Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, along with the State Attorneys General Robocall Working Group, is encouraging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to facilitate continued collaboration among state attorneys general and telecom companies to trace back illegal robocalls to their source. These investigations are necessary for law enforcement to identify and investigate robocallers and the voice service providers that assist them, Slatery said. He added that these investigations are particularly important now because of scams related to COVID-19.

In a video message released late Friday, ABA President Judy Martinez called for the elimination of “governmental immunity for police brutality and violence” and for the setting aside of “stand your ground” laws that “have the result of killing and harming innocent people.” She acknowledged that Americans are “rightfully disturbed” by looting and violence but said those actions cannot “deter us from our important work to end systemic racism.” She said that lawyers have a special responsibility to address injustice and called on the legal community to take a stand. Read more about "qualified immunity" and eight cases on the issue that could be accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court from National Public Radio.

Congressional Democrats in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate introduced legislation today designed to combat racial disparities in the criminal justice system, The Hill reports. Crafted by leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, the “Justice in Policing Act” would establish a federal ban on chokeholds, eliminate the legal shield protecting police from lawsuits, mandate the use of body cameras nationwide, limit federal transfers of military-style weapons to local police, ban military-style weapons for police, and create a national database disclosing the names of officers with patterns of abuse. It also includes a bill passed by the House earlier this year that would make lynching a federal hate crime. The proposals come in response to the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man killed in the custody of the Minneapolis police two weeks ago.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold four legal clinics by phone this week: Tuesday from 4:30-6:30 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday from 3-4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30-11 a.m. CDT. Those needing assistance may call 800-238-1443 on any of these dates to speak to an attorney. Please contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131, for more information or to volunteer.

Memphis attorney Jocelyn Dan Wurzburg will be honored with this year's prestigious William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award, which will be presented by the TBA's Young Lawyers Division Fellows at the association's annual virtual convention on June 18. "'Jocie' exemplifies the William Leech Public Service Award, as a modern-day suffragist who has shaped the history of Memphis and Shelby County," YLD Fellows Vice President Bill Haltom said in announcing her selection.

Harvard Law School will push all of its classes online for the fall 2020 term because of concerns that testing and monitoring for the coronavirus will not be fully available by that point. Stanford Law School plans to have a mix of in-person and online classes for the fall. Many other law schools are still developing plans for the fall, the ABA Journal reports. Yale and The University of Chicago expect to announce decisions this summer. The journal also reports that law students interested in taking the bar exam in North Carolina will assume all risk of exposure to or infection by the virus simply by signing up for the exam. Above the Law reports that Virginia has taken a similar step. But the language in both cases is posted online, which has led legal commentators to wonder if it is enforceable. The state of Mississippi earlier announced a waiver requirement for its bar exam.

The state Supreme Court issued an order recently to amend Tenn. S. Ct. Rule 8, RPC 1.15 by adopting a new RPC 1.15(f). The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility and the Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection filed the petition asking the court to make this change. The new RPC 1.15(f) instructs lawyers of the steps to take if they discover unidentified funds in an IOLTA account.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee is accepting applications for the position of clerk of court in its Memphis office. The position is responsible for managing the operational and administrative duties of the office and ensuring compliance with statutory requirements. See the full job description and application guidelines on the court’s website. Documents should be submitted in a single PDF file to employment@tnwb.uscourts.gov or by mail to U.S. Bankruptcy Court, ATTN: HR Employment, 200 Jefferson Ave., Ste 500, Memphis, TN 38103.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Arkansas attorney Kimberly Ogden Sutton from the practice of law after finding that she failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. Sutton is precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by July 5. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

The Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association, the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands and the American Bar Association are adding their voices to other legal leaders speaking out about the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Ben F. Jones Chapter Vice President Quinton E. Thompson writes that the Memphis-based chapter condemns the violent and deadly force Black Americans face every day, and that just as it has since its founding, will “work with social justice agencies to advocate, publicly educate, and participate in concerted collective efforts to eradicate racism and social injustices." He also says the organization is seeking attorneys to represent peaceful protestors who have been arrested. To volunteer sign up here. The Legal Aid Society announced it has created a Racial Justice and Equity Team to effect positive change within the organization. It also says it will commit to "courageous conversations on race." The ABA also released a statement saying it is essential that citizens "have faith that our justice system is fair, and our laws are applied equitably."