Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold three 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 tomorrow from 4:30 to 6 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 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. See all clinics for the month of December.

The TBA’s BarBuzz podcast is all new for December, with special guest host Mike Stanuszek of Knoxville’s Stanuszek Law Firm. Tune in for current and upcoming events, legal news and make sure to stick around for a rundown of attorney shoutouts, where we highlight some great work from Tennessee attorneys! BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts and on the. TBA’s website.

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed sweeping legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, the first time either chamber of Congress has voted to legalize cannabis, The Hill reports. The legislation would remove marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances and allow states to continue to establish their own rules and regulations regarding sales and access to medical marijuana. The bill also would expunge some marijuana convictions for nonviolent criminals and halt federal prosecution for marijuana offenses.

The Davidson County General Sessions Court has reduced its docket for 90 days on the advice of the Nashville Health Department and Mayor John Cooper, NewsChannel 5 reports. The mayor’s office reportedly alerted the court of concerns, saying the health department had concluded there was not an appropriate level of safety or compliance with COVID-related health orders at the Birch Building. The order issued today details the changes to specific dockets.

Gov. Bill Lee issued Executive Order 68 today, allowing National Guard members to be mobilized as nurses, COVID-19 testers or ambulance drivers so long as they have the “appropriate training or skills” and the assignment is approved by the Guard and the state Health Commission. The order comes as the COVID-19 outbreak threatens to overwhelm Tennessee’s health care infrastructure, the Tennessean reports. The order also suspends some regulations to allow health care facilities more flexibility to treat the coming surge. One such change allows nursing homes and home health agencies to expand their capacity to deal with the pandemic without having to prove to a government board that the action is necessary.

Community Legal Center Director Anne Mathes has announced she will retire in the coming months. In a statement released by the Memphis-based organization, Mathes reflects on her decision to leave a 30-year career as a corporate attorney to become executive director of the center in 2015, and expresses hope for the center's future. "As we look to the future, the CLC is poised to remain the nimble and creative organization it has always been. New leadership will … chart a course through the unprecedented times we all find ourselves in, working to ensure we serve our clients well while continuing to grow and meet the ever-changing needs of this community,” she said.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday adopted amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure and the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure. The amendments are now subject to approval by the General Assembly.

At an event to be live streamed from the National Press Club on Monday, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) will recognize the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty for its work providing technical assistance and training to homeless courts across the country. The USICH 2020 Extra Mile Recognition Ceremony will honor organizations and individuals that have been instrumental in addressing homelessness in the midst of COVID-19. ABA President Patricia Lee Refo and Steve Binder, the founder of the nation’s first homeless court, will accept the recognition. The event will take place at noon CST and be live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook.

The TBA Animal Law Section will present a free one-hour program on Monday from noon to 1 p.m. CST about the legal battle to free Nosey — an elephant rescued from a traveling circus after decades of abuse. The lawyers who fought for Nosey’s placement at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald will recount the story of the legal fight to save her, and discuss legal and ethical issues relating to elephants and other wild animals in captivity. An optional Q&A session will follow the program. One hour of CLE credit is available for a fee of $45. Register here.

The TBA announced today that Bradley Peters, vice president of redevelopment and legal services with the Knoxville Community Development Corporation, has been selected as the Week 1 CLE Blast prize winner! The Year End Blast is underway and to make this season a little merrier, the TBA is offering weekly prizes and one overall prize at the end of the month thanks to presenting sponsor Clio. Those who purchase a CLE program in December will automatically be entered in the drawings. Others also may enter without purchase. Need CLE before the end of the year? Check out all the TBA offerings or register to receive updates about new packages coming soon.