Bass, Berry & Sims and Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC (GSRM Law) have teamed up with the Nashville State Community College Foundation to hold a monthly Legal Help Clinic. The clinics will begin on Sept. 13 and will allow students to meet in-person at the NSCC White Bridge campus in Nashville and virtually across the school’s seven Tennessee campuses for guidance on a variety of civil legal matters, such as landlord-tenant issues, vehicle purchase and repair, child support, expungement and more. The initiative coincides with Bass Berry’s “100 Acts of Service” in celebration of its 100th anniversary. GSRM Law is also celebrating 80 years of business in Nashville. Read more about the clinics here.

The Knoxville Bar Association last night hosted a Bench-Bar Celebration at the Knoxville Convention Center. The event was held to celebrate the unity and fellowship of the local legal community. The KBA honored the justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court and celebrated members of the judiciary at all levels for their dedication to the administration of justice. TBA President Tasha Blakney and Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson attended the event along with other TBA members. See pictures from the event here.

Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge John Everett Williams will lie in state from noon until 3 p.m. CDT on Monday in the Nashville Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N. Attorneys and the public are welcome to pay their respects in the courtroom. Williams died unexpectedly on Sept. 2. He was 68. Visitation will take place on Sept. 13 from 2 to 8 p.m. CDT at the Dilday-Carter Funeral Home, 650 High Street in Huntingdon. Services will be held on Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. CDT at the Huntingdon First United Methodist Church, 201 Asbury Circle, Huntingdon. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on Williams’ legacy, including stories and remembrances from the judiciary.

Metro Nashville City Council has passed an ordinance that will prevent law enforcement from using license plate reader (LPR) technology to enforce any laws criminalizing abortion, the Tennessean reports. The measure passed unanimously on consent Tuesday and will block the use of LPRs in "assisting with enforcing laws outlawing abortion or outlawing interstate travel to obtain abortion." Nashville has yet to implement LPR technology, but a six-month pilot program was approved by council earlier this year. Last month, councilmembers also passed an ordinance to restrict LPR use for assistance with immigration enforcement.

The U.S. Senate today confirmed Memphis attorney Andre Mathis to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Reuters reports. Mathis, a partner at Butler Snow, was confirmed on a 48-47 vote, despite prior objections from Tennessee Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty. He will be the first Black male and second Black person from Tennessee to sit on the Ohio-based 6th Circuit. Mathis is the second of President Joe Biden’s judicial picks to be confirmed this week.

Don't miss this year's 34th Annual Health Law Forum, taking place in person Oct. 20-21 at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. This year's program will include a keynote address by Interim Health Commissioner Dr. Morgan McDonald and sessions on fraud and abuse, current and future issues in artificial intelligence and machine-based learning, the latest on research and clinical trials, and post-Roe concerns for healthcare workers. For those interested in learning more about the health law field, the 22nd Annual Health Law Primer will take place Oct. 19 from noon to 4:30 p.m. CDT at the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims. Thanks to Carnahan Group, presenting sponsor for both programs.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a free low-income legal help clinic on Wednesday in Gallatin. The clinic will run from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. CDT at the Gallatin Civic Center, 210 Albert Gallatin Ave. To volunteer for a clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. Get more details and see all September clinics.

Alumni members of the TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) program are being asked to submit nominations for the 2023 class. TBALL is a six-month leadership training program for Tennessee attorneys with five to 15 years of practice experience. Alumni members have until Sept. 14 to submit their nominations via an online form that was emailed to them. Questions about the program or nomination process can be directed to TBALL coordinator Kate Prince.  

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance has unanimously recommended an audit of Gary Humble's state Senate campaign to see if there was improper coordination between Humble and the nonprofit issue advocacy group Tennessee Stands, the Tennessean reports. Humble, who lost a close race to Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, in the August Republican primary, is executive director of the group. Tom Lawless, a registry board member, said Tennessee Stands may have held events and promoted Humble's campaign without disclosing that spending to the registry. Another complaint alleged the group failed to disclose who paid for a campaign mailer.

The TBA hit the road today, taking its Court Square program to Greeneville for CLE programming and more. Activities kicked off with a networking lunch with TBA President Tasha Blakney and others, then continued with an ethics update from Eric Fuller with the Board of Professional Responsibility, as well as a judicial panel moderated by former TBA president and U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia Wyrick, and featuring Greene County General Sessions and Juvenile Judge Kenneth Bailey and Jefferson County General Sessions Judge Will Roach as panelists. Bristol Motor Speedway's vice president and legal counsel Julie Bennett also provided an introduction to sports betting in Tennessee following the 2020 passage of the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act. See photos from the day and watch for additional Court Square programs across the state.