The University of Tennessee College of Law is seeking candidates for two full-time, tenure-track or tenured faculty positions to begin in the Fall of 2022. The law school is looking for candidates who will fill a range of curricular needs, including in the areas of business law, corporate and regulatory compliance, education law, environmental law, estate planning, health law, immigration law, legal writing and property. They also seek candidates who integrate cutting-edge legal issues into their courses or are interested in helping to expand offerings in areas like technology, cybersecurity, e-discovery and data privacy. Find more on the position and instructions on how to apply on the College of Law’s website.

The Memphis Bar Association and the Center for Excellence in Decision-Making will present the Recognizing Implicit Bias Issues in Sentencing virtual program on Aug. 18 from noon until 1:10 p.m. CDT. This free webinar will consist of a panel discussion exploring the effect of individual bias on the criminal justice sentencing process, specific instances of such bias and practical suggestions on how to limit its effect. The panel will include: 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice Donald, University of Memphis law professor Demetria Frank, and University of Tennessee law professor Sherley E. Cruz. The discussion will be moderated by Shelby County Chief Public Defender Phyllis Aluko.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) were back in court this week, sparring over an ongoing lawsuit surrounding COVID-19 precautions at the Shelby County Jail, the Daily Memphian reports. The sheriff’s office moved to terminate a consent decree that both parties agreed to in April that offered guidelines for protecting inmates from infection, as well as how to administer the jail’s vaccination program. Nathan Tilly, who represents the sheriff’s office, argued that the jail has satisfied the three points needed to fulfill the decree: a 14-day vaccination benchmark, adequate educational materials and the implementation of non-punitive incentives. Attorneys for the ACLU, and other civil rights groups like Memphis’ Just City, called expert witness, Michael Brady, who was hired by the court in 2020 to give inspections. Brady cited several issues of “great concern,” and said the jail’s vaccination rate is “dramatically lower” than other jails. 

Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump has been hired to represent the family of Alvin Motley, a Black man who was killed over the weekend by a Kroger gas station security guard, the Commercial Appeal reports. Motley, who was nearly blind and unarmed, was fatally shot by the security guard after an alleged argument over loud music. Crump and Motley’s family earlier today met with Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich, who agreed to show surveillance camera footage of the shooting to the family at a later date. Attorneys then plan to release the video to the public. The security guard, Gregory Livingston, remains in jail and faces a second-degree murder charge. Attorneys working with the Motley family say they want immediate civil settlement negotiations with Kroger and a third-party company who employed the security guard.

First Judicial District Chancellor John Rambo of Jonesborough says he has been asked to sit on the new three-judge panel to hear a challenge to the legality of the state’s tax on wine, the Johnson City Press reports. Speaking to the East Tennessee Republican Club yesterday, Rambo said he’d been tapped by Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins to hear the case. The three-judge panel was created in the last legislative session to hear constitutional challenges to state law. Rambo also announced to the group that he will be running for re-election in 2022.  

Retired Davidson County General Sessions Court Judge Daniel Eisenstein was recently honored by the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) with its Sam Cochran Criminal Justice Award. According to NAMI, the award “recognizes an exemplary individual whose work in the criminal justice system has improved the fair and humane treatment of people with mental illness.” During his time on the bench, Eisenstein presided over the Davidson County Mental Health Court. After retirement, he continued his work in mental health and its intersection with the criminal justice system. Eisenstein has previously been honored with Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee’s Louise B. Katzman Volunteer of the Year Award and NAMI Tennessee’s Vision of Hope Award and Professional of the Year Award.

Chattanooga Judge Russell Bean announced yesterday that he will not seek re-election next year after serving 22 years with Chattanooga City Court, Division II, the Chattanoogan reports. Bean was appointed to the bench by former Mayor Jon Kinsey in 2000. "My heart has been with City Court and I will miss it but it is time for another chapter in my life,” Bean said in a statement.

Attorney General Herbert Slatery announced this week that he is joining a coalition of 51 attorneys general in asking the Federal Communications Commission to move up the deadline for smaller telephone companies to implement caller ID technology. The technology, called STIR/SHAKEN, helps fight robocalls by ensuring telephone calls are originating from verified numbers, not spoofed sources. Under the 2019 TRACED Act, large phone companies were required to implement the technology by June 2021 and smaller companies were given until June 2023. The coalition is asking the FCC to bump the deadline up to June 30, 2022 at the latest. Read more on the AG’s website.

Tennessee veterans are underrepresented in the Veterans Affairs’ Department (VA) claims and appeals process, but a new three-hour CLE set for Aug. 12 is designed to encourage VA accreditation. The live virtual program will cover representation before the VA, claims procedures, benefits eligibility, right to appeal, disability compensation, dependency, indemnity compensation and pension benefits. Speakers include James R. Drysdale with the VA Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C.

Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Lila Statom today announced her decision to seek re‐election. Statom was appointed to the court in 2012 by then Gov. Bill Haslam to complete the term of Judge Ronald Durby. She was elected to serve a full term in 2014. In addition to handling a criminal, civil and mental health hospital docket, Statom presides over the Hamilton County General Sessions Mental Health Court. Prior to joining the bench she was a Hamilton County assistant district attorney for 14 years and a Davidson County assistant district attorney for 10 years. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis and an LL.M. in litigation from Emory University School of Law. Read the full release.