Just in time for the spring break season, the TBA Young Lawyers Division has launched a new legal guide for young adults. Just Adulting TN is a new website that offers easy to understand content about what Tennessee laws say on a wide range of issues including drinking, texting and driving, police encounters, jury duty, voting, selective service, taxes, student loans and social media responsibility. Turning 18 and being legally considered as an adult can be an exciting time in a young person’s life. But it is important to understand the rights, responsibilities and obligations that come with that new status. Check out these new resources and spread the word with the hashtag #JustAdultingTN.

The always-popular Bill & Phil Show, offered this year as part of the TBA's Law Tech Forum, has been rescheduled for March 23 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Nashville attorney Bill Ramsey and legal technologist Phil Hampton will share a broad overview of the latest tech gadgets, apps, tools and tips for attorneys. Register for the program and be entered to win an iPad Air! Thanks to our sponsors — CASEROADS, Clio, Computer Systems Plus, Time Miner and LexReception —who made this year's forum prizes possible.

State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, and State Rep. Tom Leatherwood, R-Arlington, have introduced legislation to make judicial and countywide elections nonpartisan in counties with populations of 500,000 or more, the Tennessee Star reports. According to the latest census estimates, only Shelby and Davidson counties would be impacted. Past attempts to make such a change have not been successful due to the opposition of elected officials in the affected counties. That has not changed. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution opposing the bill. Supporters argue the change would improve local government processes. Opponents say it is unconstitutional to single out specific counties for different treatment.

A federal lawsuit filed by the Tennessee NAACP on behalf of five state residents argues that the state is not doing enough to clean up convoluted rules for those looking to restore voting rights. It also accuses Rutherford County of charging a $25 restoration fee per felony conviction, which the plaintiffs describe as a modern-day poll tax. In an investigative piece about the situation, the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal looks at the challenges faced by those seeking to restore their voting rights. Among its findings, the journal says voting restoration requests are managed by "aloof probation officers and county clerks, equipped with sloppy, even dysfunctional records and processes” and “requests typically end with neither approvals nor denials, a legal conundrum.” Read a reprint of the piece in the Commercial Appeal.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue announced last week that it has released two new tax manuals: the Franchise & Excise Tax Manual and the Business Tax Manual. The department also said that other manuals have been expanded and/or reworked into a consistent format, while the Sales & Use Tax Manual is under development. Access all manuals here.

Baker Donelson provided pro bono support for the recently published 2020 State Index on Youth Homelessness, the firm announced earlier the week. The index is produced by the National Homelessness Law Center and True Colors United. It evaluates all 50 states and the District of Columbia on efforts to prevent and end youth homelessness. Baker Donelson donated the efforts of 15 attorneys, three summer associates and four pro bono fellows, who spent nearly 500 hours researching information for the report. The team was overseen by lead attorney Ashley Cullinan in Baltimore, Pro Bono Shareholder Samuel T. Bowman and Chief Diversity Officer Mark A. Baugh in Nashville, and Noah Kressler, chair of Baker Donelson's LGBTQ resource group BakerPride in New Orleans.

The Belmont College of Law's Mock Trial Team won the Region 2 championship in the American Association of Justice’s Student Trial Advocacy Competition earlier this month. The team claimed the title by going undefeated in five rounds, including a victory over Baylor University in the finals. It now advances to the national competition, which will be held April 15 to 18. This is the second consecutive year Belmont has won its regional competition, the school announced this week. Team members are Tate Ducker, Hannah Huffman, Ella Mohyeddin and Philip Wyman.

Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors is holding a free virtual seminar on March 25 at 2 p.m. CDT to provide an overview of the U.S. immigration system and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Topics will include a history of DACA, the eligibility requirements for and benefits of DACA, how to prepare initial and renewal DACA applications, and how to work with immigrant youth. Learn more and register here.

State Sen. Mike Bell, a Republican from Riceville and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said this week that he is planning to introduce legislation that would move cases against the state to different jurisdictions, Tennessee Lookout reports. While the bill’s language is not settled yet, Bell said it could move cases to surrounding counties, one the state’s three grand divisions or special judicial panels. Currently, cases against the state are filed in Davidson County courts. In discussing the reasoning for his idea, Bell said, “… why should a chancellor who’s elected by the most liberal constituency in the state of Tennessee be making the decisions for all the state …?" He cited a decision by Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin that the governor’s education savings account program was unconstitutional and a decision by Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle to expand absentee voting as examples for why such a move is needed.

Shelby County General Sessions Judge Deborah M. Henderson was honored today with the Grayfred Gray Public Service in Mediation Award at the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators' annual meeting. The association selected Henderson for the award for her work creating and expanding the general session court’s mediation program, and more recently, encouraging other judges to refer cases to a local mediation center during the pandemic. The award is named for Grayfred Gray, who served for 28 years on the faculty of the University of Tennessee College of Law and founded the college’s mediation clinic. Gov. Lee has proclaimed March 2021 as Mediation Month in Tennessee.