Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order today directing the state to evaluate school security and training for Tennessee law enforcement News Channel 5 reports. Executive Order 97 is also meant to promote engagement with parents and schools to enhance safety, Lee said. Under the plan, the state is tasked with updating its school safety plan, conducting an independent safety assessment, and creating new training and education materials on school safety. The state also will assess law enforcement training standards and evaluate the use of armed security guards at non-public schools. Finally, state agencies will help school districts implement current laws, which require an annual security assessment and submission of a safety plan. Under the order, schools also must increase the frequency of security audits.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is seeking an assistant U.S. attorney (AUSA) in the criminal division. The successful applicant will be responsible for the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases involving violent crime, firearms, narcotics or fraud and white collar crime. Candidates should have two years of work experience as an attorney and will undergo an FBI background investigation. Those interested should email a resume and cover letter to U.S. Attorney Mark H. Wildasin. Get complete application instructions for this position or see other opportunities on TBA’s JobLink.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah K. Campbell was honored today at an investiture ceremony held at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Those speaking at the ceremony included Belmont College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzales, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III, Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger A. Page, TBA President Sherie Edwards, Nashville Bar Association President Martesha Johnson, and Jonathan Skrmetti, general counsel to the governor. Gov. Bill Lee also offered remarks in support of Campbell’s appointment and administered the oath of office to her. See photos from the event.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has announced that an investiture ceremony and reception for Judge Katherine Crytzer will be held Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. EDT at the Howard H. Baker Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville. The ceremony was originally scheduled for last November but was postponed. Crytzer was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2020. She was previously the principal deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy.

The next Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic — a joint project of Knoxville area legal organizations — will take place Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. EDT at the Knoxville Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St. This general advice and referral clinic is supported by the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers and Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, University of Tennessee  College of Law, Lincoln Memorial University-Duncan School of Law, and the local Veterans Affairs office. Sign up here to volunteer.

Courses from the recent Litigation Ethics Forum are now available. These programs include an essential discussion of ethical issues associated with the remote practice of law, as well as the triumphs and travails of practicing full-time in a virtual law firm. The second session from the program features an in-depth discussion by seasoned practitioners, judges, and court staff about important litigation issues with conservatorship. The full program or individual sessions — Legal Ethics in the Era of Remote Work or Navigating the Ethical Tightropes Associated with Conservatorships —are available for purchase.

After announcing an adjustment to the settlement process in Memphis, the Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims issued a clarification today. Under the new process, the Memphis office will accept settlements on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 2:30 p.m. CDT. On Thursday, the office will accept settlements from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The limit is 20 settlements in the mornings, and nine on Tuesday afternoon. Attorneys will not have a specific assigned time but can secure a spot by sending in requests as currently done. The court will then take cases on a first-come, first-served basis. The same process will apply to the new Lauderdale County office beginning in July. For questions, contact LaShawn Pender at 901-543-0042 or Ricki Brown at 901-543-6077 or 901-947-8802.

Last month, the Tennessee Supreme Court adopted an order referring the case of State of Tennessee v. Angela Joy Hopson to the Board of Professional Responsibility for “whatever actions the Board may deem warranted.” Madison lawyer Hopson pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and theft of property. She received judicial diversion in both cases.

A sergeant in the National Guard filed suit against the Tennessee Departments of Safety and Human Resources this week, alleging that state officials failed to give him — and potentially hundreds of other job applicants — required veteran preferences in hiring. Between 2016 and 2022, Kelly Hance applied six times for a job as a Tennessee state trooper. His court filing indicates initial applications were found to meet minimum requirements for the position, but he was never offered a job. Hance repeatedly asked whether the agency was giving weight to his military service, and received mixed answers. Under a 2012 state law, veterans and their spouses who served on active federal duty in the U.S. Armed Services are required to receive a preference for a state job interview. If two candidates are equally qualified, the law requires hiring preference be given to the veteran. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Attorney General did not respond to a request for comment. Tennessee Lookout reports on the case.

The state will not appeal a federal court ruling striking down a transgender bathroom sign mandate on businesses, Nashville Business Journal reports. The law had required many businesses to post signs if they allowed transgender people to use their restrooms but Judge Aleta A. Trauger of the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Tennessee ruled last month that the act was unconstitutional. Read more about Trauger's decision in the Tennessean.