St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio has welcomed 27 students to its inaugural fully online Juris Doctor program, the first to be accredited by the American Bar Association. The law school also offers a traditional J.D. program and had 791 applicants for its first all-remote cohort. The online program offered admission to 71 applicants, a 9% acceptance rate that falls close to top-ranked Yale Law School. Dean Patricia Roberts said that the program’s large applicant pool “showed us that there is an interest and a need for this.” The ABA in May 2021 granted St. Mary’s permission to offer its fully online degree as a five-year pilot program. That approval came after law schools were quickly forced to switch to remote classes by the COVID-19 pandemic, giving them more experience with distance education.

WREG reports that Pamela Moses, who was convicted of voter fraud in January of this year, is suing the state of Tennessee, current Memphis District Attorney Steve Mulroy and former Memphis District Attorney Amy Weirich, citing emotional damages. After Moses’ sentencing in February, a judge later granted her a new trial, stating that information about a previous conviction should not have been considered by the jury, and that a document from probation officials was not disclosed at trial. Weirich later dismissed the charges. Moses is asking for compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants.

Metro Nashville Police Department investigators working with the district attorney’s office were attempting to serve two arrest warrants for Zachary Johnson on Thursday afternoon. They claim Johnson was threatening and stalking Nashville attorneys Bernard McEvoy and Emily Todoran, who had represented him in the past. Johnson, however, refused to come out of his home, which led to an hours-long standoff, shots fired and a house fire.

The Tennessee Commission on Youth and Children (TCYY) says that almost 90% of kids who move homes five or more times while in the foster care system will end up in the criminal justice system. “In the foster care system, a huge risk factor is multiple moves,” said Kylie Graves, communications and policy specialist for the TCCY. “Thirty three percent of our kids who are in foster care are going to move three or four times within their first year. Nationally, that number is 14%.” Reports show Tennessee has the highest rate of foster care instability in the nation. Read more about the root causes of violent juvenile crime in Tennessee from WKRN.

Attorneys from Butler Snow, Bradley, Baker Donelson and Adams and Reese participated in an expungement clinic at Belmont School of Law on Friday as part of the Capitol City Challenge. Attorneys and Belmont Law students were welcomed by TBA Vice President Ed Lanquist and Davidson County Criminal Court Clerk Howard Gentry. Attorneys, students and representatives from the clerk’s office then assisted clients in filling out and filing expungement paperwork. The clinic was sponsored by the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. Over $12,000 in legal services were donated during the clinic. Click here to view photos from the event.

The TBA YLD also visited Duncan Law. YLD District Representative Chuck Sharrett and Danny Chung, a 2L participant in the YLD’s Diversity Leadership Institute, spoke to students about the importance of networking, attending CLE events, and exploring different fields of law. TBA membership is free to all law school students studying in the state of Tennessee. See a photo from the visit.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division were in Knoxville to promote TBA membership and benefits to law students at the University of Tennessee College of Law and the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. At the University of Tennessee, students came out for a breakfast and to hear from Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) graduate Darrius Dixon. He discussed his experience in the DLI program and encouraged the 1Ls to get involved with the TBA early in their law school career. See a photo from the visit.

Supporters of the University of Tennessee’s Legal Clinic from across the state gathered in Knoxville on Friday to celebrate the clinic’s 75th anniversary. Following a welcome from UT Legal Clinic Director Joy Radice, College of Law Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. gave opening remarks. Other speakers included Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee and former Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services Director Ann Pruitt. See more photos from the event.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled Friday that President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program should be put on hold while challenges play out, The Hill reports. The decision came in an appeal from six Republican-led states after a federal district judge said the states did not have standing to sue. As of Friday, more than 22 million people had applied for the student loan debt forgiveness program according to the White House. In related news, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett last week rejected an emergency bid from a group of Wisconsin taxpayers to block the plan. Tennessee Daily has that story.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider nine applicants for the Court of Criminal Appeals – Western Section vacancy created by the passing of the Judge John Everett Williams on Sept. 2. The applicants are: Vance Dennis, Joshua B. Dougan, John Morris Miles, Hillary Lawler Parham, Jeffrey William Parham, Matthew F. Stowe, William Mark Ward, Matthew Joseph Wilson and Chadwick R. Wood. The council will hold a public hearing on Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. CST in the courtroom of the Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Jackson. The council is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. Read more about the process or learn more about the individual candidates from the Administrative Office of the Courts.