President Joe Biden is calling on Congress to extend the federal eviction moratorium past Saturday when it is set to expire, News Channel 5 reports. In a statement issued yesterday, Biden said that while he would support another extension from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the U.S. Supreme Court “made clear that this option is no longer available.” Congressional leaders scrambled today to try to get a bill to the House floor but were unable to garner enough Democratic votes, The Hill reports. By late afternoon, they had abandoned the effort. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, urged the administration to do a temporary fix to give Congress more time to pass legislation.

Hello Divorce, a California startup whose platform facilitates low-cost do-it-yourself and attorney-assisted divorces, has raised $2 million to fuel expansion to all 50 states, Bob Ambrogi reports in his LawSites blog. Divorce attorney Erin Levine started Hello Divorce in 2017 as part of her law firm and spun it off in 2018. The service is currently available in California, Colorado, Texas and Utah. In addition to geographic expansion, Levin plans to add ancillary services, including offering financial literacy skills to clients through a partnership with Northwestern Mutual. 

Individual sessions from this year’s Communication Law Forum are now available. Want to experience the full forum? Check out our 1-Click option that gives you access to all sessions. The 2021 forum included presentations on anti-SLAPP, defamation, the Public Records Act and and updates from the U.S. and Tennessee Supreme Court.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville attorney David Anthony left behind his law firm of 13 years and hung his own shingle. Anthony discusses that transition on the latest episode of the TBA's Sidebar podcast where he explains what he likes most about his solo practice, his biggest challenges and his advice for attorneys who are looking to make the same change. Additionally, David discusses resources offered by the TBA to help solo and small firm practitioners, including the Practice Management Center and the upcoming business education and development training program, Scaling Small Law. Sidebar is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA's website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. 

Dyer County lawyer Charles Maurice Agee Jr. today received a public censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. While representing a client in a criminal matter, Agee asked his legal assistant to contact the prosecutor for a continuance in an upcoming preliminary hearing. He did not speak directly with the prosecutor himself. Agee’s legal assistant advised him that the prosecutor had agreed to a continuance. On the morning of the preliminary hearing, Agee told the court he had spoken directly with the prosecutor by email and she had agreed to the continuance, but the prosecutor later confirmed with the judge that she had not agreed to the continuance. A public censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.

Gallatin resident Jack Jesse Griffith pleaded guilty in federal court today to his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., the Tennessean reports. Griffith pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. He faces a $5,000 fine and a possible six months in jail with potential supervised release. He will also pay $500 in restitution. Griffith was captured on video participating in the riot and was arrested at his home in Gallatin on Jan. 16. He will be sentenced on Oct. 15.  

Attorney Steve Groom has announced the launch of Dedicated General Counsel PLLC, the Nashville Post reports. The new firm will offer legal services to companies without having to hire in-house counsel. Groom has previously worked at Nashville firms Neal & Harwell, Stites & Harbison and Butler Snow and general counsel and other leadership positions at CapStar Bank, Franklin Financial, CoreCivic and SunTrust. According to Groom, businesses who hire Dedicated General Counsel will pay “for a predetermined ‘fraction’ of the general counsel’s time.” 

Thomas “Tom” Jessee, a well-known attorney with offices in Greeneville and Johnson City, was found dead at his home Tuesday evening, WJHL reports. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said yesterday that “foul play does not appear to be involved,” but the agency is heading up an investigation into his death. District Attorney General Dan Armstrong requested TBI’s assistance in the investigation. Greeneville’s assistant police chief, Mike Crum, says the TBI was requested due to “due to potential conflicts of interest.”

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services will host its annual Equal Justice University (EJU) virtual conference on Sept. 21- 23. Join members of the state’s equal justice community for three days of sessions covering substantive law, ethics and paraprofessional skills, engaging and inspiring plenary sessions, the annual Access to Justice Awards presentations and much more. Registration for the conference is now open.

If you missed the TBA Labor & Employment Law Section’s annual forum, it is now available in just 1-Click. This bundle of sessions from the forum includes a case law update, a discussion on what the first 100 days under the Biden administration looked like for the practice area, a discussion on controversial topics ranging from court-packing to kneeling and much more. This package is worth two dual and three general CLE credits and can be purchased on the TBA CLE website.