Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, with offices in Nashville and 19 other cities, has implemented a “shared sacrifice” approach to dealing with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. Beginning in April, partner draws were reduced by a minimum of 25%, with the percentage increasing on a progressive scale, so partners higher in the draw saw a larger cut. Compensation of associates and counsel was reduced by 20%. Staff making at least $75,000 saw a pay cut of 10% while those making more than $100,000 saw a cut of 15%. Chief officers are taking a pay cut more in line with that of partners. The firm is considering similar actions for offices outside the U.S., a spokesman confirmed to Law.com.

The Indiana Supreme Court last week ordered the Indiana State Board of Law Examiners to conduct a one-day remote bar examination on July 28. The examination will consist of the Indiana Essay Examination and a series of short answer questions on topics tested on the Multistate Bar Examination. Similar to the plan in Massachusetts, the Indiana bar exam will be good only for court admissions in that state. Also last week, Kellye Testy, president of the Law School Admission Council, said offering an online bar exam would require the building of a technical system. “I’m not going to say it would be impossible or that it won’t happen, but it’s a really big lift for states. They’re not testing organizations.” Above the Law has more on both stories.

Given the current pace of change to law firm practices, Above the Law and Litera have partnered to get a better sense of exactly how law firms are responding to the pandemic and what tools legal professionals are using to help them re-prioritize and reconfigure their workflow and client relationships. Interested in sharing your experience? Take the survey here.

The American Bar Association today announced creation of the “Coordinating Group on Practice Forward” to provide thought leadership on emerging challenges and opportunities facing the legal profession and justice system due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group will “look beyond the pandemic for innovations and new ways of providing legal services and delivering justice.” It also will coordinate the dissemination of resources. The move is in addition to an earlier announced task force charged with identifying legal needs arising from the pandemic.

The Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims is preparing for the return of in-person hearings and has issued guidance for those involved in the proceedings. Whenever possible, however, the court asks that telephone conferencing or video conferencing continue to be used. For cases that do require in-person hearings, the procedures involve limiting who can access the court building, how far in advance parties can enter the building, rules for social distancing while in the building and rules for how to share exhibits. The rules also require everyone attending an in-person hearing to wear a mask and be able to answer six health questions in the negative. Read more in this order from the court.

Gov. Bill Lee recently issued Executive Order 36 and Executive Order 37 to facilitate the treatment and containment of COVID-19 and minimize unnecessary person to person contact. Executive Order 36 extends and consolidates many provisions in Executive Orders 15, 19, 20, 24, 28 and 32, including the remote shareholder meeting provisions that have been extended to June 30, 2020. Executive Order 37 extends until June 30 Executive Order 26 that temporarily permits remote online notarization and witnessing. For more information on witnessing and notarizing documents while social distancing, check out this month’s Tennessee Bar Journal.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said Monday that more than 1,800 inmates currently have COVID-19, the Tennessean reports. The official total of infected inmates is 1,849 and 618 have recovered. 1,285 inmates at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville are positive for the virus which, according to national data from the New York Times, ranks it as the third largest outbreak in the country. Bledsoe County Correctional Complex in Pikeville was also ranked in the top five of worst outbreaks, but as of Monday, only five of those inmates are currently sick and 580 have recovered. Both Trousdale Turner and Bledsoe County have had one inmate die after testing positive for the disease.

The Tennessee Supreme Court entered an order yesterday that reduces the seating of the July 2020 bar exam that is scheduled for July 28 and July 29. The court also approved a policy that establishes protocol for seating applicants. The policy gives priority seating at the July exam to 2019 or 2020 graduates of Tennessee law schools who are taking the exam for the first time. If seats remain, additional levels of seating priorities have been established. Those who cannot be seated at the July exam will be seated at the October exam, scheduled for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Additionally, applicants who will be seated at the October exam have the opportunity to transfer their application to the February 2021 exam without additional fees. The Administrative Office of the Courts has the full story.

The TBA will host a free roundtable discussion Wednesday (today) at 1 p.m. CDT that will cover the dramatic changes to policy and operations of the courts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Join Appellate Practice Section past chair and American Academy of Appellate Lawyers member Buck Lewis, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee and Clerk of the Appellate Courts Jim Hivner as they discuss remote arguments, the recent oral argument white paper from the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and Justice Lee’s views on both. This event is free and open to all TBA members, but registration is required. Log in information will be provided following registration.

Republican and Democrat state legislators increasingly are raising concerns about the Lee Administration’s practice of sharing names and addresses of COVID-19-positive people with law enforcement, the Tennessean reports. At the direction of the governor, the Tennessee Department of Health is providing law enforcement a daily list of names and addresses of individuals who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Those individuals are not informed that their information is being shared with police, the paper reports. A number of Republicans and Democrats alike agree the practice raises serious concerns about liberty and privacy and should be reconsidered, if not immediately suspended. Those calling for an end to the practice include the Tennessee Caucus of Black State Legislators and conservative Republican lawmaker Scott Cepicky of Maury County.