TBA CLE will present the virtual 2021 Communications Law Forum on April 16 from 9 a.m. until noon CDT. Attendees will hear presentations on anti-SLAPP, liable defamation, the Public Records Act, a U.S. and Tennessee Supreme Court update and more. Remember, members of the Communication Law Section will receive discounted pricing on this CLE. Not a member? Sign up today.

Don't miss the opportunity tomorrow to explore what the post-pandemic law office will look like. The free program will look at how lawyers shifted their practices during the pandemic, what is next for the practice of law, if virtual will be the future of the modern law office, and if tele-legal will become the new tele-medicine. Jennifer McGlone, co-founder, CLO and president of legal technology company LawChamps, and Maxine Kozler Koven, a venture capitalist and LawChamps investor, will talk about the latest trends and take questions from attendees. Sign up by tomorrow morning to join the conversation!

With the expiration of a moratorium on the execution of Tennessee death row inmate Pervis Payne last week, supporters are continuing to press his case with Gov. Bill Lee and state legislators. Payne was granted a reprieve from his Dec. 3, 2020, execution date by Lee due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That reprieve ended Friday and a new execution date could be scheduled anytime by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Payne’s legal team has sent information to the governor about the legal, evidentiary and ethical issues involved in the case. A spokesperson for Lee said he was still reviewing the case “through the established process,” the Tennessean reports.

People with law school loans could benefit if President Joe Biden authorizes a plan to forgive all or a portion of student debt, but it could exclude those who owe private lenders and impose limits based on income, experts say. The issue of student loan debt forgiveness figured prominently in the 2020 presidential campaign. In April, the White House announced that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona had been asked to explore President Joe Biden’s authority to cancel student loans. Read what experts are saying this means for law school debt in this article from the ABA Journal.

Work/life balance is often the first thing to go when demands of the job are on the rise. But expectations are changing rapidly and more workers are expecting companies to provide a healthier balance between work and home. The same trend is happening in the legal profession. A new white paper from Thomson Reuters looks at the symptoms of and ways to alleviate attorney burnout, generational differences and expectations found in law firms, and ways to make work/life balance a reality at your firm. Read more here.

Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis has added legal technology veteran Steve Novak as its chief information officer, the Nashville Post reports. Novak replaces Doug Leins, who retired at the end of 2020. Novak has worked for some of the nation’s most influential law firms including Bingham Greenebaum Doll, which is now part of Dentons, Sidley Austin and Kirkland & Ellis. While Leins focused largely on internal IT such as resource management and network security, the firm says Novak will play a key role in determining how Waller can better serve its clients through technology. Novak is the author of numerous articles focused on law firm technology operational improvement and operational excellence. He also is often a speaker for industry events, seminars, workshops and user forums.

Make plans now to join your colleagues for the 2021 TBA Annual Convention, presented this year as both an in-person event at The Peabody in Memphis and as a virtual online event the week of June 14. Virtual programming will be available for all registrants on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, virtual only registrants will tune in for a livestream of key Convention events such as the Bench Bar CLE and Luncheon, Lawyers Luncheon, Better This Year CLE program and Legislative Update CLE. During that same time, in-person attendees will experience all that Memphis has to offer, including key programs, a joint social event with state judges, a group breakfast and the delights of Beale Street and beyond. Register today to save your spot! Full Access Registration (including both in-person & virtual access) and Virtual Only Registration are now open. For those attending in person, please note there will be caps on the number of registrations so be sure to make your reservation early, and be sure to read the TBA’s COVID-19 safety acknowledgement, liability waiver and release of claims.

Law firms are getting involved in the controversy over voting changes passed in Georgia and under consideration in Texas, the ABA Journal reports. Leaders of 62 of the nation’s top 100 law firms have signed a statement denouncing voting restrictions, as have 19 general counsels. Two law firms with roots in Georgia are the most recent to sign on, Law.com reports. The statement reads in part: “Equal access to voting is a fundamental right in the United States. Making voting easier, not harder, for all eligible voters should be the goal of every elected official. Election laws that impose unnecessary obstacles and barriers on the right to vote and that disenfranchise underrepresented groups represent a significant step backwards for all Americans.” In addition to the statement, some firms are establishing a coalition to challenge state voter legislation they believe to be discriminatory.

The Knoxville Bar Association will host a virtual Law Day program on April 30 from noon to 1 p.m. EDT. Speakers for “Advancing the Rule of Law, Now” include Belmont College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzales; Andre Johnson with the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office; Knoxville Area Urban League President Phyllis Y. Nichols; Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steven W. Sword and University of Tennessee College of Law professor Penny J. White. Cost is $25 for KBA members and $40 for non-members. Law students may attend for free. Reservations are required.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced a bill to study the potential impact of legalized medical marijuana in the state, WJHL reports. The committee approved SB667 with amendments by a vote of 5-3. The bill would ask the Tennessee Department of Health to study the licensure and regulation of medical cannabis in neighboring states and report back to the General Assembly by Dec. 15. A previously proposed bill that would have directly legalized the use of medical marijuana in the state failed in the Senate in March. The House Health Committee was scheduled to consider its version of the bill today.