In addition to rallies supporting death row inmate Pervis Payne in Tennessee this week, Local Memphis reports that rallies took place in cities across the country. Payne has been on death row for more than 30 years. Supporters believe he is innocent of murder charges and should not be executed due to an intellectual disability. According to the Innocence Project, rallies marking the one-year anniversary of the first #FreePervisPayne rallies took place Wednesday in Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Washington D.C. and Martha's Vineyard.

When disaster strikes, the legal aid agencies are available to help those impacted, Bridget Stewart writes in a guest column for the Tennessean. Stewart, a disaster response attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands, highlights the ways legal aid can help: assisting residents with replacing lost documents, providing guidance on getting homes restored to a livable condition, helping clients understand insurance policies and rental agreements, helping victims apply for FEMA funds and providing education about price gouging and unscrupulous contractors. Those in Middle Tennessee who need assistance should call l800-238-1443 or visit www.las.org/tornado-relief.

A lawyer generally may invest passively in a law firm that includes nonlawyer owners in jurisdictions that permit such alternative business structures, even if the lawyer practices in a jurisdiction that does not permit such structures, the ABA announced this week. The ABA notes that several jurisdictions, including Arizona, the District of Columbia and Utah, have modified Rule 5.4 to permit nonlawyer ownership of firms and the sharing of legal fees. Formal Opinion 499, released Wednesday, advises that investment in these states is allowed so long as the lawyer remains cognizant of possible conflict of interests that could arise. Read more in this news release or article in the ABA Journal.

The Tennessee Supreme Court and its Access to Justice Commission, the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Housing Development agency sponsored an Evictions Summit on Aug. 31 for stakeholders. The virtual event drew more than 300 registrants, including landlords, tenants, judges, court clerks, attorneys and mediators. The summit kicked off with opening remarks from the sponsoring agencies followed by presentations on COVID-19 rent relief, tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities, and alternatives to going to court. The day wrapped up with breakout sessions, allowing those with similar interests to discuss and share trends, strategies and possible policy changes.

Tenia Clayton with Baker Donelson in Nashville co-hosts this month’s episode of the TBA’s BarBuzz podcast. Catch the September episode for a recap of legal news from around the state, important updates from the bar association and shoutouts to Tennessee attorneys who have been doing great things in their legal and local communities. BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found anywhere you listen to podcasts or on the TBA’s website.

Deana Hood, who serves as the municipal court judge for Spring Hill and Franklin, has announced her candidacy for 21st Judicial District Circuit Court (Division II), the Williamson County Herald reports. According to a statement from her campaign, she will focus on her history of leadership and community service and commitment to the efficient administration of the Williamson County Court System. A 1996 graduate of the Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Hood started her career working for the county attorney. She later joined the law firm of Buerger, Moseley & Carson and then in 2000, opened her own firm. She was named municipal judge in Franklin in 2014 and in Spring Hill in 2018.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer says he will retire on his own terms despite calls for him to step down. "I'm only going to say that I'm not going to go beyond what I previously said on the subject, and that is that I do not believe I should stay on the Supreme Court, or want to stay on the Supreme Court, until I die," he recently told National Public Radio. "And when exactly I should retire, or will retire, has many complex parts to it. I think I'm aware of most of them, and I am, and will consider them." Some want Breyer to retire now so President Biden can name a replacement while Democrats control the U.S. Senate.

A new dating app called Lawyr is intended to connect people in the legal community with each other or with others who want to meet them, the ABA Journal reports. The app is the brainchild of London lawyer Matthew Rhodes, who created the legal website RollOnFriday. The app is available around the world for lawyers, judges, law students and paralegals. Those who do not work in the legal profession may also sign up but will only be matched with a legal professional. Users can search based on age, distance, gender, legal position and practice area. There is no cost to sign up, but premier features cost about $7 per month.

Registration is open through Sunday for the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services' annual Equal Justice University conference, which will take place virtually Sept. 21-23. The pre-conference kicks off Monday and runs through Friday. Sessions offered will include an update on trust account ethics rules, a review of the importance of medical evaluation in Social Security disability advocacy, a general review of the Rules of Civil Procedure and strategies for handling unemployment overpayments. Co-sponsored by the TBA, the conference also will include presentation of the 2021 Access to Justice Awards.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division, the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and Belmont University College of Law are partnering together to host a TN Free Legal Answers clinic on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CDT. For this clinic, law students will be paired in small groups with attorney volunteers and work to answer questions submitted on the TN Free Legal Answers website. Attorney volunteers are still needed and can participate both in person and virtually. Please contact YLD Pro Bono Coordinator Alix Rogers, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands, to help out.