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Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold a Veterans Project Legal Help Clinic on Dec. 18 at Operation Stand Down Tennessee. The event will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Operation Stand Down is located at 1125 12th Ave. S., 37203. The clinic helps veterans and their family members with a range of legal problems. Call 615-244-6610 for more information.

A Christmas tree in the Hamilton County courthouse was decorated recently by local judges, WDEF reports. But they did not hang traditional ornaments. Instead they hung cards depicting the legal needs of low-income residents. The judges are asking local attorneys to give the gift of their time this Christmas by choosing a pro bono case from the tree. And although they enjoyed the decorating, the judges acknowledged that access to justice for so many remains a serious problem. As Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz said, "We have Legal Aid of East Tennessee to help…but their resources are so overwhelmed…it really needs the entire legal community to pitch in."

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia Clark was the featured speaker for the Chattanooga DAR Regents Council’s annual luncheon and used the opportunity to trace Tennessee’s role in passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote, Chattanoogan.com reports. Also at the event, the Moccasin Bend DAR Chapter presented Chattanooga lawyer Ardena J. Garth with its “Outstanding Women in American History” award. Garth was the first African American female public defender in Hamilton County and served in that role for 18 years. She now is president of Chattanooga Endeavors, an organization dedicated to creating second chances for those working to overcome the stigma of incarceration.

Lucian E. Dervan, associate professor of law and director of criminal justice studies at Belmont University College of Law, has accepted two new appointments with the American Bar Association, the school reports. First, he has been named chair of the ABA Commission on the American Jury. Early next year, the commission will issue a report examining the gradual disappearance of the jury trial in both civil and criminal cases. In addition, he has been named chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s new Plea Bargaining Task Force. Dervan served as chair of the section last year and created the task force to study trends in plea bargaining.

Publishers Weekly has named University of Tennessee College of Law Professor Maurice Stucke’s forthcoming book “Competition Overdose” as one of its top 10 business and economics reads for Spring 2020, the school reports. The book, co-authored with Ariel Ezrachi, casts a critical eye on the benefits of competition and argues market-based solutions can increase inequality, kill entrepreneurship, hurt consumers and destroy healthy industry ecosystems. It is being published by Harper Collins and will be available for sale beginning in March 2020.

A federal court has blocked the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration from providing records requested by Rep. Martin Daniel, the Nashville Post reports. Daniel had requested all 2018 claims data related to state employee health plans. BlueCross BlueShield asked the court for a temporary restraining order arguing that providing the documents violates its contract with the state and federal law. The restraining order stops the release of the data until Jan. 17 unless the court determines the request actually violates the law.

John Gillespie of Shelby County will run in the Republican primary for the House District 97 seat being vacated by Rep. Jim Coley, the Daily Memphian reports. He will face Brandon Weise. A native of Memphis, Gillespie works as a grant coordinator for Trezevant Episcopal Home and recently received Coley's endorsement. Democrats also likely will have a contested primary with Allan Creasy and Gabby Salinas announcing for the seat.

A recent article in the New York Times looks at the addiction crisis in rural communities and the impact it is having on small-town courts and jails. The piece focuses on the criminal justice system in Hamblen County, Tennessee, as an example of the challenges facing these communities. According to the article, Hamblen County sees a steady stream of repeat criminal offenders who are driven by their addiction, which leads to jail overcrowding and poor conditions. In fact, according to the article, the county sheriff calls the jail a “cesspool of a dungeon.” The piece also features those trying to make a difference, including Willie Santana, one of four lawyers in the county public defender’s office, and county administrator Bill Brittain who says, “We’ve got to do something different.”

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III is advising residents to take steps to avoid scams when making year-end contributions to charitable causes. Slatery’s office has identified several red flags that may indicate an appeal is a scam. The office also has information on how to report suspected scams. Learn more in this press release or visit the office’s online resources for avoiding scams.