The holiday season can be stressful, and with the added stressors the pandemic has contributed, it’s more important than ever to take proactive steps to safeguard your mental health this Thanksgiving. An article from Medical News Today lays out five tips to help fend off the seemingly inevitable blues of a physically distant Thanksgiving. Topping the list are three mood-boosters that are often recommended—getting good sleep, keeping active and eating and drinking well. The article also recommends addressing any loneliness you might experience by making an effort to make contact either by phone or video chat with family and friends. Finally, align your expectations and be prepared for the different positions family and friends might take on the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s important to have clear and frank discussions with loved ones about what they can expect at Thanksgiving this year. 

Don't miss the 2020 Environmental Law Forum, which will take place tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CST! This year's virtual program will feature updates regarding PFAS litigation, OSHA compliance for environmental professionals, TDEC protocols, ethics and more. Learn from seasoned experts while earning three general and one dual credit hours of CLE. Connection info will be sent following registration. Remember: all 2020 CLE hours can be taken online and TBA members get discounted pricing on all CLE programs.

When: Tomorrow, Dec. 2, 10 a.m. CST
Where: Zoom Webinar, connection information sent following sign up

REGISTER NOW

The TBA will be closing at 1 p.m. CST today and will remain closed all day on Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen Monday at 8 a.m.  

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, chair of the Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions Committee, says Tennessee is in line to receive enough COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate 40,000 people in December, The Tennessee Journal reports. A second round of doses for 50,000 people could then be available in January. Alexander reported the news after consulting with the head of the federal government’s coronavirus vaccine efforts.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s Policing Policy Commission has released a list of recommendations designed to lay the groundwork for a new model of public safety and serve as a road map for the next police chief. The 40-page report was drafted over three months, with input from dozens of community members, law enforcement experts and police oversight staff, WPLN reports. Among its recommendations, the report calls for updated training, new transparency measures and increased diversity among the rank and file. It also sets several overarching goals for the police department: reducing use of force, building trust across all Nashville neighborhoods and enhancing public safety.

Hamilton County lawyer Charles Gammons Wright was censured today by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that he negligently disclosed client confidential information in an affidavit filed with a motion to withdraw from representation. His actions violated Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6.

Several University of Memphis School of Law faculty recently have been appointed or elected to serve with a variety of national organizations. Demetria Frank has been appointed to the Tennessee Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, a bipartisan, independent commission that is charged with investigating and reporting on civil rights issues in the country. Donna Harkness was chosen to serve as co-executive editor of the NAELA Journal, the flagship publication of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. DeShun Harris was elected president of the Association of Academic Support Educators and Daniel Schaffzin began his term as immediate past president of the Clinical Legal Education Association. Read more from the school.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee honored Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel as the 2020 Pro Bono Firm of the Year during its annual Community Justice Pro Bono Celebration, the Hamilton County Herald reports. The award recognizes a firm that has significantly impacted its community through pro bono legal work. In addition to recognizing the firm, Legal Aid inducted Chambliss shareholder Mike St. Charles into its Hall of Fame. Over 35 years of practice, St. Charles has contributed hundreds of hours of pro bono representation and supported Legal Aid in numerous ways according to the group. At the firm, he handles commercial lending and financial transactions, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and securities, and real estate transactions.

At the end of the month, 30th Judicial District Chancellor Walter L. Evans will retire after 22 years of serving the people of Shelby County, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. A native of Memphis, Evans earned his law degree from Howard University School of Law in 1968, and a master of laws with a focus in urban law from Harvard Law School in 1971. After graduating from Harvard, he returned to Memphis to work at Memphis Area Legal Services. Later, he and another legal aid lawyer co-formed the firm of Brown & Evans. He later co-founded the firm of Evans & Kyle. After spending two decades in private practice, Evans was named municipal judge for the city of Memphis in 1994, then was elected chancellor in 1998. While serving on the Chancery Court, Evans has presided over numerous high-profile proceedings, including cases involving FedEx, the Memphis Grizzlies NBA team and Shelby County Juvenile Court.

The Memphis Bar Association will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting virtually on Dec. 3 at noon CST. In addition to electing new leaders, the meeting will feature the presentation of two awards. The Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award will be presented to Bruce McMullen with Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz while the Sam A. Myar, Jr. Award will be presented to Nicole Grida with International Paper Company. Registration with lunch is $30; without is $10. Learn more and register here.