Shelby County is dropping its lawsuit against Gov. Bill Lee over his executive order on mask mandates, Action News 5 reports. The county says the suit is no longer relevant now that the governor has signed new legislation that would ban masks in schools. That law is currently on a temporary hold by federal Judge Waverly Crenshaw. The governor’s executive order was blocked in Shelby County by federal Judge Sheryl H. Lipman after families in a separate suit filed against the order.

Lawsuits filed around the country challenging the Biden administration's workplace COVID-19 vaccine rule will be consolidated and heard by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, National Public Radio reports. That decision was the result of a random lottery conducted by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. More than 30 cases have been filed against the rule in all 12 circuit courts of appeal. It will now be up to the 6th Circuit to decide whether to lift a stay issued by the 5th Circuit. A three-judge panel of that court temporarily blocked the rule a day after it took effect, saying it posed "grave statutory and constitutional” issues. The court reaffirmed that decision last Friday calling the rule "fatally flawed." The Biden administration maintains it has emergency authority to protect workers facing "grave danger" on the job.

Chattanooga native and lawyer Juanita Ingram was recently honored with the NAACP Image Award by the Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP, Chattanoogan.com reports. Ingram, who has lived in Indiana and overseas since leaving Tennessee, is also an actress and founder of Purpose Productions Inc. She has created “The Expats: International Ingrams,” which follows the international adventures and struggles of her family living abroad. Season one of the show includes 20 episodes available for streaming on Amazon Prime. Season two of the show is in production. While living in Chattanooga, Ingram was an associate attorney with Miller & Martin. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law. 

A new survey from Ragan’s Workplace Wellness Insider and furniture maker Ergotron finds that ergonomics play an important role in workplace wellness and employee retention. In response to the findings, the companies partnered to produce a free guide to help companies create a healthier and more comfortable work space. The guide explores what employees want and expect from their employers, how workers feel about hybrid and remote work, whether it is worth having a post-pandemic physical office and how to help employees move more.

On-demand videos from the TBA’s Creditors Practice Forum are now available. Choose the 1-Click Package to easily purchase all three sessions or pick what you want from the list of individual sessions. This year’s forum explored enforcement of judgment liens on real property, the controversial Hunstein case and cybersecurity issues.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today disbarred Andrew Nathan Hall from the practice of law. He must pay restitution to two clients and cover all costs incurred to the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). A hearing panel found, in part, that Hall failed to comply with an order of summary suspension, failed to inform his client of his suspension and led his client to believe another attorney had agreed to represent her and several other. The panel also found that Hall failed to comply with an order of temporary suspension, repeatedly misled clients to believe their petition for bankruptcy had been filed and was proceeding, accepted a fee but failed to provide the professional services for which he had been retained and more.

TBA President Sherie Edwards joins the BarBuzz podcast this month to cover top legal news stories from across the state, upcoming bar association events, attorney shout outs and more! Edwards also discusses the progress she’s made on her presidential initiatives and her latest “President’s Perspective” article in the November/December issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal. Co-written with Edwards’ daughter, Victoria Cundiff, the article takes a personal and honest look at mental health issues. BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.  

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump at a press conference today called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Rutherford County Assistant District Attorney John Zimmerman for alleged “racial profiling” and “discrimination,” News Channel 5 reports. Crump, who will represent the minority-owned businesses impacted by the alleged practices, claims Zimmerman “used his position and power to target minority businesses” and pointed to allegations of the assistant DA using racial slurs during speaking engagements. "We want these investigated to the highest levels of the government,” Crump said.

Rutherford County senior judicial commissioner Jacob Flatt has announced he will be running as a Republican for Juvenile Court judge, WPLN reports. A Nashville School of Law graduate, Flatt became the county’s senior judicial commissioner in 2019. He was previously in private practice and is a former clerk for Rutherford County General Sessions Judge Ben Hall McFarlin Jr. Flatt’s campaign marks the first time in 20 years current Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport has been challenged for her seat.

Nashville attorney Rachel Buckley has been appointed general counsel for the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, the Nashville Post reports. Buckley began working for the state in 2013 as a lawyer for the Department of Children’s Services and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. She joined the comptroller’s office in 2017, working on open records cases, and was later named assistant general counsel. In her new role, Buckley will field requests from businesses, governmental entities and schools seeking exemptions to newly passed laws banning COVID-19 precautions like mask and vaccine mandates. She drafted the exemption guidelines and will continue to provide legal advice as determinations are made.