To better serve lawyers and their clients during this busy season, Workers Compensation judges in the Jackson office are expanding settlement approval hearing days to any weekday in the month of December, including the week of Dec. 28. To request a December approval hearing, just follow the office’s standard procedure and notify staff of the preferred date.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has joined 50 attorneys general and other federal and state agencies in an $86.3 million settlement with Nationstar Mortgage. Nationstar, which does business as “Mr. Cooper,” began purchasing mortgage servicing portfolios from competitors in 2012 and quickly grew into the country’s fourth-largest mortgage servicer. The lawsuit alleged that (1) borrowers who sought assistance with loan modifications sometimes fell through the cracks, (2) the company failed to oversee third-party vendors hired to inspect and maintain properties owned by delinquent borrowers; and (3) the company improperly changed locks on owners’ homes. The consent judgment provides approximately $79.2 million in relief nationwide. In Tennessee, the settlement should yield $1.8 million.

A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to fully restore the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which protects undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as minors from deportation. The ruling also mandates that the Department of Homeland Security post a public notice by today saying it is accepting new applicants, The Hill reports. The Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, which could appeal the ruling, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined today to take up an appeal from parents in Oregon who want to prevent transgender students from using locker rooms and bathrooms of the gender with which they identify, rather than the gender assigned at birth. The case originated in Dallas, Oregon, where the school district allowed transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms that align with their gender identity. Opponents of the policy sued. A lower court refused to block the policy and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that ruling. The Supreme Court’s action allows those rulings to stand, the Associated Press reports.

State Rep. David Byrd of Waynesboro was flown from Wayne County to a Nashville hospital over the weekend after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and pneumonia, the Tennessean reports. The paper also noted that he attended a recent House Republican Caucus meeting while not wearing a face covering, and hosted a dinner for dozens of GOP colleagues attending a caucus retreat.

State Rep. Vincent Dixie of Nashville has been elected chair of the House Democratic Caucus, defeating Rep. John Ray Clemmons in the first round of voting and Rep. Bo Mitchell in the final round. All three men represent the city of Nashville. Individual vote totals were not announced. Dixie succeeds Rep. Mike Stewart, also of Nashville, who decided against running for another term, the Nashville Post reports. Rep. Karen Camper of Memphis was unopposed in her bid for another term as House Minority Leader.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order supplementing its COVID-19 order of Nov. 17 to require those who enter a courthouse to comply with current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control regarding quarantine and isolation. CDC guidelines call for a seven-day quarantine for anyone who comes into close contact with an infected individual and gets a negative test; a10-day quarantine for anyone who comes into close contact with an infected individual and does not get tested, or anyone who gets a positive test but has no symptoms; and a 10-day isolation for anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms. Isolation should continue until 24 hours with no fever (without fever-reducing medication) and until other symptoms are improving.

In an opinion released Friday, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that the rebuttable presumption of acceptance of an insurance policy’s terms by payment of premiums in Tennessee Code Annotated section 56-7-135(b) applies in actions against an insurance agent for failure to procure a policy in accordance with an insured party’s instructions. The Court of Appeals had previously held that the presumption did not apply to the agent because he was not a party to the insurance contract. Read more about the case or view the opinion.

Intellectual Property Law Forum: IP 101 is intended for those who have no experience with intellectual property law or who want to learn more about a certain type of IP. Presenters will review the three types of intellectual property for which protection can be sought: patents, trademarks and copyrights. The forum will culminate with a discussion of IP licensing agreements that may include one, two, or all three of these types of IP. The live virtual forum will take place tomorrow from noon to 4 p.m. CST. Please register prior to 10 a.m. CST tomorrow to receive the Zoom email invitation in time.

The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners said Monday that it anticipates releasing exam results by noon on Wednesday "at the latest.” The board is taking some additional time to verify the results of the most recent bar exam to ensure each test taker receives the correct score. It was to have released the scores Monday but on Friday, the board revealed that it discovered an error in the software used to send scores. It reiterated today that there are no issues with the actual scoring of the tests. Watch the TBA.org website for results when they become available.