In the wake of devastating damage from tornadoes that moved through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday morning, the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is warning consumers to be aware of scams and other opportunists who take advantage of crisis situations. The office has released a brochure that details consumer disaster recovery tips. It also reports that consumers can check the legitimacy of any charity soliciting donations using the "Search for Registered Professional Solicitors" tool on its website.

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims reported today that it still does not have electricity in its Nashville building. It advises those who have cases pending in Davidson County to plan for no additional settlements to be approved this week. Next week, the court will handle settlement approvals from 8 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3:30 p.m. each day. Read a message from Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer.

The TBA Business Law Section will hold its annual forum on April 30 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Tennessee Bar Center in Nashville. The course will focus on a number of key tax matters relevant to business law practice in Tennessee, including choice of entity, taxation of LLCs, hot topics in entity-based transactional tax planning, state tax incentives and federal opportunity zones. Come join us and earn five general credits and one dual credit.

The U.S. Trustee Program is seeking to hire an Assistant U.S. Trustee to lead and manage its field office in Nashville. The office litigates cases filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. The U.S. Trustee Program was established by Congress more than 30 years ago to act as the “watchdog” of the bankruptcy system. The deadline for applying for the position has been extended to March 30. Those who previously applied do not have to resubmit their applications. Read more about the duties of the job, qualifications being sought and instructions for applying.

Shelby County Schools has severed ties with a truancy program run in conjunction with the District Attorney’s office, saying it wants to “minimize interactions with the criminal justice system.” The district announced the move on Monday, according to the Daily Memphian. Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich said she fears the action will result in a heavier caseload of truancy and child neglect-related cases for her office. Shelby officials said they will implement a new program in the affected schools.

Memphis Area Legal Services will host its Attorney of the Day clinic every Thursday in March beginning at 1:30 p.m. During the clinic, volunteer attorneys will meet with pro se litigants to provide help and make referrals. Clients are seen on a first come first serve basis. This month's clinics will take place on March 5, March 12, March 19 and March 26 in Room 134 of the Judge D'Army Bailey Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Memphis 38103.

The Tennessee House passed legislation (HB 1650) enabling human trafficking to be used as a self-defense in criminal cases, the Daily Memphian reports. “This is not a get-out-of-jail free card, it’s an opportunity for human trafficking victims to take their claim into court,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, said shortly before the House passed her first bill unanimously. The bill was proposed in reaction to the case of Cyntoia Brown, who was convicted of killing 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen when she was a 16-year-old prostitute. She was sentenced to 51 years in prison.

Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ruled this afternoon that polls in Davidson County must remain open until 8 p.m., and that five of those sites must stay open until 10 p.m. The ruling was in response to a temporary restraining order filed against Secretary of State Tre Hargett and the Davidson County Election Commission by the Democratic presidential campaigns of Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Polling sites did not open this morning until 8 a.m. and 21 sites in Nashville were closed due to extensive damage from a tornado early Tuesday morning, leading to long lines at “super sites.” The Tennessean has the full story and list of sites that will be open until 10 p.m.

Due to Tuesday morning’s storms in Nashville, the Family Law CLE Forum has been postponed. The TBA’s Family Law section will meet next week to decide on a new date. The Local Government Forum will move forward as scheduled on Thursday, March 5, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Tennessee Bar Center. The TBA office, which was closed today due to a power outage, will reopen tomorrow for regular hours. Follow the TBA’s Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts to keep up with new alerts.

The Tennessee legal community is already responding to the devastation brought about by the tornadoes that swept through Middle Tennessee early Tuesday morning. This involves both plans to provide free legal assistance to those affected by the storms, as well as support for attorneys whose practices were damaged or disrupted. The Tennessee Bar Association is working with the Nashville Bar Association, Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, the ABA and other local and specialty bar associations to provide these resources. Watch for more information in coming days on what is being done and how you can help.