The Nashville Bar Association will hold a reception on June 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. CDT to honor 2021 NBA President Mike Abelow, an attorney with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. The event will take place on the Pinnacle Green Roof at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place, 150 3rd Ave S., Nashville 37201. Complimentary parking in the Pinnacle garage, appetizers and beverages will be provided by the firm. RSVP here.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission on Friday selected three candidates for Gov. Bill Lee to consider in filling a 14th Judicial District Circuit Court vacancy. Going before the governor will be Robert T. Carter, William Lockhart and Edward H. North. The Administrative Office of the Court has more on each candidate. The 14th judicial district covers Coffee County. The vacancy was created by the May 12 retirement of Judge L. Craig Johnson.

Lauren B. Jacques has been named the new managing partner of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings’ Nashville office. She replaces Lela M. Hollabaugh, who has served in the role since 2015 and who will remain with the firm as a litigation partner. Jacques is a member of the firm’s Healthcare and Corporate Practice groups where she focuses her practice on health care transactions. A 2011 graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, she also has been involved with the Nashville Council of Health Care Attorneys and the American Health Law Association. Read more from the firm.

President Joe Biden's latest judicial nominees aren't just helping diversify the federal bench, they are also winning fans among those who have long lamented the lack of public defenders in the judiciary, Reuters reports. The White House last week announced six new nominations including two attorneys currently working at federal public defender offices. A third nominee has worked as a public defender in the past. Learn more about the picks.

Legislators adjourned the first year of the 112th General Assembly just a little more than a week ago, but comments from some indicate they could return for a special session to approve the spending of federal recovery funds. The state is to receive $8.6 billion, with $4 billion going to the state, $2.27 billion for county and city governments and $2.3 billion for local school districts, Tennessee Lookout reports. Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee Chair Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said last week a special session may be needed due to the sheer amount of money headed for Tennessee as well as the need to reallocate current funds. “We are going to try and run our normal expansion request process with these new federal dollars that are coming in unless it’s just so burdensome we just can’t manage it. We don’t know yet,” he said.

Chattanooga attorney and recent mayoral candidate Wade Hinton has been named a Top 100 Diversity Officer by DiversityFirst, a group that honors individuals who create and utilize best practices in business, lead organizational change and contribute to diversity and inclusion. The award was presented at the National Diversity Conference’s 17th Annual Conference, Chattanoogan.com reports. Hinton previously served as Chattanooga’s city attorney and as Unum Group’s first chief inclusion and diversity officer. He was a member of the 2006 TBA Leadership Law class.

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance has said it will not reopen an investigation of Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron’s campaign finance problems, but it will accept new information about the former state senator’s campaign and PAC accounts, Tennessee Lookout reports. A request to reopen the case came from Murfreesboro attorney Brad Hornsby. Registry officials said that third parties to cases already heard do not have standing to request reconsideration. In April, the registry levied a $135,000 civil penalty against Ketron for 474 findings affecting some $300,000 from separate audits of his Senate, Quest PAC and mayoral campaign accounts. Hornsby wanted Ketron to explain $5,000 in alleged illegal contributions and $90,000 in alleged undocumented contributions, or have the registry prevent him from seeking re-election. The registry said Hornsby was welcome to file new sworn complaints.

Rep. Mike Carter, a retired judge and Republican lawmaker from Ooltewah, died Saturday after battling pancreatic cancer, the Tennessean reports. He was 67. Carter, who received his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law, worked as an attorney and businessman, as an assistant county attorney representing the sheriff's office, and as a Hamilton County general sessions judge from 1997 to 2005 before being elected to the state House in 2012. His current term was set to end in November 2022. He was serving as chair of the Civil Justice Committee at the time of his death. In 2019, his actions helped contribute to the downfall of then-House Speaker Rep. Glen Casada. Carter said he believed the former speaker was willing to rig a House Ethics Committee proceeding and called for Casada's resignation. Carter later ran to replace Casada, a contest ultimately won by current Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. Carter received the cancer diagnosis last year at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after contracting the coronavirus. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday at Ooltewah Baptist Church, 5514 Main St., Ooltewah 37363. Visitation is scheduled from noon until 2 p.m. at the church, Chattanoogan.com reports. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

The TBA will hold its 2021 Elder Law Forum virtually on July 16 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT. This year's program will feature information on elder abuse and undue influence, VA benefits, Medicaid updates and more. Speakers include Amelia Crotwell and Julie Price with Elder Law of East Tennessee, Barbara McGinnis with Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law, and Bryson Eubanks with Kane and Crowell. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned experts and catch up on the latest developments in the field.

Nashville businessman Quincy McKnight has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, the Tennessean reports. That seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper and has been controlled by a Democrat for almost 150 years. McKnight, who is the CEO of a privately held payment processing company, made the announcement Thursday, touting his small business ownership and focusing much of his speech on the issue of jobs and the economy. Cooper also faces competition from fellow Democrat Odessa Kelly, who announced plans to run for the seat in April. The news comes as Cooper’s office undergoes staff changes, with the Nashville Post reporting earlier this week that longtime chief of staff, Lisa Quigley, is departing this summer.