The Administrative Office of the Court, in partnership with the Department of Children’s Services, Metro Nashville Public Schools and the Davidson County Juvenile Court, has created a pilot program with the goal of increasing on-time graduation rates for students in foster care. Project Wrap Around hopes to achieve its goal by facilitating improved communication among stakeholders like DCS and MNPS and through Wrap Around Meetings, which will be attended by students in foster care, school administrators, counselors, teachers, MNPS and DCS, guardians ad litem and CASA advocates when appropriate. The project’s stakeholders hope to have conversations about expanding beyond Davidson County after the next school year. The AOC’s website has more on its efforts to make Project Wrap Around successful.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has joined 47 attorneys general in calling on congressional leaders to pass the Fraud and Scam Reduction Act —a resolution aimed at fighting scams that target seniors. The act would establish an advisory group to collect data from retailers, financial services and wire-transfer companies and use it to educate employees on how to identify and prevent scams against seniors. It would also create the Office for the Prevention of Fraud Targeting Seniors to help monitor emerging scams, disseminate information on common fraud schemes and more. Read more from the AG’s office.  

Save the date for this year’s Animal Law Forum, taking place live and in-person 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.

The TBA Litigation Law Section will host a roundtable discussion tomorrow, featuring panelists who will provide present-day insights of judicial independence in the shadows of our separation-of-powers history. In the Shadow of History: Separation of Powers and Tennessee Courts will take place on May 26 from 3 until 4 p.m. CDT. Todd Presnell of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings will moderate a panel that will include Nashville School of Law Dean William C. Koch Jr., University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law professor Steven J. Mulroy and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice and University of Tennessee College of Law professor Penny J. White. The roundtable is free and open to the public, with optional CLE credit for a fee of $45.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk has said that the city will not be enforcing Tennessee’s controversial transgender bathroom law, The Tennessean reports. The bill, HB1182/SB1224, as enacted requires “a public or private entity or business that operates a building or facility open to the general public to post a notice at the entrance of each public restroom of the entity's or business's policy of allowing a member of either biological sex to use any public restroom.” Funk in a statement said “I believe every person is welcome and valued in Nashville. Enforcement of transphobic or homophobic laws is contrary to those values." When asked about Funk's statement, Gov. Bill Lee told the paper: “his decision will be his own … I signed the law and it'll be his decision how he wants to respond to it.” Funk is not the only city official voicing opposition to the legislation. Nashville Mayor John Cooper says such measures are tantamount to a "do not come here" sign, and that a “platform of hate and division” could have a negative impact on the state’s economy.

The TBA Mentoring Committee will host a free virtual program on ethics in the mentoring relationship from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. CDT on June 8. The session is open to all current mentors and mentees or anyone interested in joining the Mentoring Program. Guest speakers Brian Faughnan of Lewis Thomason, Sandy Garrett with the Board of Professional Responsibility and Knoxville Law Director Charles Swanson will discuss identifying clear ethical violations in a mentoring relationship and setting and maintaining healthy expectations and boundaries in today’s setting. To RSVP for the event, email Stephanie Vonnahme.

The Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims today issued a new order governing hearings and trials following the Tennessee Supreme Court's decision to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on in-person court proceedings earlier this month. The new Workers’ Compensation Court’s order will require continued social distancing and risk questions. The presiding judge in each case will have the discretion to require masks or other safety protocols. In-person settlements will still be held remotely until further notice. Read more from the court.

The ABA has launched a 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge© in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It is the second ABA-wide challenge launched this year, the first of which was offered in February for Black History Month. The idea behind the challenge is to advance deeper understandings of the intersections of race, power, privilege, supremacy and oppression by inviting participants to complete 21 short assignments over 21 consecutive days. Each activity takes about 15 to 20 minutes and can include readings, videos and podcasts. This specific challenge is designed to expose participants to AAPI histories, identities and cultures, as well as the community’s experiences of racism in America.

The Knoxville Family Justice Center is marking its 15th anniversary this month and is asking supporters to donate “$15 for 15 Years.” As the first family justice center in Tennessee, the Knoxville center has served as a model to others across the state. Among its on-site partners are the Knox County District Attorney’s office and Legal Aid of East Tennessee. Those interested in donating may do so here. Read more about this anniversary year from Inside of Knoxville.

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice Donald has notified President Joe Biden of her intent to take senior status upon confirmation of a successor, Law.com reports. The move will give the president his first appointment on the appeals court, which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Donald was appointed to the court in 2011 by then-President Barack Obama. She previously served on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District Tennessee and the Shelby County General Sessions Court. She broke barriers at every court she joined, becoming the first African American woman to serve as a Tennessee judge, the first African American woman in the country to serve as a bankruptcy judge, the first African American woman to serve on the District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, and the first African American to serve on the 6th Circuit. Among her many honors, she received the William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award from the TBA Young Lawyers Divisions Fellows in 2007 and the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the ABA in 2017.