The Hamilton County Commission will appoint a temporary replacement for former Rep. Robin Smith, who resigned Monday and was in federal court yesterday to plead guilty to federal wire fraud. The commission said the county needs to appoint an interim member because several months are left in the legislative session, Chattanoogan.com reports. The commission will accept letters from interested candidates through noon on March 18 and will vote on a replacement on March 30. No candidate has picked up filing papers for the August primary, but interested individuals have until April 7 at noon EDT to do so.

The ABA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division has been focusing on wellness issues in its newsletter for members. The “Legal Burnout Solution” series has dealt with a number of topics, including making time for self-care. A recent issue featured a foreclosure attorney who reprogrammed how she thinks about work hours. By slightly adjusting her work schedule to prioritize morning workouts, she now reports enjoying and staying consistent with exercise and feeling less stress, all while maintaining the same level of service to her clients. She shares how she overcame challenges to stick with her plan. The article also looks at the “Prepare, Prune, Pass it On, and Plan” model, which is designed to help prioritize projects and reinforce new positive behaviors. Read more about self-care and watch for an upcoming issue about improving self-esteem.

For the first time since former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted clemency to sex trafficking victim and convicted murderer Cyntoia Brown Long, the two will sit down together for a discussion on criminal justice reform. The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host the event “Reform for Redemption: Cyntoia Brown Long and Gov. Bill Haslam on Criminal Justice Reform and the Power of Mercy” next Tuesday at 6 p.m. CDT. Law professor Chris Slobogin will moderate the discussion. The in-person event is free and open to the public. The program also will be offered virtually. Learn more and register here.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division is hosting a virtual legal clinic in partnership with Belmont Law and TN Free Legal Answers on March 28 at noon CDT. Attorney volunteers will work with Belmont law students to answer legal questions submitted to the online TN Free Legal Answers platform. Teams of lawyers and students may select which questions they want to answer. The entire clinic will take place via Zoom. Please contact Belmont University College of Law Public Interest Coordinator Alexandra Rogers, 615-460-8250 to volunteer.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Board of Governors is seeking nominations for the 2022 recipient of the ABA Medal, which honors a member of the bench or bar who has "rendered conspicuous service in the cause of American jurisprudence." The award is given by the board’s Profession, Public Service and Diversity Committee. Guidelines for awarding the medal and a list of past recipients are available online. Nominations should be submitted by email to Cecilia Boyd or by mail to Boyd at 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654. Nominations are due by May 20.

Rachel Harmon has been appointed deputy director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the agency reports. Harmon first joined the AOC in 2015 and has served as general counsel and director of legal services and judicial development. For the last two years, she also has served as the court’s main point of contact for pandemic-related operations and orders. Prior to joining the AOC, Harmon spent nine years with the state attorney general’s office and two years in private practice with Puryear, Newman & Morton in Franklin. She is a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law.

National law firm Polsinelli is adding a real estate element to its existing Nashville office, the Nashville Post reports. The firm recently announced the addition of two real estate attorneys from Maynard Cooper & Gale. Sarah Laird joins the firm as a shareholder and Brittany Macon joins as an associate. Real Estate Chair Amy Kiefer Hansen says the firm has been wanting to add a real estate team to the Nashville office calling it one of the firm’s “most vibrant offices in the Southeast region” and one that offers a “huge potential for further growth.” Both Laird and Macon earned their law degrees from Vanderbilt University Law School.

East Tennessee State University’s Office of University Counsel is seeking to fill a vacancy for an attorney. The position will be classified as a staff attorney, assistant counsel or associate counsel depending on the successful candidate’s years of experience. The responsibilities of the position may include providing legal advice to senior administrators, faculty and staff; reviewing and negotiating university contracts; handling immigration matters pertaining to university employees; providing legal advice pertaining to international programs and processes; and defending the university, officers and employees in administrative proceedings and investigations. Three to five years of legal experience in an accredited institution of higher education is preferred. See the full job description and apply online.

Nashville activist and Stand Up Nashville co-founder Odessa Kelly is moving her congressional campaign from the 5th District to the 7th District following redistricting, the Nashville Post reports. Kelly initially planned to challenge Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, in the 5th District’s Democratic primary, but redistricting split Nashville into three different districts and Cooper announced his decision to retire. Kelly now will run in the Democratic primary in an effort to take on incumbent Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, whose 7th District now includes much of northern Davidson County. Kelly currently lives in the 6th District, but plans to move to the 7th District though election laws do not require congressional candidates to live in the district they seek to represent.

Those opposed to the current bail system frequently raise concerns about the number of those detained before trial and the “patchwork” of bail practices across Tennessee's 95 counties. According to the state Department of Correction, about 59% of the 24,264 people in jail in the state are being detained pre-trial. According to WPLN, three bills have been introduced this session to address issues related to bail practices. SB2377/HB2367 would create a system to send alerts to all “interested parties” at each step of the legal process, including notifying the defendant of when to return to court. SB2237/HB2355 would further regulate bail bond agencies, including requiring additional continuing legal education. And SB1791/HB1936 would require a bail hearing within 48 hours of an arrest. Read more about the proposals and track where they are in the legislative process on the General Assembly's website.