The Legal Services Corporation launched a Rural Justice Task Force last month with the goal of raising awareness of the civil legal needs of rural residents, profiling model programs, recommending strategies for expanding pro bono legal assistance, and identifying opportunities for state and federal legislative assistance. The task force consists of more than 60 members from diverse communities across 29 states and various professional backgrounds. It is expected to release a report on its findings in spring 2023. The agency took the action after the American Bar Association reported on rural “legal deserts” in the country. Research by the ABA showed there are 52 rural areas in the United States that have no lawyers and another 182 that have only one or two lawyers.

Knoxville lawyer Robert Phillip Murrian died Jan. 24 at the age of 76. Murrian earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1974 and later joined the school as an adjunct professor. Following graduation he served as law clerk for Judge Robert L. Taylor, worked at the firm of Butler, Vines & Babb, and then served as U.S. magistrate judge from 1978 to 2002. After retiring from the bench, Murrian practiced with Kramer Rayson, focusing on federal matters. In his last position, Murrian joined Pam Reeves and Celeste Herbert to establish the mediation firm Reeves, Herbert & Murrian. Among his many accomplishments, Murrian served as president of the Hamilton Burnett American Inns of Court, was a member of the Knoxville Bar Association Board of Governors, and received the association’s Law and Liberty Award and Governors’ Award. Friends of the family are invited to send cards to Sue Murrian at 531 South Gay #403, Knoxville TN 37902. A celebration of life service will be held April 9 at noon EST at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 S. Northshore Dr., Knoxville TN 37919. The KBA announced the news.

The Knoxville Bar Foundation is accepting applications for its 2022 grant cycle through March 4. Funding may be sought for programs that improve the administration of justice, enhance the public’s understanding of and confidence in the legal system, or serve the legal profession. Funding will not be provided for operating costs or endowments. Since 1992, the foundation has awarded approximately $510,000. Last year, the foundation approved 12 requests totaling $25,000. This year, grants will be announced in May. Submit an online application.

Saying that thousands of poll workers will be needed to help elections run smoothly later this year, Secretary of State Tre Hargett has launched the “Be an Election Hero. Become a Poll Worker.” campaign to recruit poll workers, WATE reports. Poll workers greet voters, answer questions, explain how to cast a ballot, count votes, and do anything else that is needed to make sure voting goes smoothly. A new website spells out the requirements to be a poll worker and a link to apply.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is planning to retire soon, multiple sources report, ending a nearly three-decade career on the bench. The news, first reported by NBC News, comes after months of speculation of when the 83-year-old would step down. NBC said it had the news about Breyer on good authority from “people familiar with his thinking.” According to The New York Times, President Biden is expected to formally announce the retirement at the White House tomorrow. The president has pledged to nominate the first Black female  justice if given the chance. Many believe that one person on his short list is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer clerk who was recently confirmed to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Hill has a list of other potential nominees.

Though considered a formality, the Biden administration says it is withdrawing its attempt to enforce a vaccine or testing requirement for businesses with 100 or more employees, Bloomberg Law reports. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Jan. 13 that the administration overstepped its authority in imposing the mandate. In a statement, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration indicates there may be future revisions to the rule. Legal observers say the court left the door open for a refined mandate that does not treat every job as though it presents the same risk of COVID-19 exposure. In related news, a third of employers say they will keep their vaccine requirements in place despite the court’s ruling. Polling by Gartner Inc. shows that only 3% of employers said the court’s decision led them to drop the requirements. Read more about those findings.

The state Senate yesterday approved the final redistricting map to be considered, voting along party lines to clear the map setting new boundaries for state House seats, the Tennessean reports. The Senate had approved the plans for its seats and congressional seats last Thursday. The state House passed the map for its members on Monday. The three redistricting plans now head to Gov. Bill Lee for his signature. Tennessee Democrats say they are preparing a legal challenge to the plans.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Reporters Workshop. Sponsored jointly by the Tennessee Bar Association’s Communication Law Section, the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation, the program will be held in person April 22-23 in Nashville. Print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting should apply before 5 p.m. CST on March 1. The 15 journalists selected to participate will receive a stipend to defray the cost of travel.

A Nashville man who was exonerated in a 2000 murder of a North Nashville woman is suing the city for $18 million, the Tennessean reports. Paul Shane Garrett was exonerated in August after a push from the Tennessee Innocence Project and a report from the Davidson County District Attorney's Conviction Review Unit. Garrett filed the suit Friday, naming the city and five individual police officers for their involvement in the investigation that sent him to prison for 10 years. The lawsuit claims officers tried to coerce Garrett into confession to the crime that he told officers nearly 50 times he did not commit. Two detectives involved in the case were later found to have “lied under oath and/or fabricated evidence on multiple occasions,” including around the time of the investigation into Garrett.   

Judge Sandra Donaghy has announced she will run for reelection in the 10th Judicial District Criminal Court, covering Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties. Donaghy was a judge, prosecutor, public defender and in private practice before being elected to the criminal court in 2014. According to a release from her campaign, since 2014 and through the start of COVID-19 restrictions, Donaghy has decreased her backlog by 9% and, in conjunction with Judge Andrew Freiberg, has resolved more than 15,000 cases. Donaghy also recruited multi-disciplinary teams to start a Veterans Treatment Court and obtained state funding for a criminal justice liaison for a Recovery Oriented Compliance Strategy (ROCS) recovery court. Read the full release from Donaghy’s campaign.