Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold four phone clinics this week for members of the public with questions about housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, SNAP benefits and unemployment benefits. Clinics are Monday from 3 to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday from 3 to 4 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. All times central. LAS is looking for attorneys to help answer questions. To volunteer, contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or call 615-780-7131.

The social influencer marketing industry is expected to be worth more than $15 billion in 2022. As the value of these services increase and contracts become more complicated, attorneys will be needed to help advise influencers. To learn more about this developing practice area, make plans to join colleagues for a webcast on March 25 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. CDT. Topics will include laws related to social media promotions, contests and giveaways; how to negotiate deals for influencers, including common contractual terms; and how influencers can protect their intellectual property through trademark and copyright laws.

Tracy Anne Eaton of Des Moines, Iowa, filed a petition for reinstatement to the practice of law in Tennessee on Nov. 2, 2020. On Nov. 17, 2020, the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education filed a response in opposition to the petition, citing Eaton’s failure to pay fees and establish compliance with mandatory CLE requirements for two compliance years. The commission sent two letters to Eaton notifying her of its position. She did not respond. The Tennessee Supreme Court dismissed her petition on Feb. 22 without prejudice.

Three lawyers have been reinstated to the practice of law after being moved to inactive status more than five years ago. They are: Joe Blackburn Brown and Brien Philip Campbell of Davidson County and Brian Jamie Hunt of Anderson County.

A new episode of the TBA Member Spotlight Series is available today, featuring a conversation between TBA President Michelle Greenway Sellers and Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins of Memphis. Jenkins discusses his passions outside of the law, how to educate the community about the important role the judiciary plays in their everyday lives and more. Catch up on past episodes, like Michelle’s conversation with HCA Senior HR Counsel and TBA Chief Diversity Officer Mary Beard and 26th Judicial District Assistant District Attorney and TBA YLD President Terica Smith.

Third year Vanderbilt Law School student Ramon Ryan is the guest co-host of this month’s episode of the TBA BarBuzz Podcast. Ryan helps recap the latest legal news, upcoming and recent events at the bar association and gives some special shout outs to attorneys in the Tennessee legal community for their good work. Ryan also discusses his recent ABA award-winning scholarship on the Federal Communication Commission’s policy that excludes commercial satellites from environmental review. BarBuzz is a monthly show and is part of the TBA Podcast Network. It can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts or on the TBA’s website.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has announced dates for a series of virtual legal clinics to assist victims of the March 2020 Middle Tennessee tornadoes. The clinics, held for low-income residents of Davidson, Putnam and Wilson counties, will be staffed by pro bono attorneys with experience in legal issues stemming from natural disasters. The Davidson County clinic will be held this Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. CST. More information can be found here.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is now hiring for a senior environmental counsel position. The position requires a minimum of five years of experience in the full-time practice of law. Experience applying the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), SMCRA, CERCLA and/or RCRA is preferred. The position is located in Nashville, but TDEC attorneys are currently working remotely and there is expected to be some flexibility going forward. Read the full job description and instructions on how to apply.

President Joe Biden today signed his $1.9 trillion COVID-19 rescue package into law, The Hill reports. The bill includes funding for $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, vaccine distribution efforts, school reopenings, enhanced unemployment benefits through September and state and local governments, along with an expansion of the child tax credit and an expansion of ObamaCare, among other provisions. The White House says it expects many Americans to receive their direct payments by the end of March. Biden will deliver a prime-time address later this evening about the administration's pandemic response.

A bill that would allow mentally disabled people on death row to challenge their sentence is being considered by a House subcommittee, WPLN reports. The Tennessee Black Caucus filed House Bill 1/Senate Bill 1236 in November to shield intellectually disabled people convicted of a crime from the death penalty. It is now being considered by the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee. The bill has been backed by several high-profile figures, including the president of the American Bar Association and former independent prosecutor of the Whitewater investigation, Ken Starr. Although state law no longer allows those with an I.Q. of 70 or below to be executed, federal public defender Kelley Henry told lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday that the bill was needed to provide the same protection for people who have already been sentenced. The state Black Caucus filed the bill on behalf of Pervis Payne, a man with intellectual disabilities who is scheduled to die in April.