The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold its annual Fall Memorial Service virtually on Nov. 12 at noon EDT. The service will celebrate the careers of KBA members who died in the last nine months. KBA President Cheryl Rice, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee and Rev. Charles Fels will lead the service. See the list of lawyers being remembered or register for the event here.

The TBA filed a petition with the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday asking the court to create a new Rule 31B that would govern voluntary arbitration in domestic relations cases. The petition was drafted by the TBA Family Law Section Executive Council. Read the petition as well as four exhibits: Exhibit A New Rule 31B to Current Rule 31; Exhibit B Proposed Amendment to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31A Striking References to “Non-Binding Family Law Cases”; Exhibit C Proposed Amendments to Tenn. Code Ann. 36-3-501 and Tenn. Code Ann. 36-4-136 Rule 31B Arbitration; and Exhibit D List of Petition Recipients.

A Knoxville-based federal judge today dealt a second blow to Gov. Bill Lee’s order allowing parents to opt out of school mask requirements, the Associated Press reports. The ruling came in a suit brought by four families in Knox County, who were seeking to have the school system mandate mask wearing. U.S. District Judge J. Ronnie Greer’s decision blocks Lee’s order from being implemented while the legal battle continues to move its way through court. Earlier this week, a federal judge in Shelby County also blocked the governor’s order from taking effect there. Families across the state have argued that mask opt-outs endanger the lives of children with health conditions.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will hold its next free webinar on state tax issues on Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. CDT. The September session will cover sales and use tax for specified digital products in Tennessee. Participants will learn about taxation of electronically transferred digital audio-visual works, digital audio works, digital books and more.

Volunteers are still needed for a virtual debt relief clinic on Oct. 2 from 9-11:30 a.m. EDT. The clinic is hosted by Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and sponsored by the TBA Young Lawyers Division, Knoxville Bar Association, Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight will provide an overview of the process the morning of the clinic. Attorneys will then enter Zoom breakout rooms to meet with clients. Sign up here.

October is Celebrate Pro Bono Month and the Tennessee access to justice community is planning events throughout the month. As a kick-off, Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page will share a thoughtful message about pro bono service while Russell Fowler, director of litigation and advocacy at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, will educate and entertain about the history of access to justice and its relevance today at a virtual presentation Sept. 30 at noon CST. Learn more and register here. Events in October, including opportunities to volunteer, will be promoted in TBA Today, via social media and on the TBA website. If you have information about an event, please share it with the TBA. 

Knox County General Sessions Judge Geoffrey P. Emery will retire at the end of the year, the court announced today. Emery has served on the bench for more than 35 years. After earning his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, Emery spent several years in private practice. He then joined county government as the first full-time assistant director in the law department. He was appointed to the bench in 1986 and re-elected for five consecutive terms. During his judicial tenure, he served on the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference Executive Committee, including a term as conference president. In announcing his retirement, Emery said, “It has been my honor to serve the people of Knox County, and I am grateful for their steadfast support over the decades.”

The TBA's Corporate Counsel Section continues its 2021 webcast series with a session on Oct. 27 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Section members will discuss how they landed in their current positions as well as the legal issues and conflicts common to this practice area. Speakers include Nashville area lawyers Katie Atkins with naviHealth, Robert Dennis with Tennessee Fitness, Justin Hayden with Pinnacle Financial Partners, Melissa Leigh with Kepro and Jason Little with The Carlstar Group LLC. The webcast offers one hour of general CLE credit.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark, whose public service spanned over four decades, died early today after a short battle with cancer. She was 71. "Tennessee lost a great lady today with the passing of Justice Clark," TBA President Sherie Edwards said this morning. "Not only was she an accomplished jurist, but she was devoted to her family and to service to her community. She was a champion of access to justice and a good friend to the ATJ community. 

"Justice Clark began her career as a high school history teacher, and I was privileged to witness her ‘heart of a teacher’ when she interacted with law students and with young attorneys. She was incredibly kind, gracious, and encouraging, and will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to know her." Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts, which is also collecting remembrances of Justice Clark.

Read statements from others in the legal community.

Judge Robert Thomas Bateman was sworn into office recently during ceremonies in Robertson and Montgomery counties. Bateman fills the seat of Judge Jill Bartee Ayers, who joined the Court of Criminal Appeals. During the ceremony, he said becoming a judge has always been a goal he hoped to achieve. He also said he intends to run for election in August 2022. Prior to joining the bench, Bateman practiced law at Bateman & Bateman in Clarksville. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.