Congressional leaders are calling for an investigation into the FBI’s treatment of former Knoxville professor Dr. Anming Hu, who was the subject of a failed espionage investigation, Knoxnews reports. They want the Justice Department to look at whether racial or ethnic profiling were part of the previous administration’s China Initiative, which investigated Chinese academics. Hu was ultimately arrested on fraud charges. Last week, a deadlocked jury failed to convict him.

Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton, 64, will retire effective Jan. 31, 2022, and the process to choose his successor is close to completion, Victor Ashe writes in KnoxNews. A committee established by Eastern District Chief Judge Travis McDonough of Chattanooga in February has completed its work. It considered 50 applications and selected five candidates to advance in the process. Those applications have been sent to the active and senior judges in the district for their consideration. Committee members included chair and former state representative Wayne Ritchie; Dwight Tarwater, former legal counsel to Gov. Bill Haslam; Knoxville attorney Karmen Waters; former University of Tennessee College of Law Dean Melanie Wilson; former U.S. Marshal Jimmy Fowler; LMU professor Maha Ayesh; and businesswoman Tanya Ickowitz.

District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn announced last week that he is seeking re-election as district attorney general for the Fourth Judicial District, which covers Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. He touted his work increasing victims’ rights advocates and with the Elder Abuse Unit, which prosecutes crimes against and provides resources to older adults. Before election as district attorney in 2006, Dunn was assistant district attorney for more than 16 years, a state trooper and law enforcement instructor. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law. The Newport Plain Talk has more.

The D.C. Bar is presenting a nonpartisan, virtual program in July that is designed to give women lawyers the tools they need to run for local, state or federal office. The group’s first ever “Legislative Women's Collective: Unleashing the Political Power of Women Attorneys” is a two-day program that will focus on the various elected and appointed positions available, how to create a roadmap to reach individual political goals, and the unique ethical requirements of practicing attorneys running for office. The program is open to women lawyers across the country. The early bird and scholarship application period ends July 6. The final application deadline is July 20. The program will be held July 23 and 24 from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. EDT each day. Learn more in this recent podcast.

Tenth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Larry H. Puckett will retire from the bench next week after nearly 24 years of serving the people of Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties. He is stepping down a year early to allow a successor time to gain experience in the job before having to run for election in 2022, the Administrative Office of the Courts said. The AOC looks back at his career in this profile piece. Two weeks ago, Gov. Bill Lee appointed Bradley County lawyer Michael Jenne to replace Puckett on the court.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed suit in federal court today challenging a new Tennessee law that requires businesses and other entities that allow transgender people to use the restroom that matches their gender to post a government-prescribed warning sign. The suit alleges the law violates the First Amendment. It was filed on behalf of business owners in Nashville and Chattanooga who objected to the message. Read more and get the filings from the ACLU.

A retirement celebration and portrait unveiling will be held Wednesday for Anderson County Circuit and Criminal Court Judge Donald Elledge. The event will take place at noon EDT in the circuit courtroom of the Anderson County Courthouse, 100 N. Main St., Clinton 37716. All are invited to attend and lunch will be provided. Judge Elledge has served on the bench since 2005 and was instrumental in establishing the county’s Drug Court Program. He served as president of the Tennessee Judicial Conference in 2019. Prior to taking the bench, he was in private practice. Read more about his career from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved a pair of bills yesterday that would dramatically expand video coverage of federal court trials and other proceedings while putting Supreme Court arguments on camera for the first time, Politico reports. It’s the first time such legislation has cleared the committee in more than a decade. Both bills have bipartisan support though some committee members expressed concern that cameras would lead to “showboating” by lawyers and justices. The federal Administrative Office of the Courts also opposes the congressional effort, saying a rules change should go through its process for notice and comment.

Above the Law (ATL) has released its 2021 rankings of the top 50 law schools in the country based on employment outcomes. The authors say it is the only ranking to incorporate the latest ABA employment data for the class of 2020. Two Tennessee schools made this year’s list. Vanderbilt University Law School came in at number 15, down from 11th place in 2020, while the University of Tennessee College of Law came in at number 39, up two places from last year. Get the full rankings and methodology here.

The Shelby County School Board has ended its partnership with the district attorney’s office on a truancy prevention program, WREG reports. District Attorney Amy Weirich said the news was unexpected and sad. The program started in 2007 and had grown to 30 schools. The DA’s office paired students with mentors and offered rewards to those with good attendance. It also offered resources to parents of truant children, instead of charging them with a crime or sending children to juvenile court. School Superintendent Joris Ray said the program was terminated partly because it did not comply with state law.