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 Oct. 20. 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 Oct. 17. Clients may sign up online. To volunteer, email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

Memphis leaders are urging the Tennessee General Assembly to prioritize clearing the state’s backlog of rape kits, Tennessee Lookout reports. Last week, the Shelby County Commission unanimously adopted a resolution calling for increased funding to staff the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The Memphis City Council is expected to vote on the resolution tomorrow. TBI officials previously requested 40 more special agent/forensic scientist positions and 10 more technicians but only received enough funding from the state to staff half of the requested personnel. In response to nationwide criticism, Gov. Bill Lee announced that the TBI would receive fast-tracked funding to hire 25 additional forensic lab positions to decrease the state’s turnaround times in processing sexual assault kits.

Elaine Eberhart has joined the University of Tennessee College of Law to serve as the senior director of advancement, the school recently announced. Eberhart, a 1983 alumna of the law school, has more than 30 years of experience as a fundraiser and gift planner. Most recently, she was vice chair of the department of development for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She also has served as senior director of development and planned giving for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, director of planned giving for the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and director of development for the Southern Poverty Law Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and a master’s in divinity from Emory University.

The University of Memphis School of Law will host an event focused on the history and intensive redesign of the school’s historic building on Nov. 4. The session will focus on the building’s transformation from a U.S. customs house, a federal courthouse and a U.S. post office into the law school’s current facility. Remarks will be given by architect and project director Bill Nixon. RSVP by Nov. 2 to aonidas1@memphis.edu.

The Youth Court Program for juveniles in Shelby County is looking for volunteers. The time commitment for attorneys is minimal and flexible. A virtual training will be provided Thursday evening at 5 p.m. CDT. To RSVP or for questions, contact coordinator Marcus Claxton at 901-222-0905 or marcus.claxton@shelbycountytn.gov.

TBA member benefit partner Clio released its 2022 Legal Trends Report today as part of its annual Clio Cloud Conference, taking place in Nashville through tomorrow. A key theme of the report is the importance of creating an “antifragile” law firm to be resilient in the face of change and to attract and keep the best attorneys. The report found that lawyers are looking equally for competitive pay and a firm that supports work-life balance. They also prefer remote work and flexibility, though these “benefits” can lead to longer work days and a greater impact on mental health. For clients, the report found that 35% want to meet with their lawyer virtually and rely primarily on reviews from others when choosing to hire a lawyer. 

Kevin G. Ritz, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced Friday that his office is joining the Justice Department and its Office on Violence Against Women in observing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Memphis-based office is also promoting Oct. 20 as “Purple Thursday” and a national day of action. Advocates are encouraged to wear purple to start a conversation about domestic violence. Read more about the observance in a release from Ritz’s office.

The Biden administration has reunited 500 children separated from their parents under the previous administration’s border policy, The Hill reports. The benchmark follows nearly two years of steady work to reunite more than 1,000 children who were estimated to remain separated from their parents when President Joe Biden took office. Last year, the administration launched two sites — together.gov and its Spanish-language counterpart juntos.gov — to give families a way to actively seek reunification. The administration says it still has nearly 700 children to place. At the height of the program under former President Donald Trump, more than 5,000 children were separated from their parents.

Register now to attend the TBA Court of Appeals Boot Camp, taking place Nov. 2 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CDT in Nashville. This annual favorite allows for attendees to view real oral arguments in front of the Court of Appeals, followed by panel discussions with both judges and advocates who participated in the day’s arguments. Panelist will offer tips and best practices, providing expert analysis and direction to appellate lawyers. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet with court of appeals judges and colleagues from across the state. Sessions will take place at the Tennessee Court of Appeals and Waller Law offices.

A list of those who passed the July 2022 Tennessee bar exam is now available. Check the TBA’s website for the complete list of successful applicants. According to the Board of Law Examiners, 736 individuals — 622 first time test takers and 114 repeaters — took the July exam. They represent almost 200 different law schools and saw an overall pass rate of 62.09%. For first time test-takers at Tennessee law schools, The University of Tennessee College of Law saw the highest pass rate at 90.91%, followed by Vanderbilt University Law School at 89.29%, Belmont University College of Law at 86.73%, University of Memphis School of Law at 62.35%, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law at 61.90%, and Nashville School of Law at 33.33%. See all statistical information from the exam on the Board of Law Examiners’ webpage.