The Tennessee Supreme Court today extended the period to file comments on proposed amendments to Rule 7, Sections 6.01 and 10.5 dealing with the standard for character and fitness, conditional admission and various technical corrections. Based on a motion from the TBA to extend the comment period, the court has set a new deadline of June 22. Comments should reference the docket number and be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to James M. Hivner, Clerk, Tennessee Appellate Courts, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219.

As a part of TBA CLE's on-demand webcast series “Navigating the Pandemic,” this webcast on Friday will provide tips for working outside the office — securely, efficiently and successfully. The course will cover practical tips for working remotely, what to do when you still need to meet clients in person and a basic list of tools needed for remote lawyering. Join Nefra MacDonald, affinity program manager at Clio, for this timely program.

The list of applicants who were successful on the February 2020 Bar Examination was released today. Congratulations to all who passed! See the list of those who were successful and read a congratulatory message from TBA President Sarah Sheppeard. Sixty-four percent of all first time test-takers passed the exam. For students from Tennessee schools, Duncan School of Law led the way with 89% of first timers passing, while the University of Memphis School of Law followed with a 77% rate. Get all statistics here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently granted review of new cases. The Raybin Supreme Court Hot List looks at three cases, which deal with opioid lawsuits against drug manufacturers, negligent insurance procurement lawsuits, and unlawful detainers.

The U.S. Supreme Court will use phone conferences to hear oral arguments in May, including those associated with a landmark case involving President Trump's financial records. The court will hear 10 cases over six days by teleconference to abide by social-distancing policies. News media and the public will have access to a live audio feed of the arguments — an unprecedented move —SCOTUSBlog reports. Other cases to be heard involve questions of religious liberty, “faithless electors” and ObamaCare’s contraception requirement, the Hill reports. Specific dates will be announced soon.

TBA President Sarah Sheppeard spoke with the National Conference of Bar Presidents last week about the TBA’s efforts to help its members navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. She was interviewed by former TBA President and Knoxville attorney Jason Long, who serves on the NCBP Council. Sheppeard highlighted the TBA’s Pandemic Resource Center and ongoing work with the governor and the state Supreme Court to solve challenges lawyers are facing during this difficult time.

As Tennessee continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Bill Lee today extended his stay-at-home order, mandating non-essential businesses remain closed until April 30. That move aligns the state with the federal government's recommendation. The decision comes after Vanderbilt University projected there would be a resurgence of cases if the state abandoned its current approach, the Tennessean reports. Also at the daily news briefing today, Lee announced formation of an economic recovery group to be led by Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell. The group will work with public officials, health care professionals and impacted industries on a "phased reboot" of the economy. In related news, the city of Knoxville extended its safer at home order today until April 20, WBIR reports.

Criminal Court Judge Shayne Sexton is conducting court from his house, presiding over several cases from Campbell County using Zoom, the Tennesseean reports. The 8th Judicial District judge is one of the first to utilize the tool since the state Supreme Court issued an order limiting in-person hearings. All parties — lawyers, prosecutors, probation officers, a judicial assistant, a court reporter and the inmates — were in separate locations. Sexton said he only held hearings that did not require witness testimony, but the court is working to incorporate that component as well.

Mass testing of 1,145 state employees and contractors working at two correctional facilities revealed that 19 have the coronavirus though none of them exhibited symptoms, WPLN reports. The testing of workers at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville and the Bledsoe County Correctional Complex in Pikeville took place after positive cases were found in those facilities. Inmates are being tested only if they show symptoms or have had contact with someone who tested positive. The Tennessee Department of Health also says it is conducting contact tracing in both facilities. On Friday, the Tennessee Department of Correction confirmed that a second inmate at the Turney Center Industrial Complex in Hickman County also tested positive for the virus.

The American Bar Association will offer a free webinar on Thursday at 1 p.m. CDT to look at how the federal government’s actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted the immigrant community, as well as what additional steps are needed to effectively enforce immigration laws while safeguarding public health and due process rights.