Today is recognized as the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, an observance that recognizes the courage of legal professionals who work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law and champion human rights at risk to their own safety. According to a statement from ABA President Mary Smith, this year’s recognition focuses on the situation in Iran, where since 2022, some 66 lawyers have been arrested and detained for defending those held by Iranian security forces for participating in human rights protests. But Smith notes that lawyers, judges and their staff around the world face harassment, including in the United States, where she says there is a “troubling increase” in “intimidation and threats of violence.”

Warning that crime in Shelby County is at a “crisis point,” state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, has asked Tennessee Attorney General Jonathon Skrmetti for a legal opinion on possible ways to speed cases through the justice system. The Tennessee Journal reports that, according to Taylor, there are 300 pending murder trials in the county, with more being added each day. In his letter to Skrmetti, Taylor writes that Shelby County Criminal Court judges have tried only 40 criminal jury trials in 2023 compared to some 200 per year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor also notes that former Memphis mayor Jim Strickland and District Attorney Steve Mulroy have called for action.

Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy’s office has released its annual report, which states that the office handled 87,206 cases with an average caseload of 498 per prosecutor during Mulroy's first year in office, from Sept. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023. “To say that that first year was a challenging one would be an understatement,” Mulroy said. “In my first week alone, we had the heartbreaking case of Eliza Fletcher’s kidnapping and murder followed in the same week by the Facebook Live shooting spree that led to the prosecution of Ezekiel Kelly.” The report covers Mulroy's violent crime initiative, the creation of the Justice Review Unit, the office's efforts in data collection and the expansion of its restorative justice program. The Daily Memphian has the story.

Clarksville lawyer Kevin C. Kennedy of The Kennedy Law Firm recently received a Golden Gavel Award at the National Trial Lawyers Summit, which was held in Miami, Florida. Kennedy received the award for his legal internship program. For decades, The Kennedy Law Firm has provided a legal internship program that has allowed high school, college and law school students to experience the real-life practice of law. Participants in the program also hear each year from area judges, who share their experiences and how they achieved their positions on the bench.

Lisa Ramsay Cole, president and managing shareholder of Lewis Thomason, and managing partner of the firm’s Nashville office, has been appointed vice chair of ALFA International’s managing partner forum. According to a press release from the law firm, the forum provides an opportunity for managing partners in ALFA’s various law firms around the world to share best practices, ask questions regarding common issues, and use each other for benchmarking. Three firms with offices in Tennessee are members of ALFA International: Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC, Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan PLLC and Lewis Thomason.

The Office of the Attorney General yesterday released a number of winter storm scam prevention tips for Tennesseans, including being aware of utility imposters, researching vehicle repair options and hiring only licensed contractors. Read the prevention tips and visit the Division of Consumer Affairs website for more information. State residents also can sign up for consumer alerts and learn more about scam reporting via the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has launched Community Classroom, an online source of information covering a wide range of civil legal issues. Community Classroom contains more than 50 downloadable booklets explaining legal rights and offering self-help advice on various legal matters. All the information is presented at a fifth-grade reading level that presents legal concepts in plain, easily understandable language. Some booklets are available in Spanish, Arabic, Korean, Thai, Russian and Vietnamese. Read more about the project.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis will serve in an interim role following a vote to table her confirmation at a Memphis City Council meeting, reports the Commercial Appeal. Memphis Mayor Paul Young suggested to the council that Davis serve in an interim role to see what impact she can have on crime, police policy and community engagement before bringing the confirmation vote to the floor. Young said the timeline for that vote would up to the city council. Davis' confirmation hearing on Jan. 9 saw multiple council members questioning her record on fighting crime and enforcing reforms passed by the council as well as her ability to lead the department.

According to a new poll by test prep company Kaplan, a majority of law school admissions officers are concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court’s ban on race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities will reduce the number of diverse law students. Reuters reports that 54% of those polled were "very concerned" the ruling would affect campus diversity, while 33% said they are “somewhat concerned” and 13% were either neutral, unconcerned or did not know. Respondents were a bit more optimistic about their own ability to bring in diverse classes: 21% said they were “very concerned” about those efforts, while 38% said they were "somewhat concerned." Despite the concerns, Kaplan notes that the fall 2023 entering class was the most racially diverse on record with 40% students of color, and that the current applicant pool for fall 2024 admission is historically diverse with 43% students of color.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has announced that Nashville partner and TBA member A.J. Bahou has been appointed to serve on the newly formed Artificial Intelligence (AI) Committee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia selected the committee, which will be chaired by Judge Eric D. Miller, to aid the court in evaluating appropriate rules and uses of AI. Bahou currently serves as Bradley’s AI practice leader and frequently speaks on the use and ethical implications of AI and ChatGPT in law practice and other industries. If you missed his presentation at TBA's Law Tech program last year, check it out here.