Davidson County lawyer John Martin Drake recently petitioned the Tennessee Supreme Court to amend its April 28, 2016, order of enforcement to allow out of time filing and payment of costs. The Board of Professional Responsibility recommended opposition to the petition and the court denied it on Aug. 16. The court clarified that denial of the petition does not preclude Drake from petitioning for reinstatement.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III is co-leading a group of 31 attorneys general urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to halt the surge of youth nicotine addiction. The bipartisan coalition is calling on the FDA to use its regulatory power to eliminate youth-appealing flavors; limit nicotine levels in e-cigarette and oral nicotine products such as pouches, gum and lozenges; and restrict marketing for these products. Read the coalition letter.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is investigating reports of a government grant scam targeting Tennesseans by text message. The messages fraudulently claim to be from Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III offering COVID relief funds and may also include recipients’ personal information. The office reminds residents not to give out bank account information to those who are not known or with whom contact was not initiated. Those receiving such a call or a message should file a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs.

The Memphis Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society will present “A 2020-2021 Supreme Court Review” Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The virtual event will feature Sarah Campbell, associate solicitor general and special assistant to the Tennessee attorney general. Lawyers interested in joining the program should contact J Gregory Grisham, 901-333-2076 to register.

SoBro Law Group, owned by husband and wife partners Amy Wood and Adam LaFevor, will be moving to an historic building in Nashville's Rutledge Hill area, the Nashville Post reports. The building, located in the one hundred block of Lea Avenue, overlooks downtown high-rises and is sometimes referred to as Rose Hill or the Rutledge-Baxter House. Historical figures such as Andrew Jackson and James Polk once held lavish parties at the mansion, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SoBro Law currently operates at 513 Third Ave. S. in downtown Nashville and shares space with Commerce Title & Escrow. That company will also move and continue sharing space with the firm.

U.S. Reps. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, and Chuck Fleischmann, R-Chattanooga, have introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives to honor the bravery and legacy of the “Clinton 12” — the 12 students who desegregated Clinton High School in 1956. The students were among the first in Tennessee to desegregate a public high school and among the first in the south to desegregate any school after the groundbreaking Brown v. Board of Education decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. The Tennessee Tribune has more on the effort and the text of the resolution.

A Bedford County judge’s son, who is behind bars on attempted murder charges, was on parole when he committed the alleged crime, WREG reports. According to court records, Sam Rich, the son of Judge Charles Rich, is accused of a shooting in Shelbyville just hours after being sought for questioning in a West Nashville murder. The younger Rich was on parole during the alleged incidents following his conviction for aggravated burglary and theft in 2019. He is now scheduled to be in court tomorrow. Also, because of the apparent connection between the Shelbyville and West Nashville shootings, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says it will take the lead in the murder investigation.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel A. Cardona is questioning the legality of Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order that allows parents to opt out of mask mandates imposed by local school districts, News Channel 5 reports. In a letter sent to Lee and Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, Cardona says the order may “infringe upon a school district’s authority to adopt policies to protect students and educators as they develop their safe return to in-person instruction plans required by Federal law.” In related news, the Shelby County Health Department issued a new countywide mask mandate in all indoor public settings for anyone over the age of two, regardless of vaccination status. The order will take effect tomorrow morning and last for at least 30 days, the Commercial Appeal reports.

Franklin-based law firm Thompson Burton has launched a new land use practice with the addition of Jon Michael, Metro Nashville’s former zoning administrator. Michael, a 15-year Metro lawyer, joins just a handful of Nashville lawyers with deep expertise in the area, the Nashville Business Journal reports. As the city grows, available land dwindles and development projects get more complicated, Michael says real estate pros need extra guidance. While engineers and architects can handle routine submittals, more complex deals will benefit from the assistance of a land use attorney, according to the firm.

The TBA’s Administrative Law Section will hold its annual forum virtually on Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT. Topics and speakers are still being confirmed so watch for more details online. Thanks to section chair Alison Cleaves, assistant treasurer for legal, compliance and audit at the Tennessee Department of Treasury, for producing this program.