Maurice Wexler, longtime attorney at Baker Donelson in Memphis, died Tuesday. He was 89. Wexler served in the Counterintelligence Corps of the U.S. Army during the Korean War before earning his law degree from Loyola University Chicago. He was then recruited by Lewis Donelson to return to Memphis where he would become a founding shareholder of Baker Donelson. Wexler practiced law for 55 years, concentrating on labor and employment law as well as general business litigation. A graveside funeral will be held in Memphis tomorrow at 9 a.m. CDT at Temple Israel Cemetary, 1708 Hernando Rd. The service will also be livestreamed here. Shiva will be held outdoors at the Wexler home at 6682 Monmouth Dr. in Memphis from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and from 10 a.m. until noon on Friday. The family asks that all in person visitors for the service and shiva are masked and fully vaccinated. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Civil Rights Museum or Temple Israel General Fund.

Recent Vanderbilt Law School graduate Ramon Ryan has been selected for the 2021 Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics (FASPE) program. Ryan, who will soon join Nashville’s Bass Berry & Sims as an associate, was one of only 16 law graduates chosen for the program. FASPE engages early-career professionals and graduate students in the fields of law, business, journalism, medicine and seminary in an intensive course of study focused on contemporary ethical issues in their professions. Fellows typically participate in a two-week program in Germany and Poland, which uses the conduct of lawyers in Nazi-occupied Europe as a way to reflect on legal ethics today. Ryan was the editor-in-chief of the Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law and last year authored a paper on satellites that prompted federal legislation. He is set to clerk for Judge Todd Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit starting in 2023.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday chose not to intervene in a lower court’s ruling that revived the “Remain in Mexico” policy, an immigration measure from former President Donald Trump’s administration, The Hill reports. President Joe Biden had sought to block the reinstatement of the policy, which requires asylum-seekers at the southern border to stay in Mexico while their applications are processed. Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the order that Biden’s administration had failed to show it was likely to ultimately prevail in defending the lawfulness of its decision to rescind the Trump measure, officially called the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP). The program was initially reinstated by a federal judge in Texas in response to a lawsuit from the attorneys general of Texas and Missouri. That decision was later upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, prompting Biden’s emergency request to the justices.

The final installment of the TBA’s video series on quick tips for attorney well-being covers stress relief. Attorneys are faced with specific stressors and licensed psychotherapist Lindsey O’Connell offers several quick and easy techniques you can use to help control your stress level. One technique O’Connell offers is sensory integration. Sit still and focus on one sense at a time—what do you hear? See? Feel? Focusing in on one sense and taking note of how you feel in the moment helps ground you in the present and resets your thoughts. Watch the short video for additional tips and make sure to catch all episodes in the series on the TBA’s YouTube page.

Court operations in Humphreys County have been disrupted by flooding over the weekend, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. While the courthouse itself did not sustain substantial damage, phone and internet outages and road closures are impacting the court’s ability to conduct business. Servers are down in the court clerk’s office and staff cannot access email or some court data or records. The circuit court closed this week as several court staff lost family, friends or property in the floods. Dockets have been moved but Judge Suzanne Lockert-Mash will be onsite to handle emergency orders, warrants or other matters that need to be addressed. Attorneys who have business with the courts over the next few weeks should call before traveling to the courthouse.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has another free tax webinar coming up next week. On Aug. 31 at 9 a.m. CDT, the department will offer an overview of services subject to sales tax in the state. Attendees also will have the opportunity to ask questions of department staff. Register here.

Belmont University College of Law is seeking candidates to fill up to three tenure-track faculty positions to begin during the 2022-2023 academic year. The school is particularly interested in those who can teach on health law, civil procedure, property, trusts and estates and legal research and writing. Applicants must have a law degree, strong academic background and a record that indicates excellence in teaching and scholarly achievement. Those interested should submit a letter of interest and resume to Professor Lucian Dervan, chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee at lawfaculty.recruitment@belmont.edu. Questions about the positions should be directed to Dervan's direct email at Lucian.Dervan@Belmont.edu.

The American Bar Association's legal education and bar admissions section council has approved several changes to its accreditation standards, including requiring law schools to annually disclose the number of student loans, the ABA Journal reports. Starting with the 2023-2024 school year, law schools will have to report the number of students who receive loans, scholarship and grants by race, ethnicity and gender. They also will have to provide loan counseling. In addition, the council voted to require (1) adoption of nondiscrimination policies for ethnicity, gender identity and military status; (2) bias, cross-cultural competency and racism education for students; and (3) that students receive information and services related to mental health, including substance use disorders. The changes must now go to the ABA House of Delegates for final approval.

A number of lawyers were recently reinstated after being suspended for failure to complete required CLE hours in 2020. See the full list of those suspended and reinstated in 2021 for 2020 violations. The TBA also has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

The TBA Bankruptcy Forum, originally scheduled for Sept. 24-26 in Gatlinburg, will be rescheduled for the spring. The Bankruptcy Section Executive Council made the decision given the rise in COVID cases in the state. Watch for new dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Thanks to program sponsors Butler Snow, Miller & Martin and Woolf, McClane, Bright, Allen & Carpenter for their continued support!