The Nashville Bar Foundation recently honored its 2023 class of fellows at an evening event, which also included presentation of the David Rutherford Award. This year’s award was presented posthumously to Judge Philip E. Smith, who served as a circuit court judge in Nashville from 1990-1994. The award is given to a fellow who exemplifies the memory and ideals of David Rutherford, which include professionalism, charitable contributions in the legal field and in the community as a whole, and the spirit of collegiality among bench and bar. Read more in a press release from the group.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Alumni Chapter will honor five Memphis-area lawyers at its annual Pillars of Excellence event set for Aug. 26 at the Fed Ex Forum. Those receiving awards are: Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen; Robert L. Dinkelspiel, founding member of Dinkelspiel Rasmussen & Mink; Mike McLaren, shareholder at Black McLaren Jones Ryland & Griffee; David Wade, shareholder and director at Martin Tate Morrow & Marston; and Ruby R. Wharton, founder and partner with The Wharton Law Firm. U.S. District Court Judge Phipps McCalla with the Western District of Tennessee will receive the 2023 Friend of the Law School award. The event will start with a reception at 6 p.m. CDT followed by dinner, awards and an after party. Proceeds from the evening will support the law school and student scholarships.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined 22 other attorneys general in urging the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to advance artificial intelligence governance policies that prioritize robust transparency, reliable testing and assessment requirements, and allow for government oversight and enforcement for high-risk uses. Read more about the issue or read the letter.

A story in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today about two Jackson individuals prosecuted for bank fraud did not include details about the sentence for Benjamin Vargason. He was sentenced to time served and placed on supervised release for three years, with six months to be served in home confinement. Read the full press release from the U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Tennessee.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced today that 14 attorneys in the firm’s Nashville office have been recognized by the Tennessee Supreme Court as 2022 “Attorneys for Justice.” Since 2013, the court has recognized lawyers who work a minimum of 50 pro bono hours. Attorneys are acknowledged for their pro bono work and their dedication to the legal profession and service to the citizens of Tennessee. The goal of the recognition program is to increase statewide pro bono work to 50% participation. Among those recognized at Bradley are Marc Bussone, Tim Capria, Charles Elder, Madison Crooks Haynes, Claire Fox Hodge, Alexandra Lynn, Russell Morgan, Ocasha Musah, Edmund Sauer, Jeffrey Sheehan, Rachel Sodée, Richard Swor, David Taylor and Heather Wright.

Jennifer Azbill-Hall and Benjamin Vargason of Jackson were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a bank fraud scheme. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentences today. Hall and Vargason were indicted in December 2019 in connection with a scheme to steal $820,000 from B&H Finance by opening fictitious accounts in the names of former B&H customers where Hall was employed.

The FedEx pilots' union voted Sunday to approve a new contract for its pilots, reported the Commercial Appeal. The next step in the process is a membership ratification ballot among union members, which will open July 5 and closes July 24. The contract calls for a 30% pay increase and a 30% increase to the pilots’ legacy pension. The pilots' union has been in negotiations with FedEx management since May 2021.

Knox County magistrate and former Knox County Republican Party Chair Ray H. Jenkins resigned Monday following his indefinite suspension for drinking on the job reported WBIR. The county's other four magistrates are expected to assume Jenkins workload. Jenkins' departure raises the possibility that previous defendants could seek to void out warrants signed by Jenkins due to his condition.

The Tennessee Bar Association has named Nashville lawyer Sheree Wright to be its next Executive Director. A Senior Associate General Counsel at Vanderbilt University, Wright has been active in the TBA and the Nashville, Tennessee and national legal communities throughout her career. “We are extremely excited to have Sheree join the Tennessee Bar Association as our new executive director,” TBA President Tasha Blakney said in announcing the appointment. “Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a knowledge of the law as well as a genuine commitment to the Bar and the community. She is from Tennessee, was educated in Tennessee, has practiced law here, and has proven herself to be a well-respected leader. We know she will bring her considerable talents to the leadership of our association and will prove to be an incredible asset.” Wright holds undergraduate and law degrees from Vanderbilt University, where she has worked for more than 30 years after starting her career in private practice with a defense litigation firm. She previously served as president of the Nashville Bar Association and on the Board of Directors of the Lawyer’s Association for Women. At the TBA, she is a member of the Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility and has been a frequent CLE speaker.

Three Tennessee teachers associations filed suit today over a new law that prohibits association dues from being voluntarily deducted from paychecks, the Tennessean reported. The dues provision was included in a budget bill set to go into effect July 1 that will raise the teacher pay rate to a minimum of $50,000 per year by 2027. In a Chancery Court complaint, the groups claim the deduction ban is in violation of the state constitution prohibiting a bill from becoming law if it "embraces more than one subject," arguing a pay raise is a "wholly different" subject than payroll deductions for professional organizations.