The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a clinic tomorrow from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Belmont University, 2005 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37204. Next week, the group will hold a phone clinic on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m. The first 15 callers will be accepted. Then on Wednesday, LAS will hold a clinic specifically for veterans from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S. Nashville 37203. All times central. To volunteer contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all January clinics.

Didn't get a chance to view the Family Law 2021 forum live? No worries, you can now view the programs as a 1-Click Package on the TBA CLE page. Presenters cover marital balance sheets, legislative updates, surrogacy, attorney well-being and attorney decorum. Make your purchase now to hear from attorneys and judges from across the state as well as an expert in family counseling. The program offers 2.75 general and two dual hours of CLE credit.

State Rep. Dan Howell, R-Cleveland, has pulled a bill that would shorten parole eligibility time for those convicted of first-degree murder, the Chattanoogan reports. The measure, which had caused concern from some in the legal community and the public, would have cut the current eligibility of 51 years down to 25 years. "I don't think the victims of violent crimes will be best served by this legislation,” Howell said. "I’m very encouraged by proposals to rewrite and reform existing ranges in our criminal sentencing code so that they more accurately reflect time actually served. This will create more efficiency and transparency in sentencing and improve public safety overall.”

Nashville-based legal services provider Latitude recently announced it has opened a new office in Minneapolis. The expansion marks the third new office opening for the company since September, when it announced openings in Boston and Austin. “The demand from legal department and law firm leaders for the associate- to partner-level flexible legal talent we specialize in has significantly increased since the pandemic began,” said Latitude CEO Ross Booher. “Because of our extensive roster of attorneys with sophisticated in-house and Big Law experience in those and other Twin Cities industries, Minneapolis is a natural location for us.” Read more from Latitude.

Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, on Monday filed to run for Williamson County clerk, the Nashville Post reports. Casada has represented Tennessee District 63 in the State House since 2003, and served as House Speaker from 2017 until 2019. He announced in November that he would retire from the House at the end of his term, leaving the District 63 House seat open without an incumbent for the first time in two decades. Current William County clerk Jeff Whidby earlier filed to run for the position.

Gov. Bill Lee is set to deliver the annual State of the State speech on Jan. 31, the Tennessee Journal reports. The address will mark Lee’s final State of the State during his first term in office. The event will air on Lee’s Facebook page and YouTube channels at 6 p.m. CST. “I look forward to sharing my vision for Tennessee, including my budget and legislative priorities for the year,” Lee said in a statement. “Tennessee shows the rest of the country that America hasn’t lost her way, and with the support of the General Assembly, we’ll continue to ensure Tennessee is a national leader for opportunity and freedom.”

California-based nonprofit Public.Resource.Org has recently put Tennessee’s official jury instructions online and made them available to the public at no cost. The project is part of a long-standing campaign to make the law and legal materials issued in the name of the state more accessible to the bar and to citizens. Representing Public Resource on this matter is the Harvard Law School cyberlaw legal clinic, which recently sent letters to officials in nine states, including Tennessee, informing them of the public availability of these materials. The Tennessee materials may be accessed here on the Internet Archive. The full collection presently contains jury instructions from 20 states.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled that the Tennessee Health Care Liability Act applies to a lawsuit based on theories of medical battery and intentional misrepresentation against health care providers for injuries arising from a surgical procedure. The justices unanimously agreed in Donna Cooper et al. v. Dr. Mason Wesley Mandy et al. that, under the language of the act, it applies to all claims alleging that a health care provider caused an injury that related to the provision of health care services, regardless of the theory of liability. Read more on the case and the high court’s ruling from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Senate Ethics Committee today voted to recommend the expulsion of Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, after determining she violated the Senate code of ethics, the Commercial Appeal reports. Robinson is awaiting a March sentencing date for two federal fraud charges related to the mismanagement of federal funds in connection to her leadership of a nursing school. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said the hearing was “fair and deliberative” and considered her “explicit legal status” and ethical and moral failings indicative in the charges against her.” He expressed hope that Robinson would voluntarily step down. Robinson had requested a delay of the hearing earlier this week and argued, despite the conviction, that her federal case has not yet concluded. The recommendation will receive a full Senate vote, but it is unclear when that might happen.

TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley are back for a third season of the TBA’s Legislative Updates show. Each week of the Tennessee General Assembly’s session, Schwarz and Lampley will give viewers a breakdown of TBA-sponsored measures or bills the association is watching. Joining the show this season is Adams and Reese attorney, Ashley Harbin, who is assisting in the TBA’s lobbying efforts. Legislative Updates airs every Thursday on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.