Resources now available on the TBA website include a guide from TBA Member Advantage partner Clio on working remotely, a list of practice products offering free trials from legal technology guru Robert Ambrogi, a Q&A from the U.S. Department of Labor on the newly enacted Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and information for small businesses from the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. A number of law firms also have shared their online COVID-19 responses. Get these and other resources from the TBA’s Pandemic Resource Center, which includes sections dedicated to cancellations, postponements and closures; changes in policies and procedures at courts and other legal organizations; legal resources; health and wellness resources; and updates about TBA events.

Gov. Bill Lee today announced that the deadline for filing corporate franchise and excise taxes will be extended to July 15 and asked that schools stay closed until April 24, the Tennessean reports. Through an executive order, Lee also activated Tennessee National Guard troops, 250 of which will assist at rural COVID-19 testing sites around the state. Drivers licenses expiring after March 12 will be extended until May 18 and the state is also waiving emissions testing deadlines until that date. Read Executive Order 19 here.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery today filed an emergency petition asking the Tennessee Public Utility Commission to stop services disconnections for nonpayment during the State of Emergency invoked by Gov. Bill Lee. The press release from the AG’s office says the commission has already been closely monitoring the measures its regulated private investor-owned utilities have taken to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, while also ensuring reliable utility service. The Commission has also issued a formal request to its regulated public utilities, including gas, electric, water, and wastewater/sewer, to provide ongoing reports including measures to ensure the continuity of safe and reliable service. Read the full release.

The TBA unveiled expanded pandemic resources today, with information for lawyers interested in how the COVID-19 virus is impacting the practice of law as well as specific practice areas. The online resource center also includes an ongoing list of closures and policy changes at courts and other legal organizations, health and wellness resources, and updates about TBA events. This information is being made available to the entire legal community. TBA membership is not required for access. If you have a resource you would like share please email the information to tbatoday@tnbar.org.

Practice management company Clio announced Monday it would commit $1 million to a disaster relief fund that will help the legal community recover from hurdles brought by the COVID- 19 pandemic. The disaster relief fund will help with financial aid for Clio licenses, financial support for law firms and organizations that need help moving to the cloud and educational resources and consulting expertise for firms. Clio co-founder and CEO Jack Newton talks to Bob Ambrogi on the legal podcast LawNext about the fund and how it will be used.

The Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) is open and ready to assist attorneys who may be facing extra stress and pressure because of the coronavirus outbreak and related closures. TLAP is a free, confidential assistance program providing consultation, referral, intervention and crisis counseling for lawyers, judges, bar applicants and law students who are struggling with substance abuse, stress or emotional health issues. Judges, attorneys and others in the legal profession may also refer colleagues to the program. “We at TLAP want to let you know that we are up and running during this difficult time of COVID-19 and understand the many complications that have arisen in the legal community,” said TLAP Commission Chair Judge Michael Spitzer. Read more from Judge Spitzer. Contact TLAP at 877- 424-8527 or 615-741-3238.

Courts around the country are halting jury trials and other proceedings due to COVID-19 concerns, which will create a backlog that could harm access to justice in already overburdened districts, Law360 reports. The article looks at several states as an example of the emerging national quandary that is pitting access to justice against public health concerns. Many of the states hardest hit by the new coronavirus — New York, Washington, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Florida — are also home to some of the most overburdened federal courts in the country, the article points out. Legal aid leaders say they hope attorneys will call on Congress to provide the funding and additional judges the federal courts will need.

Pandemic news from legal organizations and other organizations that affect lawyers is posted online. Updates for today include items from Hamilton County Juvenile Court, Legal Aid for East Tennessee, Spring Hill Municipal Court, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, U.S. Supreme Court, and Williamson County Traffic Court. Check out the TBA’s new Pandemic Resource Center, with sections dedicated to cancellations, postponements and closures, changes in procedures, legal resources, general information, and updates about TBA events.

The U.S. Department of Justice has taken its first action to combat fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The action came against operators of a website offering a fraudulent coronavirus vaccine. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring the site, coronavirusmedicalkit.com, be blocked from public view. The department has prioritized fraud schemes arising out of the coronavirus emergency. It has developed guidelines for consumers to protect themselves from scams and asks that those who suspect fraud related to COVID-19 call the National Center for Disaster Fraud hotline at 866-720-5721 or email.

As COVID-19 continues to affect all aspects of life, the TBA brings you two new resources for navigating the pandemic. Now that more employees are being asked to work from home, the TBA is offering a webcast to help lawyers working remotely. Working From Home is More Than a Laptop and Cell Phone will take place Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. Join Lori Gonzalez, president of the RayNa consulting firm, as she provides the building blocks needed to create an effective work-from-home strategy. The second offering — Navigating Client Financial Issues During the Pandemic — will focus on the financial issues that both businesses and creditors will face as a result of the pandemic. Join David Anthony with Bone McAllester Norton and Griffin Dunham with Dunham Hildebrand on Friday from 1 to 2 p.m.