The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and the U.S. General Services Administration will host a dedication ceremony next Friday for the new Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in downtown Nashville. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. CDT with Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer and historian Jon Meacham serving as the dedication speaker. A reception and tour of the building will follow the ceremony. The courthouse, which is named for former U.S. Sen. Fred D. Thompson of Lawrenceburg, has been in the works for more than 25 years. Read more in a release from the court or view the invitation.

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday sent to the president a bill eliminating the statute of limitations for victims of child sex abuse who seek to file civil claims. The “Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act” had passed the Senate in March, WKRN reports. The measure calls for removing the statute of limitations for minors filing civil claims relating to a number of sex abuse crimes, including forced labor, sex trafficking, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children. Under current law, minors who experience sexual abuse are able to file federal civil claims until they turn 28 years old, or until 10 years after the violation or injury is discovered. There is no statute of limitations in place for criminal offenses involving child sex abuse.

Dover Signature Properties recently turned the old Tennessee State Supreme Court building in Knoxville into 63 apartments. The renovated building, called The Tribute, includes seven floors with one bedroom and studio spaces, along with a rooftop lounge. The company plans to open 237 more units by the end of the year, WBIR reports.

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill from U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Memphis Democrat, that would direct the National Park Service to study the feasibility of adding lynching sites in and around Memphis to its properties. The Lynching Sites Project of Memphis, a nonprofit seeking to commemorate about two dozen locations, has been working to document the sites, Tennessee Lookout reports. Congress enacted bills with similar missions earlier this year, voting to add a former Japanese internment camp in southeastern Colorado to the park system and to expand sites related to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case in Kansas.

Retired Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Neil Thomas will speak to the Chattanooga Area Historical Association next Monday about the 1906 lynching of Ed Johnson. He will also provide a brief overview of the how the court functions and the influence the Johnson case has had on the court. The event will begin at 6 p.m. EDT in the chapel of the First Presbyterian Church, 554 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga 37402. Chattanoogan.com reports on the event.

The Knoxville law firm of Butler, Vines & Babb PLLC is seeking an associate attorney to handle general civil litigation. Candidates can be a recent law school graduate or those with up to five years of experience. The firm reports that it offers a competitive salary, outstanding benefits and a convenient location with free parking and workout facility. Read the full job posting and access instructions for applying on the TBA’s JobLink platform.

The TBA is hitting the road and coming to Covington! The three-hour Court Square program set for Wednesday is designed to provide attorneys with the latest developments in multiple areas of the law. The afternoon will start with a lunch and learn networking session with TBA President Tasha Blakney. Then TBA’s Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz will provide a legislative update. Amber Shaw of Harris Shelton will provide insights into navigating concurrent civil and criminal cases, and William Wooten of the Wooten Law Office will wrap up the day with an overview of employment law. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. CDT at the Dyersburg State Community College - Jimmy Naifeh Center. Register here.

The Memphis Bar Association this week announced it has selected 11 law students to participate in its 2022 MBA Leadership Scholars Class. The new program, created by MBA President Tannera Gibson, is designed to equip rising 2Ls and 3Ls at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law with leadership skills as they transition from law student to lawyer. The inaugural class includes: Alexander Perkins, Christina Mulliford, Danielle Quadrani Riartes, Derrick Ranson II, Hilaria Mbati, Renna McCartney, Kentavius Whitt, Rajanne Jones, Remon Youssef, Trenton Woodley and Wai-Lin Danieley. Read more about the program from the MBA.

The Sevier County Bar Association is sponsoring the 8th Annual Sevier County Juvenile CLE Seminar on Oct. 25, with all proceeds benefiting the Women’s Recovery Home. The virtual program will include seven hours of CLE credit and will cover juvenile law topics applicable statewide. The registration fee is $125.

Former federal judge and U.S. Solicitor General Ken Starr died today at 76, The Hill reports. Starr was nominated by former President Ronald Reagan to the federal appellate court for the D.C. Circuit in 1983, where he served until becoming solicitor general during the first Bush administration. Starr headed up the Whitewater investigation into former President Bill Clinton, which ultimately led to his impeachment. In 2019, Starr headlined the Bench/Bar program during the TBA’s annual Convention in Nashville, where he shared his experience as independent special counsel. According to this family, Starr passed away in a Houston hospital following complications from surgery.