A recent story from the Associated Press looks at the uncertainty facing doctors, and patients with life threatening pregnancies, now that the state’s abortion ban has taken effect. The story follows Knoxville criminal defense attorney Chloe Akers, from her first reading of the state's new criminal statute in June, to quitting her law firm to founding the non-profit Stand Together Tennessee. Through the new group, Akers hopes to explain the intricacies of the law to doctors and the lawyers who might defend them. Akers has launched a Go Fund Me account to raise money for the new venture.

Members of the TBA’s Young Lawyers Division visited Belmont University College of Law to discuss the student's coming entry into the profession and share some of the benefits of TBA membership. As part of the free membership package, students get the opportunity to network and increase their professional knowledge. Thanks to YLD presenters Patrick Morrison and Angela Denise Williams and Belmont’s Public Interest Coordinator, Alix Rogers, for their contributions to the event. YLD members are making visits to each of Tennessee’s law schools this year. See photos from the event.

In one of her final rulings before retiring, Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled that the Tennessee Code Annotated is exempt from Tennessee public records law and that it cannot be copyrighted. She cited a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a similar case in Georgia as her rationale, the Nashville Post reports. Public.Resource.Org and Nashville law professor David Hudson had sued LexisNexis in Davidson County Chancery Court in July, asking the court to force the company to offer the complete and current electronic version of the TCA for free. Public.Resource President Carl Malamud said the organization would appeal the decision.

The state of Tennessee is no longer seeking a contractor to hold cryptocurrencies on its behalf, the Nashville Post reports. Earlier this year, the Department of Treasury was looking for a vendor to “be prepared in the event that unclaimed virtual currency is remitted to the state’s unclaimed property program.” After reevaluating its needs and the services requested, the department canceled that request and issued a new one that does not include custody of virtual currency among the services sought for the Unclaimed Property Division. The state directly holds unclaimed cash but uses a vendor to hold securities. The program seeks to reunite owners with funds.

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Board recently approved its FY 2023 budget outside of a public board meeting and without any public hearings “for fear there would not be a quorum to legally approve the budget,” the Times Free Press reports. With only five of the nine seats on the board filled, the federal utility needs every director to obtain a quorum for major actions. Two additional members will roll off the board at the end of the year, leaving the board even smaller unless their successors are named before then. The U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate and Nuclear Safety was to hold a hearing today to consider three new nominees: William J. Renick, a county judge executive in Kentucky; Adam "Wade" White, a former mayor in Mississippi; and Joe Ritch, a Huntsville, Alabama, attorney who was on the TVA board previously from 2012 to 2016. It previously held hearings on four Biden nominees.

The staffing shortage at the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) has gotten so critical a judge has warned lawmakers some of what’s happening to kids in the department’s care is “illegal,” WKRN reports. Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin, a member of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, recently spoke to lawmakers, encouraging them to increase funding for the agency. Irwin told lawmakers that in Knox County there are divisions of DCS operating with half their positions open while other counties are operating with even fewer employees.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti today announced that Tennessee is among 34 states and territories to reach a $438.5 million agreement in principle with JUUL Labs, resolving a two-year bipartisan investigation into the e-cigarette manufacturer’s marketing and sales practices. Of the $438.5 million, Tennessee will receive approximately $13 million. In addition to the financial terms, the settlement would force JUUL to comply with a series of strict injunctive terms that severely limit the company’s marketing and sales practices. A multistate investigation found JUUL, a dominant player in the vaping market, relentlessly marketed its product to underage users and that its packaging did not clearly disclose that it contained nicotine and implied that it contained a lower concentration of nicotine than it actually did. The Attorney General’s Office has more.

The TBA today announced a list of 10 attorneys chosen for its third Public Service Academy. The academy is a nonpartisan training fellowship that provides attorneys with the tools to run for local public offices, such as school board, city council and county commission. The program will take place over the course of two sessions during which fellows will hear speakers discuss topics like strategy, campaign finance, work-life balance and more. This year’s class members are: Raven Austin, Chattanooga; Amanda Bradley, Franklin; Duncan Bryant, Memphis; Brian Bush, Chattanooga; Jing Geng, Nashville; Timothy Martin, Pickwick Dam; David O’Neil, Brentwood; Jessica Schultz, Nashville; Ryan Strain, Memphis; and Angela Washington, Columbia. Read more from the TBA.

Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge John Everett Williams died on Friday. He was 68. In 1998, Williams was appointed to the court by former Gov. Don Sundquist and was retained in elections in 2000, 2006, 2014 and 2022. He was named presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2018, making him the first judge from West Tennessee to hold that position in 25 years. Williams practiced law in Huntingdon for 17 years before his appointment to the court. He served as chairperson of the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program for several years and was a strong advocate for the organization. Williams was known for his colorful dress and bowties as well as summer seersucker suits. He was a longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He was also an established thespian, dazzling audiences at the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center just last month. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Condolences may be left here.

Judges from the 15th Judicial District were last week sworn-in by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell. Included in the swearing-in were: Juvenile Court Judge Barry Tatum, Circuit Court Judge Michael Collins, Chancellor C.K. Smith, Circuit Court Judge Clara Byrd, Criminal Court Judge Brody Kane, General Sessions Judge Jimmy Lea, Magistrate David Kennedy and General Sessions Judge Ensley Hagan. The 15th Judicial District includes Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. See more pictures from the event here.