The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a free legal advice clinic on Saturday in Nashville. The in-person clinic will run from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. CDT at McHugh Clinic at Belmont, 2005 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37204. Those coming in-person are required to wear a mask. To volunteer for a clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all April clinics.

Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Martin was officially sworn in as the newest member of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Monday, Chattanoogan.com reports. He was appointed by the Hamilton County Commission on March 30 to represent House District 26, which includes part of Hamilton County. He fills a vacancy left by former Rep. Robin Smith, who resigned in March after being charged with wire fraud. Martin, who has also worked as a realtor and Hamilton County School Board member, holds a master’s and doctoral degree from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

The Biden administration announced last week that it would rescinded Title 42, the Trump-era policy that allows for expulsion of migrants at the border and blocks them from seeking asylum due to health concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic. The order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will take effect May 23. On Monday, attorneys general for Arizona, Missouri and Louisiana announced they were suing the administration over the decision. The Hill has more on both stories.

Williamson County lawyer Kathryn Goff Brinton was reinstated to the practice of law effective on March 7. She had been placed on inactive status in November 2006. The Board of Professional Responsibility reports that it found the reinstatement petition to be satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the order on March 22.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals recently held in-person oral arguments at Belmont College of Law, two years after the court held its last pre-pandemic appearance there in March 2020. “We’re back where it all ended two years ago,” said Judge Neal McBrayer. “It’s amazing to see the transformation that has happened to the Tennessee Courts since 2020. Who would have thought all of this was possible? We now have the technology that allows us to do that. It’s an amazing transformation that’s taken place in a short amount of time, in an institution that’s typically resistant to change.” Judge Andy Bennett and Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jill Ayers also participated in the event, which included a question and answer session with students after the arguments. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the event.

Lawrence County attorney William “Mike” Harris has announced his candidacy for Lawrence County General Sessions judge in the upcoming August election. A 1997 graduate of Nashville School of Law, Harris has served for the past five years as an assistant public defender with the 22nd Judicial District Public Defender’s office. Prior to taking that post, Harris spent 20 years as a sole practitioner in Lawrence County.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced that Senior Assistant Attorney General Dianna Baker Shew will assume the role of chief deputy. In her new role, Shew will coordinate and oversee the substantive legal work of all sections of the office. Shew joined the office in 2018 and has managed high-profile cases and complex litigation for the state. She was named senior assistant attorney general in 2019. Prior to joining the office, she was associate general counsel at CoreCivic Inc. and a partner at Stites & Harbison. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Cheatham County native Holly Waller has announced her candidacy for circuit court clerk, the Cheatham County Exchange reports. Waller is a senior deputy clerk and jury coordinator for Julie Hibbs, the current court clerk, who is retiring. Waller has been working and training alongside Hibbs for the last six years. The clerk serves the circuit, general sessions and juvenile courts. Prior to joining the clerk’s office, Waller had a career in human resources and accounting.

A number of Chattanooga area lawyers have announced bids for local judgeships or picked up papers to run. Stevie Phillips Persinger has announced a bid for Lookout Mountain judge, while Red Bank Judge Johnny Houston, Signal Mountain Judge Gary Humble and Soddy Daisy Judge Marty Lasley have reelection plans in the works. In East Ridge, Rich Heinsman announced he will run for municipal judge while Collegedale Judge Kevin Wilson has picked up papers for the post but has not yet qualified. The qualifying deadline is Thursday at noon. Read more about the candidates in Chattanoogan.com.

Last Saturday, the Times News ran interviews with two of the three candidates running for Third Judicial District circuit judge. Today, the paper reports that it inadvertently omitted responses from the third candidate, lawyer and former Child Support Magistrate Crystal Jessee. Read her answers to the same five questions answered by Bradley Mercer and William Phillips. All three are running in the Republican primary to serve individuals in Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties.