The American Bar Association has announced that the 2021 Law Day theme will be “Advancing the Rule of Law Now." The rule of law is the bedrock of American rights and liberties — in times of calm and unrest alike. This year’s theme reminds all of us that “we the people” share the responsibility to promote the rule of law, defend liberty and pursue justice. Watch the virtual launch event. Look for details about Law Day celebrations planned in Tennessee in the coming weeks.

Tennessee is projected to receive $8.56 billion from the latest round of federal COVID-19 relief funding, according to Gov. Bill Lee’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group. The news was reported last week by the Tennessee Journal. The funding includes $4 billion for the state, $2.26 billion for local governments and $2.3 billion for local school districts. Funding for the state includes $3.82 billion for the fiscal recovery fund and $216 million for coronavirus capital projects.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III announced today that Tennessee, as part of a coalition of 41 state attorneys general, has settled with Retrieval-Masters Creditors Bureau, a debt collection agency doing business as American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA). The settlement resolves a multistate investigation into a 2019 data breach that exposed the personal information of more than seven million individuals, including 132,451 Tennesseans. Under the settlement AMCA promises to implement an information security program with detailed requirements and an incident response plan, hire a duly qualified chief information security officer, hire a third-party assessor to perform an information security assessment, and cooperate with the state attorneys general with investigations related to the data breach.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation recently announced it has awarded $963,200 as part of a second round of Implementation Grants from the Tennessee Legal Initiatives Fund. The awards follow $1.1 million given in 2019 to a number of pilot projects designed to broaden the capacity of organizations to break the cycle of poverty and barriers to justice by using civil legal aid and education to help vulnerable populations. The projects have since been evaluated with 10 of them receiving funding for an additional year. The funds come from a consumer relief settlement negotiated by the Department of Justice. Under the settlement, monies were donated nationwide to organizations that administer each state’s Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee on Thursday suspended Davidson County lawyer Charles Edward Walker from the practice of law for three years, with two years to be served on active suspension and one year on probation. During the probationary period Walker must be supervised by a practice monitor. The court imposed the discipline after finding that Walker failed to correct statements made to a lower court; failed to disclose his disciplinary history; prepared legal documents that were deceitful; was found in willful contempt of an injunction; and was convicted of criminal contempt in a court in Texas. His actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1 and 8.4 (a), (c) and (d).

The Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance, a project of the Tennessee Access to Justice Commission, will hold several virtual legal advice clinics in Knoxville on April 13-15. The event is being coordinated by the Knoxville Bar Association and its Access to Justice Committee; Legal Aid of East Tennessee; and the University of Tennessee College of Law. Volunteers are needed to take questions from the public. Sign up to volunteer here.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today extended a moratorium on evictions through the end of June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reports. The ban was set to expire Wednesday. Initially put in place last year, the ban provides protection for renters out of concern that having families move into shelters or share crowded conditions with relatives or friends during the pandemic would further spread the highly contagious virus. To be eligible, renters must meet an income test, show they have sought government help to pay the rent, declare they can’t pay because of COVID-19 hardships, and affirm they are likely to become homeless if evicted. Use of the moratorium in Tennessee may be in doubt, though, after a federal judge in Memphis struck down the ban as unconstitutional earlier this month. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals today denied a stay in the ruling saying it was unlikely an appeal would be successful.

Join the Juvenile and Children’s Law Section on April 29 at 9 a.m. for the 2021 Forum. This year's event will include a discussion about the impact COVID-19 has had on education, training on equality and two panel discussions on human trafficking. Panelists from law enforcement agencies will review laws, policies and information aimed toward those who are targeted for involuntary servitude. Register now to attend this virtual program.

The latest episode of the TBA Member Spotlight Series is now streaming. Listen in as TBA President Michelle Greenway Sellers talks with Nashville lawyer Kinika Young about access to justice in Tennessee, the lessons she learned while attending Tulane Law School when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and how she transitioned from practicing at a large firm to her current role as senior director of health policy and advocacy for the Tennessee Justice Center. Find the latest installment or catch up on previous episodes of the Member Spotlight Series on the TBA’s website or YouTube page.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the so-called transgender athlete bill into law on Friday, the Tennessean reports. The legislation requires transgender students in the state to compete in school sports according to their gender at birth. The move makes Tennessee the third state to enact such legislation this year, following similar actions in Mississippi and Arkansas. Lee, who previously said transgender athlete participation would "destroy women's sports," said today he signed the bill to preserve women's athletics and ensure fair competition. Opponents argue the legislation is discriminatory and may invite economic loss and legal challenges in the future. ACLU Tennessee previously had threatened to sue the state if the bill became law.