A Nashville judge today exonerated Paul Shane Garrett in a 2000 murder case of a woman in North Nashville, the Tennessean reports. Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Angelita Dalton earlier this month overturned Garrett’s manslaughter conviction, but formally dismissed all charges against him today. DNA evidence connecting another man to the murder was found, but not fully investigated until 2011 and not reviewed for a second time until this year. Garrett was represented by Tennessee Innocence Project Executive Director Jessica Van Dyke and co-counsel Stephen Johnson with the firm Ritchie, Davies, Johnson & Stovall. "For Mr. Garrett, this has been a slow walk toward justice, and we are honored to finish this journey with him and his family,” Van Dyke said.

Do you set goals with intention? The third installment of the TBA’s video series on quick tips for attorney well-being covers effective goal setting. In this week’s short video, licensed psychotherapist Lindsey O’Connell discusses the importance of setting intentional goals that enhance your life and provide you with tools needed to overcome challenges. To accomplish this, O’Connell suggests implementing the SMART—specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timebound—goal technique. Learn more about the technique and other tips for goal setting on the TBA’s YouTube page.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee suspended 147 attorneys yesterday for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2020. View the Aug. 17 order or see the full list, which will reflect when lawyers are reinstated. Access all administrative suspension lists dating back to 2005.

Save the date for this year’s Animal Law Forum, taking place in person and outside at the Nashville Zoo on Sept. 24. Programming will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT and will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to brush up on trends and advancements in animal law, while networking and enjoying the fun and activities the zoo offers. The zoo’s president and CEO and the board’s general counsel will discuss conservation efforts and laws affecting procurement and care for zoo animals. Other topics include ethical considerations for animals and the law, legislative updates, laws governing farm animals and more. Zoo admission, breakfast and lunch are included with the program.

See what’s new in TBA’s Practice Management Center with updates in our Protecting a Firm section related to backup strategies, ransomware defense and antivirus, and wireless encryption. Also, be sure to check out a new whitepaper on Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Our one-stop solution to practice management offers updates to resources related to client costs advancements and time, billing and accounting in our Money Management section, printer and computer recommendations in our Technology section, and insight on ways to improve communication with technology and policy.

TBA’s Practice Management Center offers recommendations for document management with and vendor options in our updated Cloud Document Storage Comparison Chart and a new Document Management Integrations Comparison Charts. See all TBA content on document management to include checklists, implementation guides, and resources.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals in Jackson has an immediate opening for a staff attorney. The staff attorney is responsible for reviewing all motions and drafting proposed orders; screening appeals for procedural and jurisdictional problems; reviewing and making recommendations on applications for extraordinary appeals; assisting the Court in its regular duties; and providing legal advice to the appellate court clerks. A minimum of three years or more of legal experience and prior clerkship or staff attorney experience is preferred. To apply, submit an Application for Employment in PDF format, a resume, at least one writing sample and three professional references by email to human.resources@tncourts.gov. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the application process.

The Knox County District Attorney’s office is being asked review whether a promise of a discount at a cannabis store to anyone who votes in the election is a violation of the state's bribery law, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Knoxville City Council candidate, Deidra Harper, through a social media post, promised a 15% discount at the My Canna Buds store for anyone who shows a voting sticker. Knox County Elections Administrator Chris Davis asked the State Election Commission for an opinion about whether it violates the law. The commission instead suggested he send it to the DA’s office to decide. “The post is encouraging people to vote, not necessarily to vote for me,” Harper said. “The turnout is really low in local elections and we know it’s important to vote.” 

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee will host a public reading of the U.S. Constitution in celebration of Constitution Day on Sept. 16. The reading will take place from 11:30 a.m. until roughly 1:30 p.m. EDT at the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building, 900 Georgia Ave. in Chattanooga. The Constitution will be read in 110 segments that take one minute or less to read for the average reader. Those interested in reading a segment can sign up at here. Signing up in advance is not required, but would be appreciated. Read more from the Chattanoogan.