TBA CLE will present the 2020 Environmental Law Forum on Dec. 2 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CST via Zoom Webinar. This year's forum will feature updates regarding PFAS litigation, OSHA compliance for environmental professionals, ethics and much more. Learn from seasoned professionals while earning three dual and one general credit hours of CLE. Log in information will be emailed to registrants the week of the program. Remember: all 2020 CLE hours can be taken online and TBA members get discounted pricing on all CLE programs.

The TBA’s BarBuzz podcast is all new for the month of November with special guest host Amy Bryant of the Metro Nashville Office of Conservatorship Management. Bryant serves as chair of the TBA Public Education Committee and gives listeners an overview of the Conservatorship Portal her committee has launched as well as a rundown of bar association events and legal news. BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and is available wherever you listen to podcasts and on the TBA’s website.

The American Bar Association TIPS Animal Law Committee is seeking a Tennessee lawyer to advise an animal shelter on strengthening its foster care program as part of a pro bono project to help shelters build resilience during the pandemic. Use your contracting and lawyering skills — no animal law experience required. Through the project, you’ll receive template foster care agreements and access to an experienced attorney mentor. Learn more and sign up here.

Some of Tennessee’s most ardent conservatives will not be coming back to Nashville for the next legislative session, but Republicans still hold overwhelming super-majorities in both the House and Senate, the Nashville Post reports. In a post-election press release, House GOP leaders said they plan to focus on three issues in the new session: (1) improving public education, especially in the area of childhood literacy, (2) removing government barriers to health care to improve access and quality, while promoting affordability and (3) creating a system of justice that balances justice with mercy. Other members have announced individual priorities, including school safety, domestic violence prevention and a "right to work" constitutional amendment.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee today granted death row inmate Pervis Payne a temporary reprieve due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commercial Appeal reports. Payne's execution was scheduled for Dec. 3. The reprieve will last until April 9, 2021. The paper notes that this delay could also allow time for the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators to potentially pass legislation that would allow a defendant already sentenced to the death penalty to petition the courts for a reprieve based on a claim of intellectual disability. Payne was convicted of the 1987 deaths of Charisse Christopher and her two-year-old daughter. Christopher’s son survived multiple stab wounds. Payne's legal team has been fighting for a delay, as well as full clemency, for months. Read past coverage of those efforts.

A federal judge yesterday ordered the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to release detailed information about Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, the Memphis Business Journal reports. Information, including the names of borrowers and loan amounts, must be made public by Nov. 19. The move comes in response to a suit filed in May by a group of news organizations. It is unclear if the SBA will appeal the ruling. A spokeswoman said the agency does not comment on pending litigation.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee has launched a new contract attorney program to handle cases related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is recruiting attorneys in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Sevier counties to participate. Under the Contract Attorney Program (CAP), lawyers will be paid $75 per hour plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses related to representation. Total billings per case cannot exceed $1,000 unless approved in advance. LAET will provide professional liability insurance and guidance as needed. Those interested should email Director of Development and Compliance Deb House.

Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Timothy Easter was honored by the 21st District Recovery Court at a recent annual community breakfast fundraiser, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. Easter was presented with the Gayle Moyer Harris award. Harris and her husband, former Circuit Court Judge Donald P. Harris, co-founded the recovery court with Judge Easter. Gayle Harris also served as the court’s first coordinator. In remarks at the breakfast, Easter relayed how presiding over the court filled him with a sense of renewal and reinvigorated him after years spent in positions that had led to “compassion fatigue.” Easter was introduced by 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge James Martin III, who is the current presiding judge of the Recovery Court. The Williamson Herald also covered the event.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today reinstated Shelby County lawyer A. Sais Phillips Finney, who had been suspended on Oct. 29 for failure to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility. Finney petitioned for dissolution of the suspension on Oct. 30 stating that she had responded to the board. The board stated that Finney’s response was deemed to be responsive to the previous request.

The Nashville Bar Association will hold its 2020 Annual Meeting virtually on Dec. 9 from 4 to 5 p.m. CST. The event will include recognition of outgoing board members, award winners and the next class of the NBA Board. The event is free but registration is required. Law firms are encouraged to create a festive and fun holiday greeting to be displayed during the program. For questions contact Traci Hollandsworth, 615-242-9272.