The judges of the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Tennessee will hold a memorial service next month to honor the judges who have recently passed away. The event will pay tribute to District Judges Todd J. Campbell, Thomas A. Higgins, John T. Nixon and Thomas A. Wiseman Jr., Magistrate Judges E. Clifton Knowles and Kent Sandidge III and Circuit Judge Gilbert S. Merritt. The memorial will take place on Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. CST in the rotunda of the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse & Federal Building, 719 Church St., Nashville. A reception will follow. Read the invitation.

Parnassus Books in Nashville is hosting the launch of former Tennessee Bar Journal editor Suzanne Craig Robertson's book, He Called Me Sister: A True Story of Finding Humanity on Death Row. The event will be on Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m. CST. The event is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. With a foreword by Sister Helen Prejean and preface by Bill Moyers, the memoir recounts the Robertson family's 15-year friendship with Cecil Johnson, who was on Tennessee's death row and was executed in 2009. Drawing from Johnson's own memoir, news accounts and court documents, the book also features interviews with many lawyers involved in the case. Preorders are available from Parnassus and other online retailers.

The Washington County Bar Association will hold its annual social event at the Johnson City Country Club on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. EST. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. Drinks will be available at a cash bar. Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased via Venmo @WashingtonCounty-BarAssoc or by check sent to Washington County Bar Association, P.O. Box 3272, Johnson City, TN 37602.

The TBA Book Club will hold its second discussion event on Jan. 11, 2023, from 4 to 5 p.m. CST via Zoom. Members chose Jodi Picoult’s “Small Great Things” as the group’s second quarter book selection. The novel focuses on a Black labor and delivery nurse who is assigned to a child of white supremacists. The TBA will welcome author, poet and African American literature and cultural history expert Darius Stewart to the meeting as a special guest who will provide context and insight into the book. Former TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson will lead the discussion. Register for the event here.

The Memphis Bar Association has announced it will host a portrait unveiling for retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice M. Holder on Jan. 13. The event will take place at 2 p.m. CST at the Judge D’Army Bailey Courthouse, Second Floor, South Corridor, 140 Adams Avenue, Memphis. A reception will follow. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Jan. 6 to info@memphisbar.org or 901-527-3573.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold three clinics next week. On Wednesday, a clinic will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the downtown Nashville Public Library. On Thursday, the group will hold its Greenhouse Ministries clinic in Murfreesboro from 3-4:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, it will hold the McHugh Clinic at Belmont from 8:30-10:30 a.m. All times are central. To volunteer for a clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. Get more details and see all December clinics.

The Memphis Bar Association will hold its Annual Meeting Thursday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. CST at the Memphis Botanic Garden. During the meeting, President Tannera Gibson will pass the gavel to incoming president Jennifer Sink and the incoming secretary/treasurer and the 2023 board of directors will be announced. The evening also will feature the presentation of three awards. Terrence Reed will receive the Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award. Amber Floyd will receive the Sam A. Myar Jr. Memorial Award and the W.J. Michael Cody Access to Justice Award. Download a flyer for the event or register online.

Join the Construction Law section in person in Nashville on Jan. 27 for the Construction Law Forum. Details for this annual staple coming soon! 

The YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee will host its next Stand Against Injustice virtual lunch and learn on Nov. 29 from 1-2 p.m. CST. This month's topic will be "Antisemitism in Our Day." The program will explore the rise of antisemitism in Tennessee and across the country. Speakers include the chair of the Nashville Holocaust Memorial, a Vanderbilt University anthropology professor and a local rabbi. Learn more here.

The Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy is hosting an event at Vanderbilt University’s Student Life Center Ballroom to examine the potential impact of recent Supreme Court decisions on the perceived politicization of federal courts. Panelists with experience as White House counsel in Republican and Democratic administrations are expected to discuss the intricacies of the federal judiciary’s nomination and confirmation process. Additionally, this expert group, including CBS News’ chief judicial correspondent, will highlight which decisions will generate headlines in the coming year and what effect, if any, the major decisions of 2022 had on the midterm elections. The free event will be held Nov. 29 at 11 a.m. CST. Advance registration is required.