An audit of the state agency that cares for Tennessee’s most vulnerable children has revealed alarming problems, WMC News 5 reports. The audit covers four years of DCS activity from October 2016 to July of this year. The audit shows that: (1) the agency is not performing adequate background checks on employees or volunteers; (2) caseworkers are overworked, many juggling more than 20 cases at a time; (3) staff turnover at one facility is nearly 50% and the agency could not show that the facility met adequate staff ratio; and (4) the agency’s Deputy Commissioner of Juvenile Justice did not meet state qualifications or have the experience required to hold the position. Auditors were scheduled to present their findings to lawmakers today during a hearing in Nashville.

The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts is seeking a qualified person for the position of Pro Bono Coordinator to work with the court’s Access to Justice Commission. The coordinator’s main job duties will be to cultivate, monitor and follow-up with new pro bono initiatives, especially in parts of the state where none currently exist, and to serve specific segments of the population with legal needs that are not being met. Applicants must have a law degree but those who are in their final semester of law school may also apply. The position is based in Nashville and available immediately. Apply by Dec. 15 to be considered.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett is warning Tennesseans to be on the look out for solicitations to register to vote or cast an absentee ballot in another state. He is asking those who receive such solicitations to report them to the Division of Elections via its toll-free fraud hotline at 877-850-4959. “Voting in a state where you are not entitled to vote is morally and legally wrong,” Hargett said. Chattanoogan.com has more on the story.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has been named policy chairman of the Republican Governors Association, the Tennessee Journal reports. Lee’s predecessor, Bill Haslam, served two stints as chair of the group, which is dedicated to electing and supporting Republican governors across the country.

Forty-six state attorneys general, including Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, filed suit against Facebook today accusing the social media giant of anti-competitive activities, The Hill reports. The suit alleges that Facebook sought to maintain its monopoly power by acquiring potential rivals and stifling innovation. Another suit filed today by the Federal Trade Commission alleges that Facebook is illegally maintaining a monopoly. It calls for a permanent injunction on Facebook imposing anti-competitive conditions on software developers, requiring the company to seek prior approval for future mergers and acquisitions, and divestiture of Instagram and WhatsApp. Facebook continues to emphasize that both acquisitions were approved by regulators at the time they were purchased.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery is supporting Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s attempt to overturn the election results in four states that voted for President-elect Joe Biden, the Nashville Post reports. Yesterday, Paxton asked the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate election results in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Georgia and Michigan. Today, Slatery signed on to an amicus brief supporting the challenge. In a statement, Slatery said he joined the suit to support “separation-of-powers principles” and his office’s position that only a state legislature has the authority to make and change election laws. A spokesperson for Republican Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said that Paxton was “constitutionally, legally and factually wrong about Georgia.”

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review takes on the issue of busyness. Serenity Gibbons, a workplace consultant, suggests that a “busy culture worsens the problems it promises to solve.” She writes, that whether at home or work, “We think that the busier we are, the bigger impact we’ll be able to make. But in reality, busy culture destroys productivity, while pulling us away from our families and coworkers alike.” Her article addresses what can be done to dismantle the toxic culture of busyness and encourage healthier work-life boundaries.

The law license of Anderson County lawyer Kevin Carmack Angel was transferred to disability inactive status today. He may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the court for reinstatement by showing the disability has been removed.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit is soliciting applications for persons interested in appointment as a bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. The position is vacant due to the retirement of Bankruptcy Judge Marcia Phillips Parsons. The term of office is 14 years with a possible renewal appointment. Applicants must be a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court in at least one state, must have five years of active practice, and possess good character, sound physical and mental health, and a commitment to equal justice, among other requirements. Applications are available online at www.ca6.uscourts.gov and must be received by the court by Jan. 6, 2021. Read the full job description and instructions for applying on the court’s website.

The TBA’s Criminal Law Forum 2020 will take place virtually this Friday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CST via Zoom. Attendees will hear presentations from Kirsten Shields of Legility and Christopher Slobogin of the Vanderbilt University Law School on topics designed to keep lawyers at the forefront of the latest developments in the criminal law field. And remember: all 2020 CLE hours can be taken online and TBA members get discounted pricing on all CLE programs!