The TBA Mentoring Committee will host a free virtual program on ethics in the mentoring relationship from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. CDT on June 8. The session is open to all current mentors and mentees or anyone interested in joining the Mentoring Program. Guest speakers Brian Faughnan of Lewis Thomason, Sandy Garrett with the Board of Professional Responsibility and Knoxville Law Director Charles Swanson will discuss identifying clear ethical violations in a mentoring relationship and setting and maintaining healthy expectations and boundaries in today’s setting. To RSVP for the event, email Stephanie Vonnahme.

The Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims today issued a new order governing hearings and trials following the Tennessee Supreme Court's decision to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on in-person court proceedings earlier this month. The new Workers’ Compensation Court’s order will require continued social distancing and risk questions. The presiding judge in each case will have the discretion to require masks or other safety protocols. In-person settlements will still be held remotely until further notice. Read more from the court.

The ABA has launched a 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge© in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It is the second ABA-wide challenge launched this year, the first of which was offered in February for Black History Month. The idea behind the challenge is to advance deeper understandings of the intersections of race, power, privilege, supremacy and oppression by inviting participants to complete 21 short assignments over 21 consecutive days. Each activity takes about 15 to 20 minutes and can include readings, videos and podcasts. This specific challenge is designed to expose participants to AAPI histories, identities and cultures, as well as the community’s experiences of racism in America.

The Knoxville Family Justice Center is marking its 15th anniversary this month and is asking supporters to donate “$15 for 15 Years.” As the first family justice center in Tennessee, the Knoxville center has served as a model to others across the state. Among its on-site partners are the Knox County District Attorney’s office and Legal Aid of East Tennessee. Those interested in donating may do so here. Read more about this anniversary year from Inside of Knoxville.

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice Donald has notified President Joe Biden of her intent to take senior status upon confirmation of a successor, Law.com reports. The move will give the president his first appointment on the appeals court, which covers Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Donald was appointed to the court in 2011 by then-President Barack Obama. She previously served on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District Tennessee and the Shelby County General Sessions Court. She broke barriers at every court she joined, becoming the first African American woman to serve as a Tennessee judge, the first African American woman in the country to serve as a bankruptcy judge, the first African American woman to serve on the District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, and the first African American to serve on the 6th Circuit. Among her many honors, she received the William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award from the TBA Young Lawyers Divisions Fellows in 2007 and the Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award from the ABA in 2017.

Tennessee veterans are underrepresented in the Veterans Affairs’ Department (VA) claims and appeals process, but a new three-hour CLE planned for Aug. 12 is designed to encourage new advocates to become VA accredited. The live virtual program will cover representation before the VA, claims procedures, benefits eligibility, right to appeal, disability compensation, dependency, indemnity compensation and pension benefits. Speakers include James R. Drysdale with the VA Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C., and two VA-accredited attorneys: Rita Gibson Rayford, chief development officer for Memphis Area Legal Services, and Seth Ogden with Patterson Intellectual Property Law in Nashville.

A coalition of legal groups, including the TBA, recently announced that residents impacted by spring storms, tornadoes and flooding in Davidson, Williamson and Wilson counties now have access to a free legal assistance hotline. The service, a partnership between the TBA, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, Legal Aid Society, ABA Young Lawyers Division and Federal Emergency Management Agency, allows those in federally declared disaster areas to receive free legal assistance with insurance claims, replacement of important documents, mortgage-foreclosure problems, landlord-tenant problems, government benefits and other needs. Those living in the affected counties between March 25 and April 3 are eligible for the service and can start the process by calling 844- HELP4TN (435-7486) or posting questions online. Those impacted also are encouraged to register with FEMA online or by calling 800-621-3362. In addition, volunteer lawyers are needed to provide legal information, advice and representation to those affected. Those willing to help should complete this online form.

Jackson lawyer Jay Ernest DeGroot died May 18. He was 60. Originally from Illinois, he graduated from the Illinois Institute of Technology-Kent College of Law in 1986. He first went to work as an assistant to regional counsel for the U.S. Department of Transportation/Urban Mass Transportation Administration. In 1987 he joined the law firm of Lawrence W. Leck & Associates in Chicago. In 1992, he relocated to Tennessee and joined the Law Offices of Jeffery A. Garrety, where he handled workers’ compensation and personal injury cases. The family celebrated his life at services yesterday at Lambuth Memorial United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Alzheimer's Association.

Paul Revere Leitner, a lawyer in the Chattanooga office of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan for more than 60 years, died Saturday. A graduate of the McKenzie College of Law in Chattanooga in 1954, Leitner first joined the firm while a law student. Following graduation, he became an associate and was named a partner in 1957. Leitner was active in the local and statewide legal community, serving as president of the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association, a member of the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education, and state chair of the Defense Research Institute. He was a fellow of the Chattanooga Bar Foundation, Tennessee Bar Foundation and American College of Trial Lawyers, and a member of the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, International Association of Defense Counsel, Trial Attorneys of America, American Board of Trial Advocates and U.S. 6th Circuit Judicial Conference. Services will be held Wednesday at noon EDT at First-Centenary United Methodist Church. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued two proposed amendments to Rule 13 and requested that comments be filed by Aug. 19. The first proposed change would amend Section 5(a)(1) and (d)(1). The second would amend Section 5(e)(4)-(5). Both amendments have been proposed by a coalition including the Choosing Justice Initiative, Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and Tennessee Post-Conviction Defender Organization. Written comments may be submitted by email or by mail to Clerk James Hivner, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 Seventh Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219.