Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday launched the new School Safety Toolkit for Tennessee Families, a practical resource to help parents prepare and engage in their child’s school safety plan. This follows Executive Order 97, which directed state agencies to equip and engage parents, increase transparency and collaborate with local law enforcement and school districts. “As we continue our work to protect Tennessee children, the new School Safety Toolkit will provide parents with helpful resources and greater transparency to feel confident their child is safe at school,” said Gov. Lee. “I encourage every Tennessee family to prepare and engage in school safety by utilizing this Toolkit and downloading the SafeTN app.” Read more about the toolkit here.

Montgomery County Commissioner Lisa Prichard says the commission will be asking the state for help in bringing a Regional Juvenile Resource and Justice Center to the Clarksville area. Montgomery County has sent juveniles to counties as far as Bedford, Williamson and Putnam, which makes it harder for families to travel to see their children. Prichard has inside knowledge on the issue as she was a deputy for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office and took in troubled youth over the years. "We've been farming our children out to various counties for various reasons because we have no place to put them," said Prichard. She is part of a new ad hoc committee to address the issue.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission today held its first public meeting in nearly four years after the Senate in August confirmed seven new members, reinvigorating a panel unable to adopt new policies since losing a quorum in early 2019. The agenda included a vote to finalize the commission's priorities for 2022-2023, which include implementing the First Step Act. That bipartisan legislation is aimed at easing harsh sentencing for nonviolent offenders and at reducing recidivism. Watch the meeting here.

The Memphis Bar Association will holds its annual Pro Bono Awards celebration on Nov. 3 from 5-6:30 p.m. CDT at Butler Snow’s Memphis office, 6075 Poplar Ave. #500, Memphis 38119. The celebration will honor a judge, attorney, public interest professional, law student, law firm and legal department that made a difference through pro bono service. The event is free but registration is required. Contact Lauren Gooch with any questions. A free one-hour CLE on handling pro bono cases will proceed the celebration.

Nashville attorney John Tarpley, a shareholder at Lewis Thomason, has helped form the Trucking Defense Advocates Counsel, a commercial transportation advocacy organization. The group recently held its first meeting with 300 participants. Tarpley defends trucking companies in state and federal courts and at mediations and settlements. He is chair of the firm’s Transportation Practice Group and a former TBA president.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division is now accepting applications for its Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Class of 2023. DLI is a six-month leadership and mentoring program for Tennessee law students in their second, third or fourth years of study. Class size is limited to 20 to 25 students selected from across the state. The goal of the program is to have a diverse class, so selection is based in part on race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, background, geographical factors and law school attended. The application deadline is 5 p.m. CST on Nov. 18.

The Memphis Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society will host Josh Hammer, opinion editor of Newsweek and research fellow with the Edmund Burke Foundation, on Nov. 2 from 12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. CDT. The event will take place at the Hu Hotel Ballroom, 79 Madison Ave., Memphis 38103. Lunch will be served beginning at 12:45 p.m. Hammer will present “Common Good Originalism: Our Tradition and Our Forward.” He will be joined by Christopher Green, professor of law and the Jamie L. Whitten,  chair in law and government at the University of Mississippi School of Law. Register online or by contacting Greg Grisham, 901-333-2076.

Funeral arrangements have now been announced for the late Rep. Barbara Cooper. Visitation will be held 4-7 p.m. on Nov. 4 at St. Augustine Catholic Church, 1169 Kerr Ave., Memphis 38106. Funeral services will be held Nov. 5 at 12:30 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, 1695 Central Ave., Memphis 38104. Burial will follow at the West Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, 4000 Forest Hill Irene Rd, Memphis 38125. A meal will then be served at the Southbrook Town Center, East Shelby Dr., Memphis 38116. All times central. Read more about Cooper’s career.

Davidson County lawyer Nathan Scott Moore was reinstated to the active practice of law with conditions today. On April 14, 2014, Moore was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court for two years, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. Moore filed a petition for reinstatement on Oct. 1, 2021. The court approved his reinstatement but conditioned it on engagement of a practice monitor for one year and compliance with any monitoring agreement recommended by the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division visited more than 30 students at the Nashville School of Law (NSL) last night. YLD Vice President Sean Aiello shared his thoughts on being active in the YLD and how beneficial it has been. He also stressed the importance of finding a mentor and attending TBA’s continuing legal education programs, which are offered free to law student members and provide exposure to different areas of the law. Billy Leslie, immediate past president of the YLD and a graduate of NSL, spoke of the significance of participating in the Diversity Leadership Institute when he was a law student. Both leaders stressed the importance of networking and getting involved with the TBA early in their careers. See a photo from the visit.