Volunteers are still needed for a virtual debt relief clinic on Oct. 2 from 9-11:30 a.m. EDT. The clinic is hosted by Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and sponsored by the TBA Young Lawyers Division, Knoxville Bar Association, Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight will provide an overview of the process the morning of the clinic. Attorneys will then enter Zoom breakout rooms to meet with clients. Sign up here.

October is Celebrate Pro Bono Month and the Tennessee access to justice community is planning events throughout the month. As a kick-off, Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page will share a thoughtful message about pro bono service while Russell Fowler, director of litigation and advocacy at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, will educate and entertain about the history of access to justice and its relevance today at a virtual presentation Sept. 30 at noon CST. Learn more and register here. Events in October, including opportunities to volunteer, will be promoted in TBA Today, via social media and on the TBA website. If you have information about an event, please share it with the TBA. 

Knox County General Sessions Judge Geoffrey P. Emery will retire at the end of the year, the court announced today. Emery has served on the bench for more than 35 years. After earning his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, Emery spent several years in private practice. He then joined county government as the first full-time assistant director in the law department. He was appointed to the bench in 1986 and re-elected for five consecutive terms. During his judicial tenure, he served on the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference Executive Committee, including a term as conference president. In announcing his retirement, Emery said, “It has been my honor to serve the people of Knox County, and I am grateful for their steadfast support over the decades.”

The TBA's Corporate Counsel Section continues its 2021 webcast series with a session on Oct. 27 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Section members will discuss how they landed in their current positions as well as the legal issues and conflicts common to this practice area. Speakers include Nashville area lawyers Katie Atkins with naviHealth, Robert Dennis with Tennessee Fitness, Justin Hayden with Pinnacle Financial Partners, Melissa Leigh with Kepro and Jason Little with The Carlstar Group LLC. The webcast offers one hour of general CLE credit.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Cornelia A. Clark, whose public service spanned over four decades, died early today after a short battle with cancer. She was 71. "Tennessee lost a great lady today with the passing of Justice Clark," TBA President Sherie Edwards said this morning. "Not only was she an accomplished jurist, but she was devoted to her family and to service to her community. She was a champion of access to justice and a good friend to the ATJ community. 

"Justice Clark began her career as a high school history teacher, and I was privileged to witness her ‘heart of a teacher’ when she interacted with law students and with young attorneys. She was incredibly kind, gracious, and encouraging, and will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to know her." Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts, which is also collecting remembrances of Justice Clark.

Read statements from others in the legal community.

Judge Robert Thomas Bateman was sworn into office recently during ceremonies in Robertson and Montgomery counties. Bateman fills the seat of Judge Jill Bartee Ayers, who joined the Court of Criminal Appeals. During the ceremony, he said becoming a judge has always been a goal he hoped to achieve. He also said he intends to run for election in August 2022. Prior to joining the bench, Bateman practiced law at Bateman & Bateman in Clarksville. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands Executive Director DarKenya Waller has been named a Woman of Achievement by YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee. She will officially be inducted into the Academy for Women of Achievement next spring. The YWCA launched the academy in 1992 to increase community awareness and appreciation of the diverse contributions of women in the workforce and the community. Read more in the Tennessee Ledger.

The Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims has issued an addendum to its Petition for Benefit Determination to be used only for death claims. The form should be completed and filed with the full Petition for Benefit Determination or Petition for Benefit Determination for Settlement Approvals. The court also has released a new form to request a status hearing. The forms are available on the court’s website. Read more about the new forms in a blog post from Judge Pamela B. Johnson in Knoxville.

Diversity Lab recently announced the law firms that have achieved the fourth round of Mansfield Rule certification. To be certified, firms must complete a 12-month process to demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and that they are making meaningful progress on diversifying law firm leadership. Among the group are 10 firms with offices in Tennessee. They are: Baker Donelson, Fisher & Phillips, Frost Brown Todd, Greenberg Traurig, Husch Blackwell, Jackson Lewis, K&L Gates, Littler Mendelson, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and Polsinelli. Two other firms have debuted on the Midsize Mansfield Rule list, which has modified requirements to account for smaller firm size. They are Lewis Thomason and McGlinchey Stafford.

Former Chattanooga city attorney and mayoral candidate Wade Hinton has launched a diversity and inclusion consulting business, the Times Free Press reports. One of Hinton & Company's first clients will be U.S. Xpress, which is seeking to make inclusion and diversity a core element of its culture. Hinton most recently worked as vice president of inclusion and diversity for Unum. From 2013 to 2018, he served as Chattanooga's first Black city attorney. He previously was deputy general counsel for Volkswagen's Chattanooga operations and in private practice at Miller & Martin, Snipes Roberson and Hinton, and Shumacker & Thompson.