Shelby County lawyer Urura W. Mayers was immediately and temporarily suspended from the practice of law today. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that Mayers misappropriated a client’s funds and posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. She is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Dec. 30.

The office of Gov. Bill Lee is accepting applications for the position of Fourth Judicial District public defender, which serves Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. Applications will be accepted through 5 p.m. CST on Dec. 15. The successful applicant will hold the post until the election in August 2022. To be considered for appointment, attorneys should submit a resume and cover letter to Deputy and Chief Counsel to the Governor Lang Wiseman, State Capitol, First Floor, 600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Nashville, TN 37243 or by email to Rebecca.Kaunisto@tn.gov. The vacancy is being created by the retirement of the current public defender, Edward Miller, on Jan. 1, 2021.

Gov. Bill Lee today announced that former state representative John DeBerry of Memphis will join his cabinet starting tomorrow as a senior advisor. He also will serve on the governor’s Executive Leadership Team. DeBerry has represented the 90th House District since 1995. He lost his bid for re-election earlier this month after the Tennessee Democratic Party removed him from the party and took him off the ballot, forcing him to run as an independent. Read more from the governor’s office.

The Nashville Bar Foundation will begin accepting grant applications for 2020 tomorrow. Grant proposals must be submitted online and completed no later than Jan. 15. The mission of the foundation is to support and expand the provision of law-related educational and charitable programs and services that promote the knowledge, understanding and respect for the law among students, the general public and the legal community; to preserve the honor and integrity of the legal profession; to foster collegiality among members of the legal profession; and to improve the administration of justice throughout the greater Nashville area. See all application guidelines.

Take a minute to show your support for Tennessee Youth Courts (TYC) and make a difference in the lives of the teenagers involved. “In the workings of TYC, I see young people grow and mature. I see them learn new ways to handle problems and learn how to make amends,” TYC Executive Director Denise Bentley says of the program. “I see them develop confidence, learn to advocate for their rights and the rights of others. These young people give me faith in the future.” Make your donation to Tennessee Youth Courts now. 

The U.S. Supreme Court opened its December arguments today with two cases: Trump v. New York, which tests the administration’s attempt to exclude people living in the country without authorization from population totals used to reapportion congressional seats, and Van Buren v. United States, which considers digital conduct that can be criminalized under a federal anti-hacking law, SCOTUSBlog reports. In the census case, the court seemed reluctant to issue an immediate ruling, instead leaning toward allowing data collection while deferring questions over how that data is used, The Hill reports.

The U.S. Supreme Court said last week it will continue to hear arguments by telephone through at least January because of the pandemic, the Associated Press reports. In a statement, the court said it would “continue to closely monitor public health guidance in determining plans for the February argument session.” The justices last met in person to hear arguments in February of this year, but closed the courthouse to the public in March and postponed arguments in March and April. Arguments in May and October were held by telephone.

State officials have asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to restore a school voucher law overturned in September by the appeals court, the Daily Memphian reports. Attorney General Herbert Slatery III filed the state’s application to appeal just days before the court’s deadline for continuing the case. Gov. Bill Lee has vowed to continue fighting for the 2019 law, which would provide taxpayer money to eligible families in Memphis and Nashville to pay for private school tuition. The two jurisdictions challenged the law arguing it is unconstitutional because it only applies to their communities and does not give local governments or voters a say. The government says that if the program is successful, it will expand it throughout the state.

The Clifford Davis-Odell Horton Federal Building, an 11-story office tower overlooking the Mississippi River, is named for the late congressman Clifford Davis and Odell Horton, the first African American federal judge in Memphis. The family of Davis now says the time has come to remove his name from the building given his membership in the Ku Klux Klan and a pattern of intolerance and oppression throughout his career, the Daily Memphian reports. Davis rose from a mayoral aide in the 1920s to become a city court judge and, later, police commissioner, where he oversaw a department known for its brutal attacks on African Americans. As a member of Congress, he signed a resolution denouncing the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision and opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, succeeded in adding Horton’s name to the building in 2007. He now says he will take up the challenge of removing Davis’ name when Congress reconvenes.

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims hosted Girl Scout Troop 320 at its East Tennessee office in Gray earlier this month. Judge Brian Addington gave the girls a tour of the courtroom and the mediation offices, followed by a discussion about democracy and the courts. Prior to the visit, the scouts held a Zoom meeting with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. They next plan to meet with officials from the election commission. The girls are working toward a democracy badge, the court reports.