Nashville Soccer Club owner John Ingram wrote a letter to members of the Metro Council Wednesday expressing “significant concerns” regarding proposed upgrades at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, reported the Tennessean. The letter included Ingram's concerns about running two similarly sized stadiums adjacent to one another and the resulting competing for non-soccer and non-racing events. Legislation to approve a deal for the renovations was filed Friday with the Metro Council.

A public meeting about the proposed new federal courthouse in Chattanooga will be held June 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. EDT at the Mac Avenue Event Space, 1304 McCallie Ave., Suite A. The public will have an opportunity to learn about possible locations for the courthouse and provide input on potential environmental impacts. The Chattanooga General Services Administration says that the facility will include seven courtrooms, nine judge chambers and offices for court-related agencies and secured parking spaces as well as the GSA, reported the Chattanoogan. The courthouse also will house the district clerk, bankruptcy clerk, U.S. Probation Office, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Attorney’s Office and Federal Public Defender's Office. 

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is accepting nominations for its three annual Access to Justice Awards: Janice M. Holder Award, B. Riney Green Award and New Advocate of the Year Award. Nominations and any supporting documents must be submitted by June 30. The awards will be presented at the 2023 Equal Justice University Conference. Learn more about the awards process.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd will be off the bench for a few months dealing with an undisclosed illness, the Commercial Appeal reports. Her predecessor, Senior Judge Mark Ward, will fill in during the absence. Prior to losing reelection to Boyd in 2022, Ward spent 18 years on the court. He is slated to take over on June 7. "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the people of Tennessee in this new role," Ward said about the appointment.

Vanderbilt University School of Law graduate Beth Cruz, class of 2010, has been named assistant dean and the Martha Craig Daughtrey director for public interest. Cruz will be responsible for creating public interest law opportunities and facilitating public interest law careers for students. She also will oversee pro-bono programs and contribute to the school’s externship and summer public interest stipend programs. Cruz returns to the school from the Nashville Public Defender’s Office, where she led the Education Rights Project. The public interest position honors Daughtrey and recognizes her commitment to public service, contributions to the school as a professor, and service as a judge in both federal and state courts. Spring Miller, who served as the inaugural assistant dean for public interest, has left to join the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. Read more from the school.

Graduation ceremonies at law schools across the state are wrapping up this month with special keynote addresses and award recognitions. At the University of Tennessee College of Law’s ceremony, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee encouraged graduates to lead with integrity and use their law degrees for good. At the Duncan School of Law, 91 graduates heard from federal Judge Curtis L. Collier, who urged them to consider the law as a form of public service. A number of students also received awards. At Vanderbilt University Law School, 23 graduates were recognized with academic and citizenship awards while 31 were recognized for pro bono work. And at the Nashville School of Law, students heard from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, who praised the sacrifices many of them made to attend law school while continuing to work.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has opened a new office in Atlanta with more than 20 attorneys, the Nashville Business Journal reports. It's a move that has been a strategic priority for the Birmingham-based firm for years, according to Jonathan Skeeters, managing partner and chairman of the board, who is based in the firm’s Nashville office. The move follows expansions to Florida and Texas. The new office is located in the Promenade Tower at 1230 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. See the list of lawyers joining the office.

In a legal filing, the parents of some Covenant School students are urging the court not to release the shooter’s entire writings to the public. WKRN News 2, which obtained a copy of the filing, reports that the parents argue that withholding certain documents will protect their children from “a lifetime of abuse and harassment by the shooter from beyond the grave.” They also argue there is “no compelling state interest in giving voice to a horrendous criminal.” The group is objecting to any documents that threaten the safety of the school or their children. They do not, however, object to a police summary of the shooter’s motives. They say that document would “provide the public with the information needed to understand this horrific crime” and hopefully prevent “another incident of this nature.” The next court date in the case is June 8.

Former House Speaker Glen Casada and aide Cade Cothren face an Oct. 3 trial date on charges related to alleged bribery and kickbacks, wire fraud and money laundering, the Chattanoogan reports. The trial will be presided over by U. S. District Judge Eli Richardson in Nashville and is expected to last two to three weeks. Former state Rep. Robin Smith, who resigned from the state House after being charged with federal wire fraud charges, is expected to testify. Sentencing on her guilty plea has been delayed until the conclusion of the Casada and Cothren trial.

A New York lawyer is facing sanctions over an error-riddled brief drafted with help from ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, reported Reuters. Steven Schwartz of Levidow, Levidow & Oberman faces a sanctions hearing on June 8 after he admitted to using ChatGPT for a brief in his client's personal injury case against Avianca Airlines. The brief cited six non-existent court decisions. Schwartz said in a court filing last week that he "greatly regrets" his reliance on the technology and was "unaware of the possibility that its contents could be false." Memphis attorney and ethics expert Brian Faughnan’s offers commentary on the case and technological competency.