The state of Tennessee yesterday filed an emergency motion to stay a lower court ruling that blocked the General Assembly's Senate redistricting map and ordered the chamber to submit a new map in 15 days. In the appeal, Attorney General Herbert Slattery argued that those who brought suit over the redistricting map unnecessarily delayed in doing so. The injunction issued earlier in the day Thursday could result in “electoral chaos," Slattery said, since it came less than 24 hours before the candidate filing deadline for Senate legislative elections. The court extended that deadline to May 5, the Tennessean reports. Tennessee Democratic Party-backed plaintiffs sued over the map in February, arguing that the legislature unconstitutionally numbered Senate districts nonconsecutively.

Shelby County commissioners recently approved adding $10.9 million to the budget for renovating the former Shelby Training Center for the new Youth Justice and Education Center, which will house a courtroom, educational classrooms, gymnasium and detention facilities. That brings total funding for the project to $28 million, the Commercial Appeal reports. But some are concerned that the design of the building prioritizes incarceration over rehabilitation, News 5 reports. The current juvenile detention facility at 616 Adams has long drawn negative attention. A 2017 report noted that not all cells have natural light and that none are ADA accessible. Poor air conditioning and consistent mechanical problems also have caused issues over the years.

The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is seeking speakers for its annual educational conference set for Aug. 15-17 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. The bureau specifically is looking for engaging and informative presentations that can improve injury outcomes, cooperation between stakeholders and the quality and efficiency of the state workers' compensation system. Topics should be of interest to a potential audience of 400+ that will include employers and human resource representatives, employee representatives, plaintiff and defense attorneys, insurance carriers and adjusters, nurse case managers, risk managers, health care providers and safety professionals. Requests to present should be sent to tn.workcomp@tn.gov by May 13 and include the name(s) of the presenter(s), a summary of the topic(s) to be discussed, learning objectives and a biography of each presenter. Contact Jeff Francis, 615-253-6269 for more information.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold three clinics this week. On Tuesday, the group will hold a general clinic at 4:40 p.m. at the Gallatin Civic Center, 210 Albert Gallatin Ave., 37066. On Wednesday, a clinic for veterans will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT in Nashville at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., 37203. Then on Thursday, a clinic will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. at Greenhouse Ministries, 309 S. Academy St., Murfreesboro, 37130. All times central. Those attending must wear a mask. To volunteer for a clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all April clinics.

A list of those who passed the February 2022 bar exam is now available. Check the TBA’s website for the complete list of successful applicants. The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners reports there were 105 first time test takers who had a 54.3% passage rate, while another 168 were repeat test takers. That group had pass rate of 32.1%.  See all statistics here.

Chancellor Anne Martin yesterday heard arguments over the state comptroller’s financial takeover of Mason, Tennessee, a small town less than 10 miles from the Ford megasite, WPLN reports. Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower wrote a letter to Mason’s 1,337 residents, most of whom are Black, asking them to relinquish their town charter rather than fix their budget problems. The town opted to fix its budget rather than dissolve, but is suing to challenge whether the state can control every dollar that’s spent. Martin said the request put the town in “a no-win choice situation.” Mason officials say they felt “attacked” and noted that majority-white towns in East Tennessee with far deeper financial problems were never asked to dissolve. Memphis attorney Van Turner called the move “offensive” and said “there is an aspect of discriminatory treatment when you look at this case.” 

The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a ruling that the mandatory State Bar of Texas violates the associational and free speech rights of attorneys when it engages in activities not “germane” to improving the legal profession, such as funding legislative efforts, Bloomberg Law reports. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit sided with three bar members who said they can’t be forced to support to subsidize those non-germane activities. The appeals court granted an injunction that blocked the bar from requiring membership and dues from the plaintiffs until the lower court determines how much of their dues supported non-germane activity. It rejected the plaintiffs’ argument that all “ideological” activities were necessarily non-germane, citing diversity initiatives that seek to create a fair legal profession. The plaintiffs appealed to the high court, asking it to expand the appeals court ruling to find that members of a mandatory bar can’t be compelled to finance any political or ideological activities and can’t be forced to join one that engages in such activities.

Legal services company Latitude has announced it will expand to Philadelphia, St. Louis and San Francisco, the Nashville Post reports. The Franklin-based company has more than doubled its number of locations over the last nine months. It has additional offices in Brentwood, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Miami, Boston and Minneapolis. Latitude bills itself as a legal services company that provides law firms with both temporary and permanent legal professionals.

Rep. Eddie Mannis, R-Knoxville, announced this week that he will not seek reelection in District 18, the Tennessee Journal reports. The Knoxville businessman in a statement said the recent death of his father had impacted his decision not to run again. “I have heard his final words, “Follow your heart,” over and over in my head,” Mannis said in the statement. “It has been a very difficult decision, but I must truly follow my heart.” Mannis is the 10th Republican to retire from the state House. The Tennessee Journal has compiled a full list of all General Assembly members who are not seeking re-election.

Michael Glen Hatmaker of Campbell County was today disbarred from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. According to the first complaint from the Board of Professional Responsibility, Hatmaker was paid $7,500 to represent a client in a criminal matter, but failed to refund the unearned balance to his client after he was suspended from the practice of law. He also failed to comply with the terms and conditions of his suspension. In the second complaint, Hatmaker set aside a default judgment without the knowledge or authorization of his client and took no action thereafter to prosecute his client’s action or reasonably communicate with his client about the status of her case. He also failed to respond to the BPR about either complaint. He executed a conditional guilty plea and is not eligible for reinstatement.