Early voting for Tennessee’s presidential primary has officially begun, WRCBtv reports. Voters will be able to cast their ballots ahead of the March 3 presidential primary today through Feb. 25. Voters can find information about early voting and Election Day voting locations by using the GoVoteTN app or by visiting the Secretary of State's website.

State Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, made his anticipated congressional run official this week when he filed for the First Congressional District seat. The Nashville Post reports that Crowe is seeking to replace retiring Republican Phil Roe. Crowe was elected to the Senate as a Democrat in 1990 but switched parties in 1995, giving Republicans their first majority in the chamber since Reconstruction. Former Kingsport Mayor John Clark is also seeking the Republican nomination, while state Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, has said he is leaning toward a bid.

The Tennessee Department of Human Resources is seeking attorneys to serve on its Board of Appeals, which hears appeals from preferred services employees who were demoted, suspended or dismissed. Board members are appointed by the governor and are paid a per diem and reimbursed for travel expenses to participate in hearings. Applicants should be licensed attorneys or human resource professionals. To apply, email a resume or contact Board of Appeals Administrator Nichelle Dorroh, 615-741-1859.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will meet Feb. 25-26 to interview 16 candidates who have applied for a Court of Appeals position in the Eastern Division. The meeting will begin at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy’s Toyota Auditorium (Room 103). The vacancy on the court was created by the retirement of the Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr. Information on the candidates is available online.

The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is accepting nominations for the Second Annual Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation. Nominees must have been involved in the Tennessee workers’ compensation system for a minimum of five years and will be judged on overall service and impact. Nominations will be accepted until April 17. The 2020 recipient will be announced on June 11 at the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation Education Conference Reception. Questions about the nomination process should be directed to Janie Dorris. Head (pictured at left) was the former administrator of the Division of Workers’ Compensation and worked at the agency for 30 years. She retired in February 2011 and died in May 2018. The award honors her service.

A free legal clinic will take place tomorrow at Greenhouse Ministries, 309 S Spring St., Murfreesboro 37130. The clinic, hosted by the Rutherford-Cannon County Bar Association, will run from 3 to 5 p.m. Contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131 for more information.

Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison has formed a government compliance and investigations practice group that will bring together litigators with federal and state investigations experience and transactional and regulatory counsel with experience in an array of compliance issues. The group will provide guidance on issues ranging from key contractual protections, initial compliance and construction of compliance programs, to internal investigations, responses to subpoenas or civil investigative demands, self-disclosure, settlement and litigation. Christopher Sabis, a former assistant U.S. attorney, will serve as group chair. He is also immediate past chair of the TBA Federal Practice Section. Read more from the Tennessean. 

Nominations are being accepted for the TBA’s Public Service and Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Awards. The Annual Public Service Awards are presented to outstanding public service and pro bono attorneys and law student while the CCPBI Awards recognize a law firm and legal department that exemplify commitment to access to justice ideals and pro bono service. The three Public Service Awards will be presented at the annual Public Service Luncheon on Friday, April 3. The CCPBI Awards will be presented at the 14th Annual CCPBI Gala on Saturday, April 4. Both events will be held at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville in conjunction with the TBA Annual Leadership Conference. The deadline for submitting nominations for all awards is Monday, Feb. 17. For more information, contact TBA Access to Justice Director Liz Todaro.

A search committee for the University of Tennessee College of Law has identified four candidates they are considering for dean of the law school. Those candidates are: Professor Joan Heminway, University Tennessee College of Law; Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Susan Kuo, University of South Carolina School of Law; Dean Stephen Mazza, University of Kansas College of Law; and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development Amelia Rinehart, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law. The candidates will meet with students, faculty, staff and alumni during their visits to the law school this month. Read more on the law school’s website.  

Are you getting enough sleep? That’s the question attorney Joanna McCracken poses on the latest episode of the TBA’s HealthyBar podcast. McCracken breaks down the effects sleeplessness can have on the body and habits we can form to help us catch a better quality of sleep. HealthyBar is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA’s website or anywhere you listen to podcasts by searching the show title or “Tennessee Bar Association.”