Beverly Moran, tax expert and professor emerita at Vanderbilt Law School, earlier this month testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on “The Pandora Papers and Hidden Wealth.” In her remarks to the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, Moran called for immediate government regulation of tax havens. The hearing was held to probe the rise of the United States as a global tax haven. Recently released documents — known as the “Pandora Papers — show “a complex web of tax havens, shell corporations and offshore accounts created for the purpose of hiding assets to avoid taxes,” the law school explains in a release about Moran’s testimony.

The nonprofit social-justice group Gideon’s Army should not automatically receive $1 million that was included in the Nashville Metro Council’s budget for violence interruption says an advisory panel of the council. Instead, the group should be required to go through an application process, along with any other groups interested in doing the same work, and meet standards being set by the Community Safety Partnership Advisory Board, News Break reports. In related news, NewsChannel 5 conducted an investigation this past fall, which found the group had exaggerated its success in reducing violence at a Nashville public housing development.

TBA Today last week reported that 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge David Allen was honored for his role as a recovery court judge during a recent meeting of the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals. The story should also have stated that McNairy County General Sessions Judge Van D. McMahan also received the Making a Difference Award. Both judges said working with recovery courts is the “most rewarding” part of their jobs and McMahan said it was the “most important thing” he does. Also at the conference, the association recognized retired Seventh Judicial Circuit Court Judge Don Elledge with its first ever Recognition of Service Award for his long contribution to recovery courts. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on all three judges.

Texas lawyer Sarah Weddington, who at 26 successfully argued the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court, died Sunday, the Associated Press reports. She was 76. Just a few years after graduating from the University of Texas School of Law, Weddington brought a class-action suit on behalf of a pregnant woman challenging a state law that largely banned abortions. The case of “Jane Roe” first was brought against the Dallas County district attorney but eventually advanced to the Supreme Court. Weddington argued the case before the high court twice, in December 1971 and again in October 1972, resulting in the 7-2 ruling that legalized abortion. Weddington ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 1972 and served three terms before becoming general counsel at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and later working as an advisor on women's issues to President Jimmy Carter.

A new report from the Minority Corporate Counsel Association shows a “decade of slow progress” toward improved diversity at the nation’s largest law firms, Law.com reports. According to the study, the percentage of attorneys identifying as racial and ethnic minorities has increased just 6 percentage points in the past 10 years — rising from 14% in 2010 to 20% in 2020. Calling these results “disappointing,” the report suggests it is time to reassess traditional operating procedures and redefine the status quo of work cultures. Read the report.

Martha Pearl Cobb of Maryville died Dec. 22 at the age of age 91. Cobb taught economics, government, legal issues, world history and psychology in the Alcoa School System for 40 years. Among her many honors, she was president of the Alcoa Education Association, a liaison to the Tennessee State Board of Education and the Tennessee Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year finalist. She also received the Tennessee Bar Association’s previously-awarded honor recognizing a high school teacher for promoting understanding of the legal system. Donations may be made to the Blount Memorial Hospital Foundation, 907 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy., Maryville, TN 37801, or to the Blount County Retired Teachers Associations’ Scholarship Fund, 853 Summer Hill Dr., Friendsville, TN 37737.

In 2020, many firms transitioned from brick-and-mortar offices into fully remote law practices. Looking ahead to 2022, it’s worth asking: How should remote work shape the future of legal practice? Many firms are exploring new hybrid models, combining elements of working in-person at the office and remotely from home or elsewhere — and offering numerous benefits — including cost savings and flexibility for clients. Join Nefra MacDonald, affinity partnerships manager at Clio, to find out if the hybrid law firm model is right for you. The previously recorded webcast will air from noon to 1 p.m. CST tomorrow.

Chronic stress has the potential to cripple productivity levels and thwart effective advocacy for clients, but just one or two minutes of meditation and mindfulness can have immediate and far-reaching benefits, personally and professionally. If you missed our program “How Mindfulness Can Help You Avoid Legal Burnout, Continue to Competently Perform Legal Services, and Remain Ethically Compliant” earlier this fall, be sure to tune in for the webcast replay tomorrow from 3-4 p.m. CST.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday issued two orders announcing it will hear legal challenges to the Biden administration’s employer vaccine mandates next month, The Hill reports. The justices set a rapid schedule for the cases, which will begin on Jan. 7 with oral arguments against President Joe Biden’s vaccine-or-test mandate for large employers and a regulation from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requiring vaccines for health care workers. The Supreme Court deferred ruling on whether to block the new rules until after hearing the challenges. Lower courts have split over both rules, prompting a sense of urgency for the Supreme Court to intervene.

Vanderbilt University has announced the schedule for its 2022 series honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The theme of this year’s four-day virtual event is “Where We Belong—Building an Inclusive Community.” The kickoff lunch and speaker event will begin on Jan. 14 with keynote remarks from Equity Alliance Co-Founder Charlane Oliver. A joint day of service will be held on Jan. 15, which offers students from local colleges an opportunity to add a service component to MLK Day. On Jan. 17, a virtual candlelight vigil will be held at 4:30 p.m. CST, followed by a keynote presentation from poet, professor and author Nikky Finney. Learn more and get registered for the events here.