In a series of blog posts this month, the Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims looks back at decisions from 2021. The first summary looks at opinions from the Tennessee Supreme Court Special Workers’ Compensation Panel. The second installment looks at Appeals Board opinions involving course and scope, medical causation and reasonable necessity, and the Medical Impairment Rating Registry. Finally, the third post covers the remainder of the opinions on a range of issues.

The TBA today announced a new member advantage relationship with SoFi, one of the largest providers of student and personal loans. Members seeking to consolidate and refinance student loans can save thousands of dollars thanks to SoFi’s flexible terms, low rates and no fees. TBA members also will receive an exclusive rate discount! And don’t miss this limited special offer to lock in the lowest rate and make no payments until June 1. Don't have student loans? SoFi can help you reach your financial goals with other solutions, including mortgages and personal loans. Get started today at SoFi.com/TBA.

The University of Memphis School of Law, the Center for Excellence in Decision-Making and the Memphis Bar Association are hosting a free virtual symposium on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST on a number of issues related to critical race theory (CRT). A keynote speaker and three panels of legal experts will explore using CRT to evaluate the promises of reconstruction; the intersection of property law and critical race theory and how they relate to decisions about urban development and gentrification; rights and obligations in the areas of education, technology and healthcare; and how the CRT battle is being fought in Memphis and more broadly in Tennessee. Register for the free event here. For questions, email Lauren Gooch.

Tennessee Free Legal Answers (TFLA) Virtual Clinic and Vanderbilt University Law School will host a virtual legal clinic this Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. CST. Volunteers will work with law students to review and answer client questions posted on the Free Legal Answers website. Learn more about TFLA and sign up to help. For more information, email law student coordinator Karalyn Berman.

Nashville businessman Baxter Lee has announced he will run for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, which is being relinquished by longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, after the state legislature revamped its boundaries. Lee is one of several Republican candidates reportedly interested in the new district, which will include parts of Davidson, Wilson and Williamson counties, plus several rural counties to the south, the Nashville Post reports. Lee filed campaign papers with the Federal Election Commission today. Other Republicans said to be eyeing the seat are music video producer Robby Starbuck, who launched his campaign before the redistricting changes were made, and former U.S. Department of State aide Morgan Ortagus who moved to Nashville last year to work with a health care investment firm. Former president Donald Trump has endorsed Ortagus though she has not yet officially announced her candidacy.

The Arts + Business Council of Greater Nashville will host a free legal clinic for artists, musicians and other creatives on Feb. 9 from 6-7 p.m. CST. Clients will spend 30 minutes with a legal or business professional to get advice related to their creative practice. To attend the February "Ask the Experts" clinic, clients should register by noon CST on Feb. 4.

Nearly a month into her year-long term, Memphis Bar Association President Tannera Gibson sat down with the Tri-State Defender to talk about her role as the first African-American woman in the role. Gibson says she is looking for opportunities to change racial and ethnic perceptions during her term. Her goals for the year include a greater focus on the benefits of diversity, launching a leadership program for law students to raise awareness about the need for diversity, and starting a mentoring program for high school and college students who are looking at a career in law. Most of all, Gibson — the first African-American partner at Burch, Porter & Johnson — says she wants her term to be about more than symbolism. “I don’t want it to be an anomaly that black women serve in highly influential capacities,” she says.

Former state senator Morgan “Brown” Ayres Jr. died Jan. 21 after a fall. He was 90 years old. Growing up in Knoxville, Ayres attended Knoxville public schools, the Kentucky Military Institute and the University of Tennessee. After serving in the Air Force as a staff sergeant during the Korean War, Ayres returned to Knoxville and joined his father as an investment banker with Cumberland Securities. In 1968, he was elected state senator, representing Knox County for eight years. Last March, Ayres received the University of Tennessee’s Accomplished Alumni Award. His grandfather, also named Brown Ayres, was the 12th president of the university. A memorial and celebration of life service will be held at Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church at 4 p.m. EST on March 25. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the church, the University of Tennessee or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Earlier this month, the National Conference of Bar Examiners announced that pilot testing for the “Next Gen Bar Exam” will begin sometime in 2026. The revised test will do away with the Multistate Bar Exam, the Multistate Essay Exam and the Multistate Performance Test to focus on knowledge and skills rather than rote memorization, according to Above the Law. The new exam also will be taken entirely on a computer. “Computer-based testing is more flexible than paper-based testing, and is more in line with the integrated assessment of knowledge and skills we will use for the new exam,” conference president Judith Gundersen said in announcing the news.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments today filed amended notices for vacancies in the Court of Criminal Appeals Eastern Section and Court of Appeals Middle Section. The application deadline for the Court of Criminal Appeals is now noon CST on Feb. 21. The hearings dates remain March 3 and March 4. The application deadline for the Court of Appeals is now noon CST on Feb. 28. The hearing dates for those applicants will now be March 17 and March 18. More information and instructions for applying are available online.