Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) will begin holding weekly phone clinics to help those with questions about eviction actions. The clinics will run from 2-5 p.m. EDT on Tuesdays. Volunteer lawyers will provide advice only on topics such as repairs, security deposits and tenant rights. By providing advice to these clients, volunteer lawyer will free up LAET staff to provide direct representation for those facing immediate eviction. All volunteers will be covered under LAET’s malpractice insurance. Those who are interested in providing direct legal representation for tenants in detainer court should contact the office to be added to a list of available advocates. To volunteer for either the clinics or direct representation please contact Caitlin Torney, 865-251-4951.

The 2021 Dispute Resolution Forum will take place Nov. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT. This live virtual event will feature sessions on conducting successful virtual mediations and arbitrations, making sure digital platforms are secure, and avoiding bias in the arbitration field. Speakers include Adrienne Anderson with Anderson Busby in Knoxville, Larry Bridgesmith with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Michael Russell (Nashville) and Winter Wheeler with Miles Mediation & Arbitration, and Mark Travis with Travis ADR Services in Cookeville.

Tomorrow is Constitution Day! Among the activities being planned is a free webinar from the the American Bar Association beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT. The session, which will focus on freedom of the press, will look at the challenges and threats faced by the American media, the arrest and harassment of reporters covering social justice demonstrations, reforms to libel law, and the denial of access to public records, hearings and trials due to the pandemic. Register here. The ABA also has resources for promoting Constitution Day.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended attorney Thomas A. Tansil Jr. from the practice of law until further notice. The court took the action after Tansil entered a plea of "nolo contendere" to three felonies involving theft of property, tampering with government records and computer offenses. The court also referred the matter to the Board of Professional Responsibility for a determination of the extent of the final discipline. Tansil was indicted by a Carroll County grand jury in 2020.

After serving as a disciplinary counsel with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility for the past 12 years, Kevin Balkwill has opened a new law firm. Ethics Law PLLC will focus on attorney ethics, regulation and licensing. The firm is located at 2000 Mallory Lane, Ste. 130-308, Franklin 37067. Balkwill can be reached at 615-205-5540 or kbalkwill@gmail.com. He also has started a new blog, Ethics Blawg, to share his thoughts and musings on attorney ethics.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order reappointing the following individuals to the Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure: Andrèe Blumstein, Eugene Bulso, Bo Burk, Michael Carter, Mark Fulks, Aaron Hall and Timothy Mickel. The court noted that the terms for these members were set to expire on Dec. 31. The new terms will run through June 30, 2022.

In a letter to President Joe Biden today, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III expresses concerns about the legality of a recently announced nationwide COVID-19 vaccination and testing requirement for businesses with at least 100 employees. Slatery says the proposal is too broad and likely violates federal law, including both the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the U.S. Constitution. Read more about his concerns.

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced new restrictions for its law enforcement agencies, including bans on carotid restraints, chokeholds and "no-knock" entries, Politico reports. The new directive applies to the FBI; Drug Enforcement Agency; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Bureau of Prisons; and the Marshals Service. The policy does not apply to immigration agencies or state and local law enforcement. In announcing the policy, Attorney General Merrick Garland said the limitations combined with expanded use of body-worn cameras are important steps to “improve law enforcement safety and accountability.”

A third female employee who worked at a migrant children facility in Chattanooga has been charged with sexual battery by an authority figure, Chattanoogan.com reports. Police say that Rebeka Perez, 22, had inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old male. Previous arrests involved Florencia Guadalupe Renderos Morales, 22, and Randi Jean Duarte, 35. The Baptiste Group, which ran the facility, has had its license suspended by the state in light of these allegations.

The Metro Nashville Action Commission is receiving an additional $9 million in federal funds to help residents and landlords with rental payments. The funds are in addition to the $20.8 million the commission received in March for rent relief. The group also received $24 million to continue outreach events to support new and existing applicants, WPLN reports. Meanwhile, Nashville’s court system has put new protections in place for renters facing eviction. Those who have filed rent relief applications will have their eviction cases automatically transferred to a special eviction court run by General Sessions Court Judge Rachel Bell.