Memphis lawyer Marvin A. Bienvenu Jr. died yesterday, the Memphis Bar Association reported today. Before he retired, Bienvenu was a partner at Gatti, Keltner, Bienvenu & Montesi PLC. Visitation will be held Monday at 9:30 a.m. CST at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 8151 Chimneyrock Blvd. The funeral will begin at 10:30 a.m.

State Rep. Karen Camper, leader of the House Democratic Caucus, announced her candidacy for Memphis mayor today, Local Memphis reports. A 14-year veteran of the General Assembly, Camper told Tennessee Outlook that she would focus on public safety, workforce development, better roads and clean streets. She also touted her work securing the Memphis Regional Megasite for the Blue Oval project and Ford’s electric truck plant in Haywood County. Others already in the race include Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, school board member Michelle McKissack, former Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner, and Paul Young, head of the Downtown Memphis Commission. The election is set for fall 2023.

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program yesterday, declaring it unlawful. He said the executive action by the president was “an unconstitutional exercise of Congress’s legislative power,” The Hill reports. The Biden administration has argued it has authority to forgive student loans under the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003. Pittman rejected this argument finding no “clear congressional authorization” for the program. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by the Job Creators Network Foundation on the behalf of two borrowers who are ineligible for different benefits of the plan.

The Tennessee Supreme Court last week rejected a petition from Johnnie Louis Johnson III challenging the imposition of reciprocal discipline in Tennessee. On May 26, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals filed an opinion disbarring Johnson. On Sept. 12, the Tennessee Supreme Court directed Johnson to inform the court within 30 days why similar discipline should not be imposed in Tennessee. Johnson did not respond and on Oct. 18, the court disbarred him. Johnson then filed a response challenging the analysis of the D.C. court and asking the Tennessee court to allow him to retire from the practice of law on Jan. 1, 2023, without the imposition of discipline. The court rejected that request.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in providing free legal services for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits at a clinic on Nov. 17. Issues to be covered include questions about business formation, corporate governance, contract review and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible businesses may receive up to one hour of assistance but must register by Monday. Clients may sign up online. To volunteer, email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

Time is limited, but your success doesn’t have to be. TBA member benefit partner LawPay is committed to helping you achieve your goals with a simple and secure online payment solution. LawPay makes it quick and easy for you to get paid so you can focus on what you are meant to do. Let them help you reach your full potential while giving you time back in your day. LawPay has a special offer for the month November: sign up by Nov. 30 and pay no monthly fee for 12 months! Get started here.

The Brentwood law firm of Sutter O'Connell is looking to hire an associate attorney with two to five years experience in the preferred areas of product liability, personal injury, general civil defense or commercial litigation defense. Those licensed in other states in addition to Tennessee are also preferred. The position will handle cases from inception through jury trial, including Investigations, pleadings, motions, client contact, expert witness development and discovery management. Read the full job description and get instructions for applying on the TBA’s JobLink platform.

Join the TBA on next Friday from 9 to 10:15 a.m. CDT for a webcast featuring retired U.S. immigration judges candidly discussing issues related to the immigration court system. Topics will include the “real” discretion of immigration judges, the flexibility for immigration judges to voice their opinions, and a First Amendment lawsuit filed by the group's union. Judges on the panel now include Joan V. Churchill, who served on the immigration court for Washington D.C. and Arlington, Virginia, and Susan G. Roy, who served on the immigration court in Newark, New Jersey. Register here for “Immigration Judges Unfiltered: A Candid Discussion on Judicial Independence, Internal Ethics and Communication, and Other Structural Concerns.”

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp has introduced a resolution that would prevent high-level employees from using county resources for unofficial business and prohibit outside work that interferes with their day-to-day responsibilities, the Times Free Press reports. The change comes after a report that County Attorney Rheubin Taylor used his county email address and phone number as he worked on 80 cases while being employed full time by the county. Wamp attempted to fire Taylor last month, citing Taylor’s private work on county time. Commissioners then passed a series of resolutions reaffirming Taylor’s four-year contract and unanimously overrode Wamp’s subsequent veto of those resolutions. Officials have noted Taylor's contract allows him to conduct private work.

Five former Methodist Hospital employees have been indicted by a grand jury for conspiring to unlawfully disclose patient information in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA). According to the indictment, between November 2017 and December 2020, Kirby Dandridge, Sylvia Taylor, Kara Thompson, Melanie Russell and Adrianna Taber were paid by Roderick Harvey to provide him with names and numbers of patients who had been in vehicle accidents. Harvey then sold that information to third parties, including personal injury attorneys and chiropractors. Read the press release from the U.S. Attorney, Western District’s office.