Murfreesboro assistant city attorney Elizabeth Taylor was chosen as the recipient of this year’s Larry Dean Wilks Leadership Award by fellow members of the TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) class. All 33 members of the leadership training program met for one final session last week during the TBA’s Annual Convention in Memphis. Taylor was presented with the award during the group’s graduation ceremony on Friday. The award is named for former TBA president Larry D. Wilks and recognizes a TBALL class member who exhibits exceptional leadership qualities.

The new Tennessee State Library and Archives (TSLA) building has made available more than 10,000 boxes of full state Supreme Court case files, some that date back to the early 19th century. The high court’s opinions in those cases have long been available to the public, but the associated case files have not. According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, TSLA staff worked for roughly 15 years to painstakingly clean and index the records—a massive undertaking led by Court of Appeals Judge Andy Bennett. “If you really want to go behind the opinion, these documents are great,” Bennett said. The TSLA also houses a legislative history collection containing old volumes of state codes and recordings of legislative hearings. The new building opened in April and is located at 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way N. in Nashville.  

The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation (TJCF) is working to fund a scholarship in honor of retired Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jerry L. Smith who died in February. Smith, who was appointed to the court in 1995, was elected to full terms in 1998 and 2006. Prior to joining the bench, he worked for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office as an assistant attorney general and deputy attorney general. Smith was an instructor at Nashville School of Law and an adjunct faculty member at Belmont University College of Law. Donations to the scholarship fund can be made to the TJCF, and sent to 629 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206-4211.

If you weren't able to make it to the TBA Convention in Memphis last week or missed the live stream, the video from Friday's Lawyers Luncheon is now available online. A number of Tennessee lawyers were recognized for their service to the profession and communities at the event, and Brentwood lawyer Sherie Edwards took the oath of office to become the new president for the association. Among those honored were AC Wharton and Ruby Wharton, with the William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award; Todd Pinckley, with the Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing; Willie Santana, with the Claudia Jack Award (note that audio in the presentation from Buck Lewis is now available at the 21:30 mark); Al Harvey, with the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award; and Judge Pamela L. Reeves, with the Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award presented posthumously.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday ruled that when police officers pursue someone suspected of a misdemeanor, that pursuit does not automatically allow for warrantless entry into a home the suspect has entered, the Associated Press reports. “On many occasions, the officer will have good reason to enter — to prevent imminent harms of violence, destruction of evidence, or escape from the home,” Justice Elena Kagan wrote in the majority opinion. “But when the officer has time to get a warrant, he must do so — even though the misdemeanant fled.” Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito suggested the majority’s opinion gave “no guidance at all” to officers in the field and left too much for them to consider in the midst of a chase.

Part of Hohenwald’s West Main Street/Highway 412 will be renamed in memory of local attorney and former TBA president Landis Turner, the Lewis County Herald reports. Turner died in March 2020 following a brief illness. Turner was a longtime attorney in Hohenwald, practicing there from 1967 until his retirement in 2007. He also served as the city’s attorney for 40 years. In addition to the many positions he held with the TBA, Turner also served on boards for the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, Tennessee Justice Center, American Bar Association and many more. The renaming will be dedicated to Turner during a ceremony on Saturday at 4 p.m. CDT at the intersection of West Main Street and Darbytown Road.

Working Mother magazine recently named eight law firms with Tennessee offices among its 50 best firms for working mothers. They are: Baker Donelson with offices in Chattanooga, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville; Bass, Berry & Sims in Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville; Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete in Nashville; Epstein Becker & Green in Nashville; Jackson Lewis in Memphis; Littler in Memphis and Nashville; Ogletree Deakins in Memphis and Nashville; and Pillsbury in Nashville. In naming this year’s best firms, the magazine said one common factor stood out: all offered enhanced benefits during the pandemic that addressed the most pressing caregiving needs of women lawyers. Specific benefits included paid parental leave, in-home child care, sick child care, academic support for children, support for personal and household duties, and policies that emphasized empathy and flexibility.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday transferred the law license of Matilda Ann Batson to disability inactive status. Batson cannot practice law while on disability inactive status, but may be reinstated by the Supreme Court after showing her disability has been removed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has lifted almost all restrictions on in-person hearings, but it appears some civil court judges in Shelby County are holding court only a few days a week, Local Memphis reports. The news source says fewer cases are being heard and it's backing up dockets, taking months for some cases to get court dates. John Campbell, 30th District presiding judge, said it is his impression that the Supreme Court intended for courts to “get back and get your work done.” He said criminal court operations are basically back to normal but did not know what was happening in the civil courts. Civil court judges who spoke to the paper said they believe they still need to operate under a year-old reopening plan. A spokesperson for the Supreme Court said judges may fully open for business and may amend their plans at any time without approval. The only restriction still in place is a three-foot social distancing rule.

Cherished Hearts, Nashville’s intervention court aimed at helping human trafficking survivors, has faced its share of challenges, Tennessee Lookout reports. In its five-plus years of existence, the program has seen four judges, two executive directors, an unrelated criminal scandal involving one of those judges and a worldwide pandemic. But thanks to a recent federal grant and the leadership of General Sessions Judge Ana Escobar, Cherished Hearts is pressing on and is poised to grow, the paper writes. The program was the brainchild of Davidson County assistant district attorneys Deb Smith and Tammy Meade, who helped launch the court under the jurisdiction of then Judge Casey Moreland. Despite being hampered by the pandemic, 20 individuals participated in the program in 2020. Read more about how the court works.