Eleven members of Congress sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland this week requesting the U.S. Justice Department open an investigation into the Rutherford County juvenile justice system, WPLN reports. The group took the action following allegations by WPLN News and ProPublica that the county has illegally arrested and detained children for years. The signers, all Democrats, included Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis, who is on the House Judiciary Committee and chairs the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Read the letter here.

Examine and identify the characteristics needed to be a leader during the TBA’s 2021 Leadership Academy Nov. 11 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CDT. This live virtual event will offer an interactive curriculum designed to help develop leadership skills, build characteristics of effective leadership and identify strategies to overcome challenges. Knoxville attorneys Buck Lewis, William Lockett Jr. and Douglas Blaze, interim dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law, will lead the group discussions.

An attorney representing former University of Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt is threatening to sue the university if it doesn't reach a settlement by Oct. 29, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Michael Lyons, Pruitt’s Texas-based attorney, says the suit has the potential to “cripple UT’s athletic programs for years.” The university fired Pruitt in January over evidence that officials say shows members of Pruitt's football staff engaged in conduct likely to result in serious NCAA rules violations, and that Pruitt failed to monitor their actions or promote an atmosphere of compliance. Pruitt did not receive any of the $12.6 million buyout that was part of his contract due to being fired for cause. University general counsel Ryan Stinnett wrote Monday in response to Lyons that UT has no intention of settling and is prepared to defend its actions.

The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald has lost custody of “Tarra” the elephant after a decade-long court battle, WKRN reports. Tarra was the sanctuary’s first inhabitant in 1995 after she was brought there by founder Carol Buckley. The sanctuary’s board of directors ousted Buckley in 2010 and she sued for wrongful dismissal and visitation rights with Tarra soon after. The legal battle for the elephant has continued until now, after the Tennessee Supreme Court denied an application for permission to appeal. Tarra will now be sent to South Georgia where she’ll live with Buckley on an 850-acre refuge. The Tennessean reported in June that an appeals court had denied a new trial in the case.

Nashville attorney Keeda Haynes has released a book detailing her journey from serving time in a federal prison to becoming a lawyer, public defender and a Congressional candidate. “Bending the ARC: My Journey from Prison to Politics” is described as a “searing exposé of the profound failures in our justice system, told by a woman who has journeyed from wrongfully accused prisoner to acclaimed public defender.” A launch party to celebrate the book’s release has been scheduled for Nov. 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. CST at Collective615, 3820 Charlotte Ave., Nashville 37209. Haynes will engage in a candid conversation with attendees and read an excerpt from her book. Register for the event here.

Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Jeff McCord yesterday wrote lawmakers to inform them that the state cannot drop federal COVID-19 regulations, despite stern instructions to do so, the Associated Press reports. Republicans on the Government Operations panel earlier this week voted in favor of having the state’s labor agency reject the federal safety protocols, even if it meant risking penalties. In his letter, McCord argued that there is no state statute or process allowing the withdrawal of a rule once it becomes effective. McCord added that the federal government could revoke Tennessee’s authority to oversee its own workplace safety enforcement if the state refuses to comply with the rule. The rule, adopted by Tennessee in late August, outlines protocol for personal protective equipment, social distancing and other safety measures for workers at medical facilities that care for people with COVID-19. It also requires paid sick time for employees who contract COVID-19, need to get vaccinated or are dealing with vaccine side effects.       

State lawmakers today gave final approval to a nearly $900 million spending package promised to Ford Motor Co. for a new assembly plant in West Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. Legislators debated the deal during a three-day special session before it passed with overwhelming support. Total cost of the package will exceed $884 million, including a $500 million grant to Ford, $138.2 million for infrastructure work, structure demolition and more, $5 million for legal services and $40 million to build a Tennessee College of Applied Technology near the megasite to provide skilled workers for the electric vehicle plant. WPLN reports that lawmakers in the state House and Senate also received the required support needed to call a second special session set for next week. Members are expected to discuss masks, vaccines and other restrictions related to the coronavirus.

Rev. Sondrea Tolbert, a Nashville lawyer, educator and faith-based leader, has been chosen to serve as executive director of the Scarritt Bennett non-profit conference center, the Nashville Post reports. Tolbert has previously practiced law with Watkins, Clayton & Tolbert and was most recently a judicial law clerk for Judge Monte Watkins at Davidson County Criminal Court Division V. She is also the immediate past director of the National Consortium of Black Women in Ministry, Nashville Chapter, where ministry initiatives involved breast cancer awareness, domestic violence and HIV/AIDS. 

Former Chattanooga judge Rebecca Stern yesterday announced she has entered the race for Hamilton County Criminal Court, a position she previously held for 17 years, the Chattanoogan reports. Stern retired from the bench in 2015 and opened a criminal defense law practice in Chattanooga one year later, noting that she was “ready to return to work.” She began her legal career at Strang, Fletcher, Carriger, Walker, Hodge & Smith and later worked as a prosecutor at the Hamilton County District Attorney General’s Office, where she focused on child abuse and domestic violence cases. Stern began presiding over criminal court cases in 1997, continuing to hear cases after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She continued to work through surgery and treatments, but says her decision to retire in 2015 was made to prioritize her health. During her time as judge, Stern presided over the successful Hamilton County Recovery Court. She seeks to fill the seat that will soon be vacated by Judge Don Poole.

The Harvard Business Review has released findings from the 2021 Mental Health at Work Report. Responses were collected from 1,500 U.S. adults with full-time jobs and with statistically significant representation across racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender identities, generational divides and other factors. The study revealed that younger and historically underrepresented workers still struggle the most and that workers are increasingly leaving their jobs due to mental health reasons like overwhelming and unsustainable work. The number of employees reporting at least one symptom of a mental health condition was 76% compared to 59% in 2019. The survey also found that, although many companies still haven’t achieved true cultural change, many are finally investing in mental health support. Read the full report at Harvard Business Review.