Former Davidson County presiding night court Magistrate John Manson has joined law firm Lewis Thomason as special counsel, the Nashville Post reports. He will handle criminal law, domestic relations, estate planning and probate matters at the firm. Manson previously served as an environmental court referee, judicial commissioner for the General Sessions Court and special master and law clerk to the 20th Judicial District Circuit. Last month, Manson launched a judicial campaign for that court. The seat is currently held by retiring Judge Randy Kennedy. Also running is Metro Councilmember Larry Hagar and Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin probate and estate attorney Andra Hedrick.

New York-based employment law firm Jackson Lewis PC has opened a Nashville office, its second in the state behind an existing office in Memphis. The new office will be led by managing principal Stephen Price, a former managing partner at Burr & Forman. Also joining the office is litigation manager Jennifer Rusie, who previously worked at Ogletree Deakins, and Leslie Sanders and Daniel Crowell, who join the firm from Webb Sanders PLLC. The new office is located at 611 Commerce St., Ste. 3102, Nashville, TN 37203.

Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport will retire at the end of her term in September, WPLN reports. Davenport, who has served in the position since it was created in 2000, said she would “always look back at my time as judge as one of the greatest honors of my life.” Davenport has been the subject of an ongoing investigation by WPLN News and ProPublica over the arresting and jailing of more than a thousand children, and legislation had been introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly to have her removed from office. That effort was dropped today after Davenport announced her retirement, WPLN reports. Last month, the county settled a class-action lawsuit over these practices. Several lawyers have plans to run for the post, including Andrae Crismon and Jacob Flatt.

This year’s Law Tech CLE will be offered virtually in February with six sessions over three days. Morning sessions will run from 10 to 11 a.m. CST. Afternoon sessions will run from 1 to 2 p.m. CST. On Feb. 10, the morning session will explore the pros and cons of virtual law offices while the afternoon session will focus on tips and tools in Outlook for dealing with high volumes of email. On Feb. 17, the morning session will look at tech tools for wellness while the afternoon session will focus on law firm security. The series wraps up on Feb. 24 with a morning session on the paperless office and the ever-popular Bill & Phil Show in the afternoon. And it would not be Law Tech without technology prizes! TBA member registrants will automatically be entered in drawings, with a great prize to be given away at each program.

Williamson County lawyer John William Gautier was today placed on disability inactive status by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Gautier cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing that his disability has been removed.

Committees in the state House and Senate today approved proposed state and congressional redistricting plans, the Tennessean reports. Seven Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans advanced the map after hearing comments from three people, all who criticized the congressional proposal that would split Davidson County up into three districts. Charlane Oliver, co-director of the Equity Alliance, called the plan “discriminatory, divisive, anti-Democratic and blatantly racist.” Committee Chair Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, defended redistricting plans, expressing confidence that the supermajority has “drawn the map that represents Tennessee well and represents communities well,” Bell said. In the House, the State Government Committee considered the redistricting bills without public comment. All three bills will head to the Calendar & Rules Committee on Thursday and could land on the House floor as soon as Monday.

President Joe Biden on Friday approved a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Tennessee after parts of the state were damaged by straight-line winds and tornadoes on Dec. 10-11. The declaration makes federal funding available for Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Gibson, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Obion, Stewart, Sumner, Weakley and Wilson counties. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. The White House has more on how residents and business owners can apply for assistance.  

Gilbert Stroud Merritt Jr., the longest-serving member of the current 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, died on Monday after a battle with metastatic prostate cancer, the Tennessean reports. He was 86. A fixture in the judiciary and in state politics, Merritt sat on the bench for 44 years. He attended law school at Vanderbilt University and earned a master of law from Harvard Law School in 1962. His career included a stint as the U.S. Attorney for Middle Tennessee from 1966-1969 under President Lyndon B. Johnson, before  he was appointed to the appellate court in 1977 by President Jimmy Carter. Merritt was considered for a nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton, who ultimately selected Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Merritt was one of several American jurists to travel to Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein to help rebuild the country's shattered judicial system. The Tennessee Bar Journal covered his trip in an October 2003 article. Former Vice President Al Gore described Merritt as "A deeply intelligent and deliberative legal thinker, he was an ardent defender of the liberties that form the foundations of our Constitution…” Funeral services will be held for Merritt at the Christ Episcopal Cathedral in Nashville on Jan. 22 at 11:30 a.m. CST, followed by a visitation and reception at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

The TBA’s BarBuzz podcast is back with the first episode of 2022! Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law Professor Akram Faizer co-hosts the January episode, bringing listeners the biggest news from the Tennessee legal community and the latest updates on bar association events and programs. You can listen to BarBuzz on the TBA’s website or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Like what you hear? Be sure to like and subscribe to all shows from the TBA Podcast Network.

State lawmakers have introduced a bill that would start the process of removing Rutherford County Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport following reports that revealed the county’s juvenile justice system, under Davenport’s direction, has been illegally arresting and jailing children. Senate Joint Resolution 0788, sponsored by state Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and co-sponsor Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, would allow for the creation of House and Senate committees to consider Davenport’s removal. Rep. Tim Rudd, R-Murfreesboro, sponsored similar legislation in 2020 that sought to remove Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle after she ordered increased access to absentee ballots during the August primary elections. That measure failed. Davenport has said she does plan to run for re-election, but for the first time, is being challenged by the county’s senior judicial commissioner Jacob Flatt and former Legal Aid Society attorney Andrae Crismon. Read more on the story from WPLN.