The Tennessee Judiciary Museum and Court of Appeals Judge Andy Bennett were featured recently on a new NBC program that helps families uncover interesting stories about their past, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. In a recent episode of Roots Less Traveled, St. Louis resident Sharee Burress and her son travel to Nashville where they learn that one of their relatives was a key player in a famous and consequential 19th century Tennessee Supreme Court decision. In Nashville, they meet Judge Bennett at the Tennessee Judiciary Museum where he shows them the exhibit dedicated to Larkin Ford, Burress’ great-great-great-grandfather. They later travel to Washington County to visit the area once bequeathed to their ancestor. The 1846 Supreme Court case resulted in Ford and his fellow slaves being freed and granted property.

The American Bar Association has set the theme of Law Day 2020 as “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.” To celebrate, it will offer a virtual program next Thursday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. EDT in conjunction with the Law Library of Congress. The event will feature a panel discussing why and how we should commemorate the centennial of the 19th Amendment, how the suffrage movement and the amendment changed America, and whether the amendment still matters today. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Then on May 1, the ABA will unveil the results of its 2020 Survey of Civic Literacy. To receive the link to watch live from 12-12:30 p.m. EDT contact Betsy Adeboyejo, 202-662-1039.

In Tennessee, the Knoxville Bar Association will hold a town hall with Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee on May 1 from noon to 1 p.m. EDT. Justice Lee will talk about court operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then on Aug. 19, the KBA will hold its Law Day program “The 19th Amendment at 100.” Learn more about that event here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today extended deadlines and limits on in-person court proceedings. The order limits in-person proceedings through May 31 and jury trials through July 3. It also directs the judges in each judicial district to develop a comprehensive written plan to either (1) gradually begin conducting in-person court proceedings (other than jury trials) in some non-emergency matters or (2) continue to abide by the court’s guidelines and restrictions set forth in the March 25 order. In addition, the order encourages usage of electronic signatures and remote notaries and asks courts not to issue eviction orders and to limit any new garnishments. Finally, deadlines set forth in court rules, statutes, ordinances, administrative rules, orders of protection or temporary injunctions set to expire before May 31 have been extended through June 5, with some limited exceptions. Read the full order.

The American Inns of Court has announced the recipients of its 2020 Professionalism Awards. In the area serviced by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Aleta A. Trauger will receive the award. Judge Trauger sits on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville. The annual awards are given to a lawyer or judge in participating federal circuits whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, as well as ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the profession and rule of law.

The Conference Design Committee for the 2020 Equal Justice University has extended the deadline for attorneys to submit session proposals for the 2020 conference to May 1. EJU, hosted by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, is scheduled to take place Sept. 9-11 in Murfreesboro and the group hopes it can proceed with its plans. Proposals are sought for ethics and professional development sessions, as well as the following practice areas: elder law, conservatorship, employment law, family law, health and benefits, housing, consumer issues, mortgages, student loans, immigration, special education and juvenile justice.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold two phone clinics next week. A general clinic — which will deal with housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, SNAP benefits and unemployment benefits — will take place Monday from 4 to 6:30 p.m. A second clinic limited to veterans in the Nashville area will be held Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Those needing assistance may call 800-238-1443 on one of those dates to speak to an attorney. Please contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or 615-780-7131 for more information.

Faith leaders, mental health providers and legal community leaders gathered online this week for the 2020 Tennessee Faith and Justice Summit. Participants considered the ways faith and justice intersect and learned about free legal resources available to better serve Tennesseans in need. Knoxville attorney and Access to Justice Commission Chair Bill Coley commended the “dedication, energy and creativity” of the individuals and organizations focused on “practical solutions geared at helping the faith and legal communities join together to help people in need.” Joining Coley in presenting were Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia Clark and Administrative Office of the Courts Director Deborah Taylor Tate, among others. The event, held in conjunction with #Help4TNDay, was co-sponsored by the Beecken Center of the School of Theology at the University of the South, the University’s Office of Civic Engagement, and the Supreme Court’s ATJ Commission’s Faith and Justice Alliance.

The May issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is online today — one week early — in an effort to bring you the latest in law-related updates regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. In it you'll find ways to "work through the pandemic," with links to the TBA's pandemic resources page and results from a recent member survey about lawyers' common concerns. Read how to handle having documents witnessed and notarized, how to navigate the new paid-leave mandates, plus the options for using force majeure. Also, learn about child custody in this uncertain time, and see what some of your colleagues' home offices look like. "You will see from the articles in this edition the many steps that have been taken by, or with input from, your TBA to deal with the upheaval that COVID-19 has caused,"  Sarah Y. Sheppeard writes in this issue. "I find hope in the many things for which I am thankful, hope that we will get through this together."

To keep dockets moving forward, judges across the state have turned to technology during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Administrative Office of the Courts Technology Team, State of Tennessee Strategic Technology Solutions and county information technology teams have installed dozens of laptops, VPNs, Zoom licenses and WebEx accounts to keep the courts functioning and open while under a state of emergency. The AOC provides some highlights of how courts around Tennessee are responding to the pandemic.

 The Tennessee Department of Corrections is launching a hotline for people with friends and family behind bars to call and ask COVID-19 related questions, WPLN News reports. The department says a “live analyst” will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer questions about COVID-19 testing, the prison system’s response to the pandemic and the protective measures that have already been taken. TDOC Commissioner Tony Parker in a press release said inmates have been encouraged to stay in “close contact” with their families, but multiple people with incarcerated family members have told WPLN they have had trouble getting in touch with loved ones in recent weeks. TDOC says all inmates and employees have been given masks and that officials are using contact tracing to track COVID-19 in prisons, but do not plan to test all inmates at this time.