plan outlining its commitment to “rebuilding and expanding" the program, which it said had been facing staffing shortages.

Terrance McNeil, an assistant professor at Tennessee State University’s College of Education, has been appointed chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of State and Local Government Law's Public Education Committee. McNeil, who has a focus in educational leadership, will serve in the role until August 2025. With more than 20 years in K-12 and higher education, McNeil has experience in program coordination, curriculum development and grant writing, according to a press release from the group. McNeil received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in political science and a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Florida A&M University. The ABA Section of State and Local Government Law serves as a resource for lawyers involved in urban, state and local government law and policy.

A Nashville attorney is suing the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, challenging the court’s use of gag orders that restrict attorneys from speaking to the media about ongoing litigation. Daniel Horwitz, represented by the Institute for Justice, argues that the court’s Local Rule 83.04, which governs attorney statements, is unconstitutional and places an unfair burden on attorneys to prove their speech will not harm proceedings. According to the Nashville Banner, Horwitz believes the rule is particularly problematic in cases involving government contractors, such as his recent lawsuit against CoreCivic over a wrongful death case at Trousdale Turner Correctional Facility. Core Civic filed a motion to invoke the rule against Horwitz, which a federal magistrate granted and then required Horwitz to delete social media posts related to the case.

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The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced that it would work with East Tennessee Drivers Services Centers to distribute duplicate licenses or state IDs to anyone who lost those documents in flooding following Hurricane Helene. KnoxNews reports that flood victims can go to the Unicoi Police Department, 3600 Unicoi Dr., Unicoi 37692 or Newport Grammar School, 301 College St., Newport 37821, now through Oct. 4 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EDT to seek replacements. According to the paper, the state expects to announce more of these "temporary driver services locations" soon.

The state of Colorado has agreed to pay more than $1.5 million in legal fees to web designer Lorie Smith after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 that the right to free speech allows some businesses to refuse to provide services for same-sex weddings, according to Reuters. An attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, a faith-based legal advocacy organization that pursues lawsuits related to religious liberty, said, "Our clients Lorie Smith and her design studio, 303 Creative ... achieved a landmark victory ... that helps to protect all Americans’ freedom of speech from government censorship and coercion."

The Biden administration on Monday announced it would implement changes to the asylum claims process at the U.S.-Mexico border. The plan extends the period in which average border crossings must be below an average of 1,500 before allowing new asylum claims. An interim plan put in place in June allowed for new claims if the seven-day average dropped below 1,500. The change extends that timeframe to 28 days. The Department of Homeland Security says the policy is designed to avoid "volatility" at the border. Reuters reports on the story. The ACLU sued the administration over the June policy and says it also opposes this new change.

Four Vanderbilt Law School professors are among the 20 most-cited Administrative and/or Environmental Law faculty in the U.S. for the period 2019-2023 — more than any other U.S. law school. The school reports that J.B. Ruhl, Lisa Schultz Bressman, Jim Rossi and Kevin Stack rank eighth, 10th, 13th and 19th respectively, according to the latest scholarly impact study by Gregory Sisk at the University of St. Thomas. The professors have collaborated with one another on several publications, including "The Regulatory State," a textbook on statutory interpretation and administrative lawmaking co-authored by Bressman, Stack and Rubin.