The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is seeking session proposals for this year's Equal Justice University (EJU), set for Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Topics of interest include TennCare, conservatorships, employment law, representing clients with mental health or substance abuse issues, introduction to family law, federal nutrition programs, veterans benefits, student loan forgiveness, housing law, immigration and unemployment benefits. Presentations that include ethics and professional development components are also welcome. See the full list of topics here. Submit proposals by May 20.

Make plans now to join colleagues for the 2022 TBA Annual Convention, taking place in person at the downtown Nashville Hilton June 15-18. Don't miss key convention events such as the Better This Year and Legislative Update CLE programs, Bench Bar CLE and Luncheon, and Lawyers Luncheon, where TBA President Sherie Edwards will pass the gavel to incoming president Tasha Blakney. In person law school breakfasts will return for the first time since 2019, as will the Thursday evening Bench/Bar social event, which will include dinner and a live band on the rooftop of Nashville's new 5th & Broad entertainment venue. Register now and be sure to reserve your hotel room by May 24 to take advantage of the TBA group rate.

State Sen. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, yesterday announced her retirement and subsequent endorsement of Keeda Haynes for the District 19 seat she has held for one term. Haynes also announced her bid for the seat yesterday. The announcements fell on the final day to qualify for a state Senate primary race, raising questions of “skulduggery,” the Nashville Post reports. The state’s anti-skulduggery law prevents candidates from withdrawing at the last minute to help out a friend. The last-minute maneuvering could trigger an extended qualifying period for the seat, which represents North Nashville, parts of East Nashville and south to Antioch. Haynes, a former public defender, unsuccessfully challenged U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, in the Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional seat in 2020.

Tennessee legal groups will offer a virtual debt relief clinic for Tennesseans in the Western District of the state on April 30 from 9 to 11 a.m. CDT. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ruthie Hagan will begin the clinic with an overview of the bankruptcy system. Clients will then be paired with volunteer attorneys in break-out Zoom rooms for confidential discussions about debt relief options. The debt relief clinic is a project of the TBA Young Lawyers Division and Bankruptcy Law Section, Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, Memphis Area Legal Services, West Tennessee Legal Services and Legal Aid of East Tennessee. Sign up to volunteer or for questions, contact YLD Access to Justice Coordinator Alix Rogers.

The TBA Executive Committee has amended its recent COVID-19 Safety Protocols. Pursuant to the new policy, all in-person, indoor TBA events, meetings and programs will have the following restrictions until further notice: (1) TBA will comply with the more restrictive protocols and requirements of the host venue at the time of an event, meeting or program; (2) If there are no venue rules in place, TBA will, at a minimum, encourage masking for attendees, where appropriate; (3) Social distancing may be required, and attendance may be limited to ensure compliance at all in-person events depending on current health conditions and CDC guidelines in place at the time of the event; and (4) Attendees will remain subject to TBA’s COVID-19 Safety Acknowledgement Form. This policy is effective immediately until further notice.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has joined a federal lawsuit brought by a coalition of 20 state attorneys general against the Biden administration for ending Title 42, a public health policy that allows border officials to turn away migrants because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The complaint accuses the administration of violating the Administrative Procedure Act because it made the decision without considering states’ interests or input.” 

Senior Judge Robert E. Lee Davies last week found that Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Jones acted illegally during his divorce proceedings, finding that he relied on "attorney/client privileged communications that were illegally obtained" during the proceedings. Davies also denied attempts by Jones to reverse the initial judgment in the divorce. Jones has denied any illegal activity and told the Tennessean that he disputed the wording in the published order but not the ruling itself.

Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin this week rejected the town of Mason’s motion for a temporary injunction that would have slowed a financial takeover by the state comptroller, WPLN reports. In the ruling, Martin said that the comptroller’s office was within its authority to provide oversight to local governments in financial trouble. Earlier this month, the state issued a corrective action plan (CAP) to address financial woes. Local officials say the CAP keeps them from meeting the needs of residents in a timely manner and could cause the town to default on payments to outside entities. Van Turner, who is representing Mason, said the town’s lawsuit will continue to move forward.

The Tennessee State House yesterday approved criminal penalties for anyone distributing abortion medication through telehealth or mail services, codifying the distribution as a Class E felony punishable by a fine up to $50,000. The bill, which now awaits a Senate vote, prohibits any dispensation of the abortion pill except prescribing done in person by a physician, the Tennessean reports. The bill comes in response to a decision by the federal Food and Drug Administration to remove in-person requirements on abortion medication due to access concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four years after the General Assembly passed legislation creating a cold case office to delve into decades-old civil rights crimes, the office opened its doors in the Cordell Hull Building. The Tennessee Civil Rights Crimes, Information, Reconciliation, and Research Center is to act as a clearinghouse for information, based on requests to open cold cases from the U.S. Department of Justice, district attorneys general and the public. The center also will conduct a statewide survey of civil rights crime cold cases and direct cases for prosecution. Read more about the center’s legislative history from Tennessee Lookout.