The University of Tennessee College of Law recently announced on social media that Kristina “KK” Kersey will be joining the school’s clinic as an advocacy clinic professor. Kersey brings more than two decades of practice, teaching and training experience to the clinic. She previously worked at the Washington, D.C., based Gault Center as senior youth defense counsel, where she trained individuals defending youth in transfer proceedings throughout the country. Kersey’s dog, Biggie Smalls, also joins the clinic as the newest “furry” member.

Camden lawyer John W. Whitworth has been named chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. He was installed as the 42nd chair at the foundation’s annual membership meeting. Whitworth first joined the foundation board in 2017 as a West Tennessee trustee. He previously served a three-year term as a member of the Grant Review Committee. Whitworth, a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, focuses his practice on real estate, probate, estate planning and insurance defense. He also serves as judge of Benton County’s General Sessions and Juvenile Courts, and a member of the executive committee of the Tennessee Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He will serve until June 2024. Read more in a release from the foundation.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a motion with the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, asking the court for an emergency stay of a temporary partial injunction imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson in the case of L.W., et al. v. Skrmetti, et al. That case challenges the constitutionality of a new state law banning certain gender-related medical care for minors. Read more from the attorney general's office.

A former Metro Nashville Police Department employee was awarded $300,000 by a Davidson County jury this week after she alleged a “sexually hostile work environment” at the police department, the Nashville Post reports. The jury awarded Citlaly Gomez $450,000 in compensatory damages, but the court limited the award to $300,000, citing state law. The plaintiff is also eligible for attorney’s fees, according to the court. A Metro representative said the department is considering an appeal.

Six state-appointed Metro Nashville Airport Authority board members have been seated, airport officials announced Friday. The Tennessean reports they include: Tony Giarratana and Stuart McWhorter, appointed by Gov. Bill Lee; Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and Jimmy Granbery, appointed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally; and attorney Masami Tyson and Bobby Joslin, appointed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton. Two appointees from Nashville Mayor John Cooper have not been announced. Five other existing members will remain on the board, including attorney Joycelyn Stevenson, Andrew Byrd, Bill Freeman, Glenda Glover and Nancy Sullivan. Airport officials said they would abide by state law, despite concerns this week from the Federal Aviation Administration and an ongoing lawsuit challenging the new state law giving state elected leaders appointment powers on the commission.

The TBA will be closing at 3 p.m. CDT today and remain closed tomorrow, July 4, for Independence Day. The office will reopen Wednesday at 8 a.m. CDT. As always, our TBA.org website has plenty of continuing legal education options and other information available to you 24/7. Reach out to staff directly using contact information posted on our online staff directory.

The Death Penalty Information Center recently released a new report titled, “Doomed to Repeat: The Legacy of Race in Tennessee’s Contemporary Death Penalty.” The report highlights the connection between the state’s current use of capital punishment and its history of racial oppression, according to Stacy Rector with Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Tennessee stopped executions last year because of problems with the lethal injection protocol.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) podcast “Talk Justice” recently featured experts discussing the potential role of generative AI in expanding the reach of legal services and promoting access to justice. Podcast co-host and Vanderbilt Law professor Cat Moon was joined by Sam Flynn, COO and co-founder of the no-code automation platform Josef; Natalie Anne Knowlton, founder of Access to Justice Ventures; and Tom Martin, CEO and founder of the no-code AI platform LawDroid. Despite a lot of unknowns and concerns around AI, the group expressed hope that its growing popularity will lead to user-centered solutions that promote access to justice. “Talk Justice” episodes are available on the LSC’s website and on Spotify, Apple, Legal Talk Network and other podcast apps.

A third former deputy in the office of the Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk is suing the city and court leaders alleging that her dismissal was related to her reluctance to support the campaign of Deputy Clerk Joseph Day in his bid to succeed longtime Clerk Richard Rooker. Christy Anna Allen filed suit against Day, Rooker, Metro Government and two other clerk’s office employees, the Nashville Post reports. She is represented by Paul Forrest Craig, a Memphis attorney who is also representing former deputy clerks Veronica Edmondson and Annecia Donigan. All three allege that court employees were expected to support and work on Day’s campaign to succeed Rooker and that they were fired for not doing so.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has filed a notice of appeal of the injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee in the case of Friends of George, Inc. v. Mulroy. The notice is the first step in appealing the decision from earlier this month. Skrmetti said that the language “harmful to minors,” which the court found to be unconstitutionally vague, has appeared in various parts of Tennessee code for 33 years. Read his full statement.

In other news from the AG's office, Skrmetti has joined with attorneys general from other states on a number of lawsuits and regulatory comments in recent weeks. These include a suit against 20 polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) manufacturers for advertising and selling products with harmful chemicals, and a suit against the Biden administration’s proposed new “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” immigration rule. Regulatory comments include support for the Federal Communications Commission’s move to apply the National Do Not Call Registry to text messages but expressing concerns about a proposed rule regarding prior express written consent under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act; opposition to proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations that would affect sterilization of medical devices; and opposition to the president unilaterally raising the debt ceiling. Skrmetti also recently announced a settlement with Adore Me Inc. regarding deceptive advertising and billing practices.