Chattanooga attorney and recent mayoral candidate Wade Hinton has been named a Top 100 Diversity Officer by DiversityFirst, a group that honors individuals who create and utilize best practices in business, lead organizational change and contribute to diversity and inclusion. The award was presented at the National Diversity Conference’s 17th Annual Conference, Chattanoogan.com reports. Hinton previously served as Chattanooga’s city attorney and as Unum Group’s first chief inclusion and diversity officer. He was a member of the 2006 TBA Leadership Law class.

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance has said it will not reopen an investigation of Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron’s campaign finance problems, but it will accept new information about the former state senator’s campaign and PAC accounts, Tennessee Lookout reports. A request to reopen the case came from Murfreesboro attorney Brad Hornsby. Registry officials said that third parties to cases already heard do not have standing to request reconsideration. In April, the registry levied a $135,000 civil penalty against Ketron for 474 findings affecting some $300,000 from separate audits of his Senate, Quest PAC and mayoral campaign accounts. Hornsby wanted Ketron to explain $5,000 in alleged illegal contributions and $90,000 in alleged undocumented contributions, or have the registry prevent him from seeking re-election. The registry said Hornsby was welcome to file new sworn complaints.

Rep. Mike Carter, a retired judge and Republican lawmaker from Ooltewah, died Saturday after battling pancreatic cancer, the Tennessean reports. He was 67. Carter, who received his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law, worked as an attorney and businessman, as an assistant county attorney representing the sheriff's office, and as a Hamilton County general sessions judge from 1997 to 2005 before being elected to the state House in 2012. His current term was set to end in November 2022. He was serving as chair of the Civil Justice Committee at the time of his death. In 2019, his actions helped contribute to the downfall of then-House Speaker Rep. Glen Casada. Carter said he believed the former speaker was willing to rig a House Ethics Committee proceeding and called for Casada's resignation. Carter later ran to replace Casada, a contest ultimately won by current Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. Carter received the cancer diagnosis last year at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after contracting the coronavirus. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday at Ooltewah Baptist Church, 5514 Main St., Ooltewah 37363. Visitation is scheduled from noon until 2 p.m. at the church, Chattanoogan.com reports. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.

The TBA will hold its 2021 Elder Law Forum virtually on July 16 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CDT. This year's program will feature information on elder abuse and undue influence, VA benefits, Medicaid updates and more. Speakers include Amelia Crotwell and Julie Price with Elder Law of East Tennessee, Barbara McGinnis with Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law, and Bryson Eubanks with Kane and Crowell. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned experts and catch up on the latest developments in the field.

Nashville businessman Quincy McKnight has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, the Tennessean reports. That seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper and has been controlled by a Democrat for almost 150 years. McKnight, who is the CEO of a privately held payment processing company, made the announcement Thursday, touting his small business ownership and focusing much of his speech on the issue of jobs and the economy. Cooper also faces competition from fellow Democrat Odessa Kelly, who announced plans to run for the seat in April. The news comes as Cooper’s office undergoes staff changes, with the Nashville Post reporting earlier this week that longtime chief of staff, Lisa Quigley, is departing this summer.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has joined 19 other state AGs in supporting an Arkansas law that would prohibit abortions on the basis of a prenatal Down Syndrome diagnosis. The coalition filed an amicus brief yesterday, arguing that the law advances at least eight compelling state interests, including that it protects the “entire class of persons with Down Syndrome from being targeted for elimination solely because of disability,” and eradicates bias against them. Read more on the Attorney General’s website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued an order to further loosen COVID-19 restrictions on in-person proceedings. Masks are now optional for those coming in-person to court, the order to stay six feet apart has been reduced to three feet and courtroom capacity requirements have been lifted, effective immediately. Judicial districts and judges still have discretion to limit the number of people in a courtroom and compliance with current CDC guidelines is still encouraged. The order also states that courts not already doing so, should begin utilizing technology to avoid in-person proceedings. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The TBA’s BarBuzz podcast is new this month with Knoxville attorney and incoming chair of the TBA Disability Law Section, Emma Drozdowski Webb. Drozdowski, the managing attorney at social security disability firm Drozdowski & Rabin PLLC, helps give listeners an overview of top legal news stories from the last month and upcoming events at the bar association. BarBuzz is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found online or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Bruce McMullen has been named the managing shareholder for Baker Donelson's Memphis office. McMullen has been with the firm since 2008. He served as chief legal officer for the City of Memphis from 2016 until late 2019 while simultaneously maintaining his practice. During that time, McMullen oversaw the city’s legal and logistical strategy in the removal of the Confederate statues from Memphis parks in 2017. In his role as managing shareholder, he’ll continue his current practice, which focuses on health care litigation, municipal law, tort liability, commercial litigation and class action defense. 

Tennessee law schools will again hold virtual mixers during the week of the TBA Annual Convention in June. These sessions bring together the deans from each school, along with alumni and sometimes students for an update on current issues, challenges and activities on each campus. Register now if you would like to attend. You will be sent a link to the Zoom session for your law school's mixer closer to the event date. Convention registration is not required.