West Tennessee Legal Services will hold a legal clinic at the Regional Inter-Faith Association (RIFA) Soup Kitchen on Dec. 24 from 8:45 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. RIFA is located at 133 Airways Blvd., Jackson 38301. Call 800-372-8346 for more information. 

The Nashville Bar Association will recognize newly installed president Laura Baker with a reception at Waller on Jan. 28, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Let them know if you plan to attend.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently recognized the service provided by a number of court personnel at the Appellate Court’s Eastern Division in Knoxville. Justice Sharon Lee recognized Carlos Yunsan for five years of service, Cindy Padilla for 20 years of service, Vanessa Johnson for 25 years of service, Andrea Wingate for 35 years of service, Carlotta Lewis for 10 years of service, Matt Gerdeman for 20 years of service and Court of Appeals Judge Charles D. Susano Jr. for 25 years of judiciary service.

Make a New Year’s resolution to get more involved with the practice area you love and join a TBA section! The TBA supports 33 sections — specialized groups that focus on a particular legal or practice area. Section members receive a variety of benefits including the latest news and legislation, CLE discounts, volunteer opportunities and more.

Knoxville lawyer Hanson Tipton assumed the presidency of the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) at the association’s annual meeting last week. Other officers elected were President-elect Cheryl Rice, Treasurer Jason Long and Secretary Loretta Cravens. New board members are Judge Kristi Davis, Mark Castleberry, Michael Stanuszek and Elizabeth Towe. Thomas S. Scott Jr. was presented the KBA’s highest award, the Governors’ Award. Other awards were presented to Courtney Epps Read, Emily Stulce, Luke Ihnen, Retired Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley Jr. and Judge Pamela L. Reeves. Read more in this release from the association.

The “individual mandate” of former President Barack Obama’s health care law is invalid, but other parts of the law need further review, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today, according to the Associated Press. A three-judge panel of the court agreed with a Texas-based federal district court that the requirement to have insurance was rendered unconstitutional when Congress reduced a tax on people without insurance to zero. But the appeals court reached no decision on how much of the rest of the law must fall along with the insurance mandate.

As the legal industry evolves and adapts to trends in commerce, technology and society, the year ahead will see a continued focus on emerging issues and advances in technology that maximize efficiency, according to Bloomberg Law’s legal predictions for 2020. The report also predicts (1) growth in the area of litigation finance, (2) increased focus on issues of liability arising from the technology-driven economy, (3) new attempts to expand the public nuisance doctrine to cover public health issues, and (4) renewed focus on the impact of cannabis deregulation on the legal industry.

Gov. Bill Lee announced today that Tennessee will continue to allow refugees to be resettled in the state, Nashville Public Radio reports. The authorization is for one year. In a letter confirming his decision, Lee wrote, “The United States and Tennessee have always been, since the very founding of our nation, a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity for the persecuted and oppressed, and particularly those suffering religious persecution.” The decision is a break from other Republican leaders. In a joint statement released today, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Speaker Randy McNally opposed the decision.

Memphis has been selected as one of seven cities nationally for increased activity by federal law enforcement agencies, The Commercial Appeal reports. Operation "Relentless Pursuit” is directed at cities that have seen an uptick in violent crime. Although data from the TBI shows violent crime trending downward in the state, Memphis is nearing its 200th homicide of the year. West Tennessee's U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant was expected to offer more details regarding the effort today.

Stephen Deaderick Potts died Dec. 12 at the age of 89 years. Originally from Memphis, Potts graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School and joined the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In 1961, he joined his older brother, Ramsay Potts, at the law firm of Shaw Pittman Potts & Trowbridge in Washington, D.C. and served there for 30 years. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush nominated Potts to head the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. He served two five-year terms there. In 2001, he became interim president of the Ethics Research Center and later served as chair of the center’s board of directors. He returned to public service when President George W. Bush asked him to join the White House Counsel’s Office. A memorial service will be held Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. at National United Methodist Church, 3401 Nebraska Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ethics Research Center, 2650 Park Tower Dr., Ste 802, Vienna, VA 22180.