A new series on how busy lawyers can find more work-life balance is running in Above the Law. In the first installment, Paragon Legal offers three time management tips. (1) Do a time audit. This involves keeping a log of how you use your time on a random day. For each activity, note how you felt about it; whether it was productive, fun or purposeful; if it made you stressed or unhappy; whether you could spend less time on it in the future; and what you could do to make it more fun or less stressful. (2) Schedule at least one hour every day of “focused time.” This is time when you block out distractions and focus on an important task. Be disciplined about guarding this time! (3) Use to-do lists. A simple to-do list can help you set priorities for the day and stay on track. Keep your list short and sweet (three to six tasks per day) and keep it visible during the day so priorities stay top-of-mind. Watch for more tips next week!

The TBA Board of Governors elected two new members to the board at its meeting last week in Memphis. The positions of Third District Governor and West Grand Division Governor (Position 2) became vacant when no petitions were filed by the February deadline. Chris Varner with Evans Harrison Hackett in Chattanooga was elected as the Third District Governor (three-year term) and Chancellor Gadson William (Will) Perry was elected as the West Grand Division Governor (one-year term). Perry just this month was named to the 30th Judicial District Chancery Court by Gov. Bill Lee. 

Lawyers from some of Tennessee's major league sports teams will assemble for a virtual presentation next Tuesday from 3 to 4 p.m. CDT. Don't miss this unique program, which will feature Adolpho Birch from the Tennessee Titans, Heidi Bundren with the Nashville Predators and Joe Kennedy with the Nashville Soccer Club talking about the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in sports law, how organizations are responding and how lawyers can serve as leaders and be a part of this change. The panel will be moderated by Luther Wright Jr. from the Nashville office of Ogletree Deakins. Entertainment & Sports Law Section members will receive special pricing for the program. Not a member yet? Join the section here.

Updates to several comparison charts in TBA’s Practice Management Center are now available for TBA members. See comparison charts for guidance on PDFs, document management and cloud-based practice management solutions. New whitepapers include insight to legal retention and recruitment and social media for legal professions. Get tech and practice management support by emailing tbapmc@affinityconsulting.com.

Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins today canceled a property tax referendum that was set to go before voters on July 27, saying the petition calling for the election was invalid, Tennessee Lookout reports. Perkins wrote that the group did not follow proper procedure when it suggested two possible election dates for the referendum — neither of which was eventually chosen — rather than one as required by law. Perkins also ruled that the anti-tax provision in the petition was unconstitutional and could not go on the ballot.

Rutherford County General Sessions Court Judge Ben Hall McFarlin Jr. has announced that he will retire this fall, the Daily News Journal reports. McFarlin, who also oversees the county's Veterans Treatment Court, will retire on Oct. 1 after 23 years on the bench. A Rutherford County Commission committee will consider applicants to fill McFarlin’s seat on Aug. 2 at 5:30 p.m. CDT. Those interested have until 4:30 p.m. that day to apply at the mayor’s office in the courthouse.

YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee will host a virtual webinar next week to explore the role of music in movements for racial justice. Stand Against Racism: The Power of Music will take place on June 30 from noon until 1 p.m. CDT and will address how artists and their music resist racism in the U.S. and globally, how music has historically been a tool of resisting racism and oppression and more. This virtual event is free and available to the public.

Five attorneys have applied to be considered for the circuit court vacancy in the 25th Judicial District, which covers Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, McNairy and Tipton counties. James Walter Freeland Jr., Rachel J. Jackson, Anthony Blake Neill, Julie K. Pillow and William A. Wooten have applied for the vacancy. The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will hold a public hearing with the candidates on July 22 at 9 a.m. CDT in the circuit courtroom of the Hardeman County Criminal Justice Complex, 505 S. Main St., Bolivar, TN. The commission will hold a vote immediately after the hearing and forward three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on each candidate.

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) says it will soon offer a service that relays the criminal case information and custody status of inmates electronically to the public, the Associated Press reports.  The new service, called Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE), will be used in conjunction with TDOC’s current victim notification system. That system provides a written notice of an offender’s location, transfer, sentence expiration, release and parole hearings. VINE gives crime victims more control over the types of notifications they’ll receive and how they are notified. Those wishing to receive updates can sign up at VINELink.com or call 888-868-4631 to speak with a live operator for support.  

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday unanimously ruled that the NCAA cannot restrict education-related benefits for college athletes, the Associated Press reports. The justices agreed that the NCAA’s limitations on the benefits that colleges can offer athletes who play Division I basketball and football violate antitrust laws. Schools may now further compete for talent by offering a variety of education-related benefits, like computers and paid internships. The ruling was narrow, however, in that it did not determine whether college sports stars can simply be paid salaries for the benefits their efforts bring to universities. Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Monday wrote about the “serious questions” that exist on whether the NCAA’s other restrictions on compensating athletes can stand. “Traditions alone cannot justify the NCAA’s decision to build a massive money-raising enterprise on the backs of student athletes who are not fairly compensated,” he wrote.