James “Jim” Montague Jr., a longtime Knoxville criminal defense attorney, passed away Saturday. He was 66. Originally from Nashville, Montague moved to Knoxville and earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He practiced with Randall Reagan at the firm Montague and Reagan before joining the Knox County Public Defender’s Office where he spent the last 25 years of his career. A funeral mass will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT at Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 711 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville. A celebration of life will follow at approximately 3:30 p.m. EDT at The Square Room, 4 Market Square. Burial and graveside service will occur later in the week at Calvary Cemetery in Nashville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Montague’s honor to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - Make a Memorial Donation.

Eighth Judicial District Judge E. Shayne Sexton has left the bench after more than two decades of service. Speaking with the Administrative Office of the Courts, Sexton says he feels good about his years of service to Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties. “We made a difference,” Sexton said, noting his work on the creation of the district’s recovery court. He spent nine years as assistant district attorney general in the 8th district and one year in private practice before being elected to the bench in 1998. Although his official retirement date was June 30, Sexton will continue his judicial duties through the end of August.

The TBA’s Tennessee FastTrack program is coming to Nashville on Sept. 16. Fulfill all your annual CLE requirements with this program, which will provide attendees with tips and updates in a wide range of practice areas. The program will provide you with a combination of 15 hours of live credit and prepaid credits to complete online anytime — at home or on your mobile device — allowing you to customize your learning to your schedule. The Nashville program will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT at Belmont University College of Law. The series will also hold sessions in Memphis on Aug. 26 and Knoxville on Sept. 23.

Memphis law firm Nahon Saharovich & Trotz PLC is now accepting resumes for an associate attorney position. Successful candidates will have one year of legal experience and strong academic background. Experience in the personal injury field is preferred. To apply, email Greg Coen. Read more about this posting and find others like it on the TBA’s JobLink site.  

House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally confirmed Friday they are considering a special session to adopt legislation that would bypass the Metro Nashville Council and deal directly with the Convention and Visitors Bureau for a host agreement with the Republican National Convention. Tennessee Lookout also reports that legislators could penalize the council for refusing to consider the agreement with convention planners. The council had been set to vote on an agreement last week but pulled the measure before votes were cast, the Tennessean reports. In a statement, Sexton said he hopes "bipartisanship will prevail, and in the next two weeks, we will have a better idea of what needs to be done — if anything — to secure the convention.”

The U.S. Justice Department is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a recent ruling that sidelined the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities, Bloomberg Law reports. Department lawyers filed a request for a stay, arguing that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas overstepped its authority when it halted the policy. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to stay the district court decision. The guidelines in question direct immigration officials to prioritize the detention and deportation of people who threaten national security, public safety or border security. The Trump administration had cast a broader net, targeting anyone in the country without authorization. The government argues that given limited resources, it must focus on the most serious cases.

Longtime Memphis resident and attorney, James Lloyd “Skeet” Gordon, died July 1 at the age of 83. Gordon received his bachelor’s degree from Memphis State University in 1962 and his law degree from the school in 1974. He practiced law in Memphis for 48 years. In addition to practicing law, Gordon was certified as a river pilot, was an avid reader and loved sports and the outdoors. He was a lifelong member of St Luke's Methodist Church and a member of the DeSoto Masonic Lodge, No 299. A graveside service celebrating his life was held on July 7 at Memorial Park Cemetery.

The Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association recently elected Nashville attorney Mark Chalos as president for the 2022-2023 term. He replaces Tony Seaton of Johnson City, who now assumes the role of immediate past president. Carey Acerra of Memphis has advanced to the office of president-elect. Chalos is managing partner of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein’s Nashville office and handles complex civil litigation, including representing communities across America in the national opioids litigation. Other executive officers taking office are Vice President (East) Danny Ellis of Chattanooga, Vice President (West) Angela Polk of Memphis, Vice President (Middle) Brandon Bass of Brentwood, Secretary Troy Jones of Knoxville, Treasurer Caroline Taylor of Nashville and Parliamentarian George Spanos of Nashville. See a release from the group for all leaders including at-large executive appointees, young lawyers and district governors on the board.

The White House held a ceremony today to celebrate the passage of new gun safety legislation, which makes it harder for young people and domestic abusers to possess firearms, encourages states to pass so called “red-flag laws” and provides billions of dollars in mental health funding. Though he lauded the rare bipartisan agreement, President Joe Biden said more needs to be done, Bloomberg News reports. Specifically, the president called on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, expand background checks, and enact laws making gun owners liable for not securing their firearms.

The legal services sector added 3,000 jobs in June, according to seasonally adjusted, preliminary figures released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The ABA Journal reports that the increase brings the total legal employment in June to 1.2 million jobs — up 92,300 over the pandemic’s lowest mark of 1.1 million jobs in April 2020. The June 2022 gain follows gains of 3,300 in May and 4,400 in April.