After adopting a new rule aimed at curtailing “judge shopping” for cases that challenge government policies, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has clarified that trial courts have discretion on how to implement the policy. Reuters reports that in an email to district court judges on Friday, the chair of the Judicial Conference committee that developed the policy acknowledged that existing federal law gives the district courts sole discretion to decide how cases are assigned, and said the policy "should not be viewed as impairing a court's authority or discretion." He also said that conference policies "set out various ways for courts to align their case assignment practices with the longstanding Judicial Conference policy of random case assignment."

At least eight more people have come forward to accuse a Memphis man of pretending to be an attorney and scamming them out of thousands of dollars, WREG reports. The station first reported on Glenis “Chip” Campbell’s arrest in February. At the time, he was charged with three counts of impersonating a licensed professional and two counts of theft of property in three different cases. Since then, new victims have come forward with one individual saying he was scammed out of $25,000 and another saying he paid Campbell $43,000 over a five-year period to represent him. Campbell is now facing 20 charges in 11 cases. He is being held in the Shelby County Jail on a $283,500 bond.

The TBA Administrative Law Section is accepting submissions for its annual writing competition for law students. All students enrolled in a Tennessee law school during the 2023–2024 school year are eligible to enter. Submissions are due March 27. The section offers this yearly competition to promote an interest in and understanding of both state and federal administrative law, and to strengthen the relationship among administrative law professors, law students and practitioners in Tennessee. The winning submission will be published in the Administrative Law Section newsletter and the winner will be awarded $1,000. Get more information and competition rules in this handout.

Diversity Law Week in Memphis and Nashville concluded with impactful presentations at the University of Memphis School of Law and Vanderbilt University Law School. The final events offered students insights from the deans of admission, a college primer, a mock law school class and a panel discussion with experienced attorneys. Over the course of the week, 100 diverse high school students across the state had an opportunity to shadow attorneys, explore courtrooms and immerse themselves in law school for a day. Diversity Law Week, a project of YLD President Quinton Thompson, was designed to help these students — particularly those who expressed an interest in the legal profession — chart their career paths. Thanks to Thompson and Diversity Law Week Chairs Ariel Anthony, Erin Shackelford and Kevin Christopher for their exceptional leadership and dedication to making this program a success. See photos from the event.

Frederick Agee, district attorney for Tennessee’s 28th Judicial District and who is prosecuting Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9 Judge Melissa Boyd’s criminal case, said Thursday he would file an amended motion to revoke Boyd’s bond after she tested positive for cocaine and alcohol on March 12. According to the Daily Memphian, Boyd has been out of custody on a $5,000 bond since Dec. 13, 2023. If her bond were revoked, she would be held in custody until trial, which is set to start on April 24. Agee’s office had previously moved to revoke Boyd’s bond after she tested positive for marijuana on Jan. 3.

Diversity Law Week high school students in Memphis today observed a motion docket in Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Gina C. Higgins' courtroom. Afterwards, they were able to discuss what they observed with the judge and ask questions about her life and career. Thanks to Judge Higgins and YLD President Quinton Thompson for leading today's activities.

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is the "preferred candidate" to be the next dean of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, according to an email obtained by the Commercial Appeal. David J. Russomanno, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost for the University of Memphis, said in the email to faculty, "We have reached an extraordinary moment with a tremendous need for a collaborative dean who will demonstrate exemplary leadership and focus on initiatives and priorities to significantly increase enrollment, bar passage rates and philanthropic support to our law school to ensure its continued viability and vitality." The current dean and the first woman in the law school's history to hold the position, Katharine T. Schaffzin, announced in an August 2023 email to the law school community that she will step down at the end of this academic year.

A new episode of the Legislative Updates podcast is live! Join attorney and TBA lobbyist Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley as they discuss committees closing for this legislative session, as well as TBA's upcoming Day on the Hill and Big Shrimp Legislative Reception, which will be held in Nashville on March 20. These events give Tennessee lawyers an opportunity to meet with their legislators and talk to them about issues important to the profession, including funding for indigent representation. Registration for the events will close on Monday. Legislative Updates airs each week on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Eric Bittner has been confirmed by the Clarksville City Council to become the next city attorney for Clarksville. He will succeed longtime City Attorney Lance Baker on May 1 after Baker's retirement. Bittner earned a degree in finance as well as his law degree from the University of Memphis (then Memphis State) and began practicing law in Clarksville in 1995. He served as deputy city attorney from July 2021 until February 2023. Since that time, Bittner has served as city risk manager in the Human Resources Department.

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has adopted a new rule aimed at curtailing “judge shopping,” whereby state attorneys general, activists and companies file lawsuits against government policies in courthouses where one or two sympathetic judges are virtually guaranteed to hear the case. The move reportedly comes in response to concerns from the American Bar Association, the Biden administration and other Democratic lawmakers about the number of suits being filed in single-judge divisions in Texas, which have limited President Joe Biden's policy agenda. Under the new policy, lawsuits seeking to block state or federal laws will be randomly assigned to a judge in the federal district. Some judges have criticized the rule, saying it appears to clash with a federal law that  gives district courts control over the allocation of cases on their dockets. Others have questioned the logistics of transferring cases, Reuters reports.