Attorneys and judges gathered this afternoon for the Nashville Bar Association’s annual Law Day celebration at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. This year’s program theme was Advancing the Rule of Law Now. U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jane Stranch provided the keynote address and the NBA awarded the Jack Norman Sr. Award to Federal Public Defender Henry Martin and the Liberty Bell Award to Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle. Court of Appeals Judge Frank Clement served as the master of ceremonies. TBA President Sherie Edwards and Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson were on hand for the celebration.

Nashville lawyer and former TBA President Gail Vaughn Ashworth will receive the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s Edmund S. Muskie Pro Bono Service Award this week at the section’s fall meeting. The award recognizes section members who demonstrate a commitment to justice and dedication to pro bono service. Ashworth is a member of the section’s council, mentor for its leadership programs and past chair of its Medicine and Law Committee. She is a founding member of Wiseman Ashworth Law Group PLC where she handles personal injury, insurance coverage, employment law and medical ethics. Ashworth was TBA president in 2009-2010.

A news item in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today included the wrong date for an upcoming International Law virtual webinar. The program will be offered Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon CDT. Topics will include trade promotion, a panel discussion on diversity and inclusion, international investments and other hot topics.

Williamson County has launched a $281 million construction project to overhaul its judicial, juvenile and jail facilities, the Tennessean reports. Changes include renovating and expanding the courthouse in downtown Franklin; replacing and expanding the adult jail in its current location; building a new Juvenile Justice Center that will encompass courtrooms, juvenile services and a detention and respite center in a new location; building a Williamson County Schools alternative learning center; repurposing the current recycling center as a special operations unit for the sheriff’s department; adapting a warehouse into new administrative office space; and expanding the sheriff department's gun range. The project is slated to be completed in late 2025.

Tennessee Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, is seeking an acquittal after being found guilty of four counts of fraud, the Commercial Appeal reports. In a filing Friday, Robinson's attorneys argue that prosecutors misrepresented evidence and changed their legal theories mid-trial. If the judge does not support an outright acquittal, Robinson's attorneys are seeking a new trial. Robinson is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 5, 2022.

Chattanooga City Court Judge Sherry Paty has announced that she will seek re-election for another term, Chattanoogan.com reports. Paty was first elected in 2006 and has served on the bench for 17 years. With the upcoming suspension of the court’s Division II, Paty says that “experience and reputation matter more than ever” and she has the credentials to manage the combined court. Paty earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She is a member of the Tennessee Municipal Judges Conference and served as the group’s president from 2016-2018.

The Tennessee Department of Correction now has a suicide prevention hotline that friends and family of inmates can call if they are concerned about their loved one. The department says calls will be routed to its Central Communication Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Associated Press reports. Analysts at the center will notify the facility where the inmate is housed so intervention can take place immediately. The hotline number is 1-833-421-SAVE.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee is seeking full-time staff attorneys for its offices in Chattanooga and Knoxville. In Chattanooga, the attorney will work with the organization’s Eviction Prevention Initiative focusing on housing litigation. In Knoxville, the attorney will handle general litigation with a focus on housing. To apply, submit a letter of interest, resume, writing sample and three references to Deborah Yeomans-Barton, Human Resources, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, 311 West Walnut St., Johnson City, TN 37604 or by email to dyeomans@laet.org.

For two days in a row last week, court watchers with Just City were denied access to Shelby County criminal courtrooms, the Commercial Appeal reports. The sheriff's office says the denial was an error and the issue has been rectified. On Thursday and Friday, advocates tried to enter courtrooms and were barred by sheriffs’ deputies. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said deputies had been instructed during the pandemic to keep the number of people inside the courtrooms to a minimum. “Deputies have now been reminded to allow court watch advocates access to courtrooms," the spokeman said.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order Friday amending Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21, section 8.02(a), to require that all CLE providers offering education for lawyers in Tennessee file credits electronically. The order also changes the filing fees. Providers will now pay a fee of $2 per approved credit hour for each attendee. The rule previously set a rate of $1 per credit hour for those filed electronically and $2 per credit hour for those filed by paper. The rule took effect immediately. Remember you can earn all of your CLE with TBA, which will also handle all filing for you!