Former Belmont University College of Law professor Jeffrey Usman was sworn in as Tennessee’s 95th Court of Appeals judge on Tuesday at the law school. Prior to his confirmation, Usman served as one of the founding faculty members of the school. Gov. Bill Lee and Frank G. Clement Jr., presiding judge of the Tennessee Court of Appeals - Middle Division, made remarks at the ceremony. Belmont law professors Amy Moore and Elizabeth Usman; Dean Alberto Gonzales; and 20th Judicial District General Sessions Judge Marcus Floyd, a former student of Usman’s, also spoke, as did Nashville School of Law Dean and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William Koch. Read more from the law school.

The TBA’s 34th Annual Health Law Forum took place in downtown Nashville yesterday and today. It was the first in-person presentation of the program since 2019. Close to 300 attendees heard presentations on regulatory and health care fraud, medicare reimbursement principles, artificial intelligence, the future after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs case, home health and clinic trials. The program also included a legislative update and an ethics update. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Morgan McDonald, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health. Section Chair Scott Shanker with Bass, Berry & Sims moderated the event, and at a luncheon today, passed the Section Cup to incoming chair Mark Ison with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is now accepting applications for a deputy director of workplace relations. The position will develop and implement circuit-wide policies, training and outreach related to workplace relations. Four years of specialized experience in employment law, employee relations, employment dispute resolution, mediation or a similar field is required. See the job posting on the TBA’s JobLink site for instructions on how to apply or browse all job openings.

A 6th Circuit Court of Appeals panel has declined to reinstate Thomas “T.B.” Burrell as a candidate for mayor of Mason, the West Tennessee community that drew national attention this year when it resisted calls by state officials to dissolve, Tennessee Lookout reports. The court sided with the Tipton County Election Commission, which ruled Burrell had failed to meet a six-month residency requirement spelled out in Mason’s election laws.

Nashville club owner Joshua Smith this week pleaded guilty to illegally funneling $67,000 from a campaign committee to a national political organization in a conspiracy to benefit state Sen. Brian Kelsey’s failed 2016 Congressional campaign, the Nashville Post reports. Smith, who owns The Standard in Nashville, is scheduled to be sentenced in June. He faces a maximum of five years in prison. Kelsey is not seeking reelection to his Senate seat and is scheduled to go to trial in January on the federal charges.

A federal appeals court panel in Cincinnati on Wednesday heard oral arguments in a case to determine whether an official at Tennessee’s Board of Professional Responsibility should be able to avoid a lawsuit by a lawyer who says his termination for tweeting about Muslims violated his First Amendment rights. Bloomberg Law reports that the appeal challenges a federal district judge’s decision that granted quasi-judicial immunity to the BPR’s Sandra Garrett, who had fired attorney Jerry Morgan following complaints about his anti-Muslim posts.

Nashville law firm Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings PLLC has opened an office in St. Louis with former circuit court judge, alderman and city prosecuting attorney John “Jack” Garvey at its head. Garvey’s daughter, Colleen Garvey, will also join the practice, which BS&J managing partner Gerard Stranch said he expects to grow to four or five attorneys within the next couple of years. “We see that there's a huge demand for legal services in St. Louis for the type of stuff that we do,” Stranch told the Nashville Business Journal. “With Jack being there, it's someone you can trust and someone you know who is going to do a good job."

Join in this moderated virtual panel discussion featuring judges from across the state as they discuss best practices in the courtroom. Professional development topics include avoiding common mistakes when appearing in front of a judge, motion practices, judge preferences for oral arguments and/or briefs, and other insider thinking from the bench. This program is set for 11:30 a.m. CDT on Oct. 27 and is approved for 1.5 dual CLE credits.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will be holding two free legal help clinics this week at Belmont University. On Friday, there will be an Expungement Clinic at the Belmont Ministry Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT. On Saturday, there will be a regular clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. CDT at 2005 12th Ave. S. For more information contact Kendra Cheek by email.

The District Attorney General for the Sixth Judicial District in Knox County is seeking an attorney with at least three years of courtroom experience in criminal law to prosecute criminal cases. Applicants must have a law degree from an ABA accredited law school and possess an active license to practice law in Tennessee or meet the requirements for comity admission pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 7, article V or possess the requisite credentials to reasonably and promptly “waive in” to Tennessee licensure. Find out more on the TBA’s Joblink or apply now.