The Tennessee legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee met yesterday to discuss the recent firing of the state’s chief immunization officer and efforts to vaccinate children against COVID-19. At the center of the discussion was a statement drafted by committee co-chairs Sen. Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield, and Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, that prior to her firing, Dr. Michelle “Shelley” Fiscus had confirmed it is not the policy of the state or county health departments to vaccinate children without parental consent. Fiscus also had detailed steps to stop marketing vaccinations to minors, according to the statement. The co-chairs also urged health departments and schools not to “bully,” “cajole” or “coerce” individuals to be vaccinated, and suggested that failing to disclose potential risks of vaccines could violate federal law. Democrats on the committee objected to the statement, Tennessee Lookout reports.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case later this year on Nashville’s rules for home businesses, Mainstreet Nashville reports. In 1998, the city imposed a ban on home businesses serving clients on site. A new ordinance in 2020 repealed the ban, but some residents say the stipulations are still unfair. Raynor and Lij Shaw sued the city in 2017 after they were told to shut down a home recording studio in 2015. The Institute of Justice, which is working with the Shaws, says the rules are enforced inconsistency. The chancery court had dismissed the case arguing that the 2020 ordinance made it moot.

Williamson County General Sessions Division II Judge Murrey Thomas “Tom” Taylor has announced he will seek another term as a Republican in the 2022 election, the Williamson Herald reports. A graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, Taylor began his legal career with the county attorney’s office. He later launched a private practice in Franklin. In 1987, he was appointed as city court judge, serving both Fairview and Franklin. In 2014, he ran for his current position. Since taking office, Taylor has helped start a veteran’s treatment court and a mental health court.

Endo International has agreed to pay $35 million to settle a lawsuit brought by nine counties and 18 cities in Tennessee on behalf of "Baby Doe," who was allegedly born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, a condition caused by withdrawal after in-utero opioid exposure. The settlement offer came just days before the case was set to go to trial, the Times News reports. Plaintiffs were expected to seek $2.4 billion in damages. Sullivan County Chancellor E.G. Moody ruled in April that Endo and its lawyers engaged in a "coordinated strategy" to withhold evidence and entered a default judgment of liability against the company as a sanction. Only damages were left to be decided at trial. The deal must still be approved by some of the plaintiffs, Reuters reports.

The National Bar Association will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Judge Bernice Donald during its 96th Annual Virtual Convention, which begins tomorrow and runs through July 27. A former judge in Memphis, Donald now serves on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. The group also will present The C. Francis Stradford Award to Benjamin Crump, one of its past presidents. Crump is founder of Ben Crump Law PLLC in Tallahassee, Florida, where he focuses on civil rights cases, and a TBA member. He has represented a number of high-profile clients including the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. Earlier this year he agreed to represent the family of a Knoxville high school student who was killed by police.

Christie M. Hayes has been named managing shareholder of Baker Donelson's Tri-Cities office in Johnson City. She replaces Steven H. Trent, who has served in the role since 2012 and now will return to a full-time focus on his labor and employment practice. Hayes will maintain her legal practice handling employment law issues, breach of contract and loan recovery matters. She was named a past Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the firm’s Tri-Cities Pro Bono Attorney of the Year in 2020 and 2011.

The Legal Aid Society will hold two legal advice clinics next week for those with questions about housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, and SNAP and unemployment benefits. A phone clinic will take place Monday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. CDT. An in-person clinic for veterans will be held 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 TBA General-Solo Section will hold its annual Fall FastTrack program virtually on Sept. 17. A favorite for general practitioners, the program will feature federal court best practices, tips for how to run your practice, ethical considerations regarding non-lawyer ownership of law firms and more. Registrants will have access to three webinars custom-tailored to the needs of general-solo practitioners and then receive eight hours of prepaid credits to use on any of TBA’s online or virtual CLE offerings.

The TBA General-Solo Section will hold its annual Fall FastTrack program virtually on Friday. A favorite for general practitioners, the program will feature federal court best practices, tips for how to run your practice, ethical considerations regarding non-lawyer ownership of law firms and more. Registrants will have access to three webinars custom-tailored to the needs of general-solo practitioners and then receive eight hours of prepaid credits to use on any of TBA’s online or virtual CLE offerings.

With the nationwide eviction ban set to expire on July 31, organizations are gearing up to help tenants and landlords prepare for the change, WSMV in Nashville reports. The ban, put in place to help those unable to pay their rent during the pandemic, has been extended several times but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it will not be extended again. The Legal Aid Society for Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands has put together a guide for what renters need to know. Authored by Zac Oswald from the Legal Aid Society’s Gallatin office, the guide outlines the eviction process and options available to renters.