The Trial Court Vacancy Commission yesterday clarified that the location for its hearing on candidates to fill a vacancy on the 14th Judicial District Circuit Court is still pending. The commission says the hearing will be held May 14 at 9 a.m. CDT at a location to be announced at a later date. The corrected announcement is posted online.

U.S. News & World Report released its latest law school rankings this week, with Yale Law School again taking the top spot, followed by Stanford Law School and Harvard Law School, Law.com reports. In Tennessee, Vanderbilt University tied with The University of Texas at Austin for 16th place — up from 18th place last year. The University of Tennessee ranked 60th, up from 70th place last year. Belmont University dropped to 134th place from 129th last year. And the University of Memphis slipped to 144th place from 141th last year. The Duncan School of Law at Lincoln Memorial University was not ranked and the Nashville School of Law was not on the list, which only ranks schools fully accredited by the American Bar Association. See the full rankings.

The Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims is seeking input on the reappointment of four judges: Judge Robert Durham of Cookeville, Judge Audrey Headrick of Chattanooga, Judge Amber Luttrell of Jackson and Judge Dale Tipps of Murfreesboro. These judges were first appointed in 2015 and will be considered for reappointment in June. Those who would like to submit input should send comments to Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Administrator Abbie Hudgens by April 23.

The Alcoa School District has grown so frustrated with the epidemic of vaping among students that officials have decided to sue e-cigarette manufacturers, Tennessee Lookout reports. School board members recently voted to join a lawsuit against JUUL Labs and Altria for their role in popularizing e-cigarettes and vaping among underage children. The Knoxville-based law firm Owings, Wilson & Coleman is representing the school district but is also part of a larger legal team representing 140 schools in the suit against JUUL. According to lawyer John Owings, Alcoa will have its own case but also will be “part of several cases across the country.” JUUL told National Public Radio in 2019 that it has never marketed its products to children.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has appointed Carolyn Watkins to a vacant position on the Memphis Municipal Court, Division One. Her appointment is subject to city council approval, WREG reports. According to the mayor’s announcement, Watkins has been a lawyer for over 30 years with the Shelby County government and the Public Defender’s Office.

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are tired of living in a virtual world. The concept of “Zoom fatigue” is real and has become a well-known side effect of being constantly plugged-in to technology. Stanford University recently released the first peer-reviewed study on the psychological effects of videoconferencing and why it makes us feel so tired. Researchers identified four primary causes of fatigue and how to compensate. Causes included prolonged eye contact at a close distance, heavy cognitive load, the “all-day mirror” effect and reduced mobility. Ways to cope included reducing the size of your Zoom window by exiting full screen mode, switching to audio only for a break from video when possible, hiding your self view so only other meeting participants can see you, and taking plenty of off-camera breaks to move around. Read more about the study from Sidecar, a professional development organization for associations.

In honor of Women’s History Month, the Administrative Office of the Courts recently published a piece looking at the women who became Tennessee’s first female judges. The profile looks at Martha Craig Daughtrey, the state Supreme Court’s first female justice; Janice M. Holder, the Supreme Court’s first female chief justice; Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby, the state’s first woman to serve on the Tennessee Court of Appeals; Judge Julia Smith Gibbons, the first woman to serve on a state trial court; Chancellor Sharon Bell, the first woman to serve on a state chancery court; Judge Kate M. Drake, the first county judge in the state; and Judge Camille Kelley, the first female judge in the state and the first female juvenile court judge. Thanks to these historic trailblazers, the Tennessee Judiciary is a changed institution. Today, women compose the majority of the Tennessee Supreme Court. At the trial court level, 25% of judges are women while 18 of the state’s 31 judicial districts have at least one woman judge.

In related news, U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice Donald and judicial law clerk LaFonda Willis reflect on the rich legacy of Shelby County women judges in an opinion piece in today's Commercial Appeal. Read about Nancy B. Sorak, the first woman elected as a judge in Memphis; Julia Smith Gibbons, the first woman to be named a federal judge in the state; and Earnestine Hunt Dorse, the first woman elected to Memphis City Court.

The TBA’s Tax Law Section is producing a series of one-hour webinars over the next few weeks to look at current issues impacting taxpayers. The first session kicks off on April 7 at noon CDT with “What’s New with the IRS?" This program will cover a variety of IRS initiatives including new installment agreement procedures, new e-filing procedures for Forms 2848, and 2019-specific tax relief to avoid liens. Then on April 28, the section will offer “Biden Your Time Until the Next Tax Bill,” which will look at changes to the tax code discussed by the Biden administration. On May 12, the section will offer “CARES Act Part 2,” which will provide new updates on the CARES Act program. Finally, on May 26, the section will offer “State Tax Remedies: The Informal Conference Process,” which will cover the informal conference process available to taxpayers who wish to challenge a proposed assessment. Make plans now to join your colleagues for these informative programs!

The TBA Animal Law Executive Council has decided to postpone its Annual Forum, scheduled for April 9, until the fall. Given the unique format and activities involved with this program, the section felt that it should be maintained as an in-person event to provide the best experience to attendees. Watch for updates on new dates coming soon. Please contact Animal Law Section Coordinator Jarod Word with any questions or concerns.

The Tennessee Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Circuit Court Judge in the 14th Judicial District. The vacancy was created by the retirement of  Judge L. Craig Johnson. The 14th Judicial District covers Coffee County. Applicants must be at least 30 years of age, a resident of the state for five years and a resident of the 14th Judicial District. Those interested should apply by noon CDT on April 13. The commission will hold a virtual hearing on May 14 at 9 a.m. CDT. It will be livestreamed on the Administrative Office of the Courts’ YouTube page. Read more about the vacancy on the AOC’s website.