The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a clinic on Saturday from 8:30-10:30 a.m. CST at Belmont University’s McHugh Clinic, 2005 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37204. Masks are required. Volunteer attorneys will offer free advice on questions about housing, renter’s rights, SNAP benefits, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence and unemployment benefits. To volunteer contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all March clinics.

Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Kelvin Jones is challenging the residency of opponent Luvell Glanton, claiming the attorney doesn’t live in Davidson County, the Nashville Post reports. The challenge filed by Jones stems from a property that Glanton owns in Brentwood, where his mother lives. The longtime plaintiff’s attorney also owns properties in Davidson County. Glanton’s attorney John Spragens said his client is qualified to serve as a Circuit Court judge under the Tennessee Constitution.” The Davidson County Election Commission will hear the challenge during a special meeting tomorrow at 9 a.m. CST. Meanwhile, attorney David Ridings is attempting to get back on the ballot in the General Sessions Division VII race after being removed by the Davidson County Democratic Party for not being a bona fides Democrat. He has filed suit claiming that general sessions judges are municipal races and therefore should be nonpartisan.

Calling all super sleuths! Join the TBA for CLE programming like you have never experienced before. The CL(U)E program will offer a unique adventure in which you and your team will be tasked with solving a murder mystery, all while learning recent changes to Tennessee criminal law and earning three hours of CLE credit. You’ll solve puzzles, earn clues and engage in a multitude of interactive scenarios that will teach the law and help you solve the murder. Prizes will be awarded to the first three winning teams along with a lifetime of bragging rights. CL(U)E Nashville is set for May 20 at 1 p.m. CDT. Participation in this event is limited and fellow sleuths are “dying” to join, so register today.

The Knox County Board of Education yesterday voted 5-3 to hire private attorneys to help fight two lawsuits over masks in schools, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Knox County Law Director David Buuck must now find candidates experienced with the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to bring before the board for approval. Buuck estimated a private attorney would be a "substantial" cost to the school board, with hourly rates around $500. The board's financial advisor said the district has healthy reserves. Buuck last month told two board members he would not hire outside counsel because it wouldn’t be helpful. The school board's representatives and the families that brought the suit have entered mediation and asked a federal judge to suspend his mask rule while they deliberate.

Two advocacy teams from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law are headed to nationals after recent wins at their respective regional competitions. The Memphis Law Black Law Student Association (BLSA) Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition team came in first place at the 2022 Southern Regional Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition. Coached by Andre Mathis, Aurelia McBride and Chancellor Will Perry, the team is made up of Briana Butler Bridgeforth and Alexxas Johnson, who will advance to nationals in March. The ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition team of Hailey Townsend and Win Duncan, with Kylie Ronnow on brief, was a champion in the virtual Chicago region and will compete in nationals in early April. Read more about the teams and both competitions on Memphis Law’s website.

TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorneys and TBA lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin, tackle this week’s news from the General Assembly on the latest episode of the TBA’s Legislative Updates. This week the trio gives a progress report on TBA-backed legislation and much more. To see a list of all of TBA’s bills, visit our online bill tracker. Legislative Updates airs every Thursday on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has named shareholder Stephen Adams the new section chair of its intellectual property service group. A longtime member of the Chambliss Startup Group, Adams works with early innovators on a variety of matters related to protecting their business as it grows and matures. He is a member of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association, the Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) board of directors, the ChaTech Early Innovators Award selection committee and the Tennessee PATENTS Pro Bono Assistance Program. Read more from the Hamilton County Herald.

A bill mirroring the restrictive abortion ban passed last year in Texas is set to be heard by the Tennessee House Health subcommittee next week, the Tennessean reports. Rep. Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough, signed an amendment to House Bill 2779 that would ban abortions except to prevent the death or "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function" of the pregnant woman. The legislation blocks state enforcement of the ban, instead allowing state residents to sue abortion providers or a person who "aids or abets" abortions, such as by paying for or reimbursing the costs of a procedure. Residents who successfully sue under the proposed law could receive $10,000 or more for "each abortion that the defendant performed," according to Alexander's amendment. 

The TBA’s Entertainment & Sports Law Section has announced its annual forum will take place on May 19 at Belmont College of Law from 12:30 to 4:45 p.m. CDT. Additional information about the program is forthcoming. Entertainment & Sports Law section members will receive a special discounted price on the program. Not a member of the section? Join today.

President Joe Biden today signed an executive order on government oversight of cryptocurrency, which urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should jump in and create its own digital currency. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the effort would "promote a fairer, more inclusive and more efficient financial system" while countering illicit finance and preventing risks to financial stability and national security. The order also directs the Treasury Department and other federal agencies to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security. Earlier in the week, the Treasury Department also said its financial literacy arm would work to develop consumer-friendly materials to help people "make informed choices about digital assets." The Tennessee Ledger has the story.