High school students in 17 east Tennessee counties are invited to participate in two essay contests, one sponsored by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and another sponsored by the Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association, the Hamilton County Herald reports. This year’s topic for both contests is “What does it mean to support and defend the Constitution?” The contests are open to public, private and home high school students in Bedford, Bledsoe, Bradley, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Hamilton, Lincoln, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Moore, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Warren and Van Buren counties. The deadline for both competitions is March 31. Visit the court’s website for additional information and submission details.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee today announced that dozens of state offices across West and Middle Tennessee will be closed tomorrow due to hazardous weather and travel conditions. See the list of counties affected.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel shareholder Jeffrey Maddux has been elected president of the Chattanooga Bar Association, the firm announced today. Maddux is currently serving his second term on the CBA board and has been actively involved for many years. He also is a member of the Federal Bar Association, Chattanooga Chapter; Mid-South Commercial Law Institute; and the Board of Professional Responsibility. He was a member of the TBA’s 2016 Leadership Law class and currently serves as co-chair of the program. At the firm, Maddux handles commercial litigation matters for the education and financial services sectors. Read more in this release.

On a party-line vote yesterday, the Shelby County Election Commission voted 3-2 to take the County Commission to court, the latest move in an ongoing standoff over a new voting system for the 2022 elections, the Commercial Appeal reports. Election commissioners say they urgently need money for new equipment given that the vendor supporting the current voting machines is stopping service at the end of the year. Steve Stamson, chair of the election commission, said the decision to go to court was made after the county commission “repeatedly denied” requests to fund the ballot marking devices “because they want paper ballots.” Allan Wade of The Wade Law Firm will represent the election commission in the matter.

An idea to merge the Registry of Election Finance and Ethics Commission into one eight-member body is being floated in the Tennessee state legislature, but with an FBI investigation hanging over the body, changes are unlikely at this time, Tennessee Lookout reports. Nashville attorney Tom Lawless, who chaired the registry board for the past year, said he would testify in opposition to a merger if the idea starts to move. “I don’t think we need any organic changes,” he said, while acknowledging that the agency should be modernized and made more efficient and transparent. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton have filed legislation setting parameters for the Registry board and Ethics Commission to follow when reaching settlements of more than $25,000. But spokesmen for both leaders say the bill is a placeholder for legislation that could be filed later in the session.

Have you hit the “pandemic wall”? As Poynter News describes the situation, it is when “you cannot stand one more night at home watching people on a cable channel renovate a cabin in Maine and when buying an RV suddenly seems like a sound investment." Feeling emotionally zapped, especially in this stage of the coronavirus crisis, is very normal, mental health experts say. If you find yourself stuck in a pandemic-fueled rut, take a moment to pause and acknowledge your feelings. Go easy on yourself as you sit with your emotions. The pandemic’s been brutal, and it’s time we all cut ourselves a break. Read more about how to break through the pandemic wall in this article from Huffington Post.

The Alcoa-Blount County NAACP will host its third annual Founder’s Day Freedom Fund Gala from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 via Zoom, the Daily Times reports. During the event, the chapter will award three $1,000 Freedom Fund scholarships and present two with its Game Changers Award in recognition of engagement in social justice and advocacy work. The keynote speaker will be Blount County native Ronald Coffin, who was one of the first four African American students to desegregate Maryville High School in 1963. Registrants are asked to donate $50 to the local NAACP Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 6347, Maryville, TN 37802-6347. Register for the event here.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue is hosting another free tax webinar on Feb. 23. This presentation will cover common sales tax exemptions, including those for farmers, nurserymen and timber harvesters; governmental entities; and nonprofit organizations. Register for the upcoming event or check out past webinars on the department’s website.

The American Bar Association House of Delegates will consider dozens of issues at its Feb. 22 Midyear Meeting. Among them are two proposals intended to ease financial burdens on law students and recent graduates. The first proposal urges the U.S. Congress to amend the federal bankruptcy code to ease restrictions on how student loans can be discharged in bankruptcy proceedings. The second resolution would call for expanded debt management opportunities, such as allowing the refinancing of private loans into federal loans. It also calls for advocacy on issues including federal loan program qualifications and the ability to suspend or forgive loan obligations. See a list of all resolutions to be considered and an agenda for the full Midyear Meeting.

YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee will host the virtual program “Stand Against Racism: The First Amendment in a Time of Crisis” on Feb. 25 from noon to 1 p.m. CST. Speakers — including Belmont College of Law visiting professor David L. Hudson Jr., Vanderbilt University Law School professor G.S. Hans and Brandon Tucker with the ACLU — will discuss ways in which the First Amendment supports and challenges the fight for racial justice. Download a flyer for the event.