Rogersville lawyer William Erwin “Bill” Phillips died Jan. 20 after a two-week battle with COVID-19. He was 73. Phillips served in Vietnam with the 173rd Airborne and taught ballistic meteorology at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. After being discharged, he returned to Tennessee to complete a bachelor’s degree and law degree at the University of Tennessee. He joined the law practice of Phillips & Hale with his father, brother and cousin Winfield B. Hale Jr. He worked there for 45 years. He also served as Rogersville city attorney. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Rogersville Heritage Association or the Salvation Army. Online condolences may be shared at www.christiansells.com.

Humanitarian, community leader and former state Rep. David Shepard died Feb. 4 at 73. He had been battling cancer for the past several months and recently contracted COVID-19, the Tennessean reports. A Democrat from Dickson, Shepard represented District 69 for 16 years. Among his legislative accomplishments were several bills that benefited veterans and supported local infrastructure. Shepard served on the Dickson City Council for 12 years and as vice-mayor for more than a decade. A private family service will be held with a celebration of life planned for a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Clement Railroad Hotel Museum, the Dickson First United Methodist Church or Dickson County Habitat for Humanity.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will give his third “State of the State” address this evening at 6 p.m. CST, WPLN reports. Earlier today, he released a preview of his remarks, including calls for legislation on rural investment, K-12 education, the budget and crime reduction, as well as a focus on the pandemic and a new series of pro-family initiatives. Lee also says he will use the year to celebrate Tennessee's statehood and will travel to all 95 counties. Watch the speech on the governor’s Facebook or YouTube channels. Read excerpts from Local Memphis. Last Friday, state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus, gave an early prebuttal calling on Lee to "go big” to meet structural inequities in the state. That address is also available on YouTube.

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 will take place on Tuesday from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday from 3 to 4:30 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 Knoxville Bar Foundation, which awards grants to Knox County organizations that improve the administration of justice, enhance the public’s understanding of and confidence in the legal system or serve the legal profession, is accepting applications for its 2021 grant program. Applications are due by 5 p.m. EST on March 5. Grantees will be announced in May. The foundation has given out $485,000 for law-related projects and programs since its inception in 1992. Last year, the board of directors approved 13 grant requests, totaling $30,000.

What is the secret skill needed to master persuasive legal writing? Find out this week during Wednesday's 2021 Guide to Persuasive Legal Writing! The “CLE Performer” Stuart Teicher will instruct attendees on the technicalities of sentence structure, his method to reduce long sentences and more. The live virtual event is worth three dual CLE credits and will run from noon until 3:15 p.m. CST. Use the prepaid CLE credits that come with your TBA Complete Membership and save on this course. Not a member? Join today to start saving.

Last Thursday was “Give Back Day” for the Hendersonville law firm of Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law with lawyers from the firm providing free estate plans for frontline healthcare workers. Attorneys Tim Takacs, Barbara McGinnis and Chris Johnson drafted wills, advance directives and durable power of attorney documents. “We are so grateful to those in healthcare who have stayed the course and cared for our most vulnerable clients,” McGinnis said. “This Valentine’s gift is our way of thanking frontline healthcare workers for their tireless service and dedication during this pandemic.” If you are interested in assisting with similar initiatives in the future, please contact TBA sections coordinator Jarod Word.

An individual’s immigration status will have no bearing on whether they get a COVID-19 vaccine in Tennessee, the state health commissioner said this week. “We are not denying vaccine to anyone who shows up at our site and is in phase,” Dr. Lisa Piercey tells WPLN News. “This is a federal resource, and if you’re in this country, then you get a vaccine.” Some states have indicated they may exclude noncitizens or put them at the end of the line, which has caused concern among undocumented immigrants.

Anderson County District Attorney General Dave Clark recently announced that a large grant has been secured to fund the creation of the Family Justice Center of Anderson County. The center is expected to open no later than July 1, the Oakridger reports. Family justice centers provide a centralized location for victims of physical abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence and elder abuse to receive information and services from partner organizations in the community. Clark said the $572,052 funding came from the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs, which receives funding from fines, costs and seizures collected from those convicted of crimes in the federal criminal justice system.

A new group formed by Harvard Law School students pairs mentors with underrepresented individuals applying for law school and competitive scholarships. Last year, the program helped almost 500 candidates with LSAT prep, admissions essay review and applications for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and Rhodes Trust. The Dear Future Colleague program hopes to expand to other graduate degrees in the future, the ABA Journal reports. Volunteers do not have to be Harvard Law School graduates.