Gov. Bill Lee issued Executive Order 82 on Friday to temporarily continue a limited state of emergency for the state, MSN reports. The order extends portions of Executive Order 77, which allow the state to use the National and State Guard to support certain healthcare and vaccination efforts. The order will remain in effect until Aug. 31.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday denied a petition filed by Shelby County lawyer Urura M. Mayers seeking to dissolve a temporary suspension imposed on her in November 2020. The court suspended her license for misappropriating funds and posing a threat of substantial harm to the public. On April 29, a three-member panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility held a hearing on the petition. After consideration, it determined that Mayers failed to establish good cause to dissolve the temporary suspension. The court adopted the board’s finding as its own and directed Mayers to pay $1,338.40 in court costs.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today asked the Board of Professional Responsibility to review a guilty plea entered by Knox County lawyer Keith Allen Pope to determine if any disciplinary action is warranted. Pope pled guilty to violating a protection/restraining order on June 3 in Knox County General Sessions Court. He has filed a response with the board opposing summary suspension.

In Russell Fowler's July/August Tennessee Bar Journal column, he writes about how, in 1835, a priest who mistreated a group of poor, illiterate Zapotec Indians led to the rise of one of the greatest lawyers and leaders Mexico has seen. Fowler follows the life of Benito Juárez, from his humble beginning to his many accomplishments, including as governor and president. Through it all Juárez was renowned for helping the poor for free if he felt their cause just. "Juárez never wavered in his devotion to democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, separation of church and state and, a free market economy," Fowler writes. "And it all began with a pro bono case." 

After technical problems marred last week's remote bar exam, at least one plaintiffs' firm, Pennsylvania-based Sauder Schelkopf, is investigating potential litigation against ExamSoft, the software company hired to deliver the test. The National Conference of Bar Examiners, which designs the bar exam, said it is still receiving information from ExamSoft about the problem and does not know yet how many examinees were impacted, Reuters reports. Test takers reported that their computers crashed or froze during portions of the exam. ExamSoft has been sued in the past. In 2015, it agreed to pay $2.1 million to settle a class action brought by test takers who encountered delays in uploading their essay responses during the July 2014 exam.

If you missed TBA's webcast "Nobody Wants to Be THAT Person: Avoiding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faux" in the spring, you have a chance to watch it again Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. CDT.  Join Kansas City, Missouri, attorneys Keith and Dana Cutler for a discussion of microaggressions, non-binary bias, implicit biases and allyship. The Cutlers also share ideas to increase diversity, equity and inclusion, and improve work environments. The couple are partners in the law firm of James W. Tippin & Associates where they practice civil defense litigation, education law and small business representation.

The Legal Aid Society will hold an in-person legal advice clinic for veterans this Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. To volunteer, contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or call 615-780-7131.

The deadline to apply for the TBA’s new Scaling Small Law program is tonight at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Don’t miss your chance to participate in this unique business education and development program, which will offer training in business planning, marketing, solo/small firm finance and budgeting, client service and experience, ethical considerations and outsourcing and leveraging technology. The four-month program is designed specifically for entrepreneurial lawyers, solo practitioners or newly formed solo/small firms.

Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Don W. Poole announced today that he will retire at the end of his current term. By then, he will have served two eight-year terms. In a letter detailing his decision, Poole said, "In my mind, a lawyer can receive no greater honor than to be elected to serve as a judge. For almost 16 years the people of Hamilton County have entrusted me with that position and I am eternally grateful for that.” Among those said to be interested in the post are former Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Stern, attorney Amanda Dunn and Boyd Patterson of the Public Defender's Office, Chattanoogan.com reports.

The Suffrage Coalition will host a living history banquet on Aug. 17 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Knoxville, 401 West Summit Hill Dr. 37902. During the event, which will raise funds to preserve suffrage history, attendees will be able to mingle with characters playing the roles of Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lizzie Crozier French, Frankie Pierce and Febb Burn — the mother of Tennessee Senator Harry T. Burn, who cast the deciding vote for suffrage in that body. Other event elements include a cocktail hour, silent auction, suffrage art display and reenactment of the 1920 Tennessee Senate debate. Finally, attendees will get a sneak preview of songs that will be part of a new musical, “A Vote of Her Own,” which will premiere in 2022. Tickets can be purchased online.