Despite strains on the economy, the U.S. legal sector had its fifth straight month of employment growth in July, reaching just shy of the historical peak of 1.2 million jobs in December 2023, Reuters reports. Despite the recent growth, employment in the industry is only 1.7% higher than in May 2007, before the financial crisis and pandemic cut into years of gains. Large law firms have expanded substantially in recent decades, boosting lawyer headcounts and revenues, while technological advances and artificial intelligence have reduced reliance on support staff.

Gov. Bill Lee on Friday appointed Emily Abbott to the 6th Judicial District Criminal Court, which covers Knox County, and William Lane to the 32nd Judicial District Circuit and Chancery courts, which cover Hickman, Lewis and Perry counties, according to a press release. Abbott, an assistant district attorney in the 7th Judicial District, earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She fills a vacancy created by Judge Steven Sword’s appointment to the Court of Criminal Appeals. Lane, principal attorney at his own practice, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his law degree from the Nashville School of Law. He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Spitzer. Both appointments take effect immediately.

The organization that administers the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and coordinates law school admissions has been sued in federal court over claims it fixes law school application processing fees through a monopolistic platform. According to Bloomberg Law, the suit alleges the Law School Admission Council Inc. (LSAC) overcharged plaintiff Linvel Risner for application fees and that he would have paid much less in a competitive market. “LSAC has violated federal antitrust law and gouged law school applicants attempting to follow their dreams,” Risner said in the complaint. An LSAC spokesperson told Bloomberg that the organization strongly disagrees with the allegations. LSAC manages registration and test dates for the LSAT and is registered as a nonprofit organization.

The TBA, in partnership with the Tennessee Land Title Association, will host its annual Hot Topics in Real Estate program virtually on Nov. 7. The event, designed for attorneys practicing real estate law, will cover the latest developments in the field. Stay tuned for more details about speakers, topics and registration information.

Join members of the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee for a live interactive roundtable on how best to manage work-life balance as a legal professional. This 45-minute Zoom event on March 25 at 12:30 p.m. CDT will feature attorneys discussing their day-to-day practice and provide effective tools for personal well-being. While geared toward law students and young lawyers, this free event is open to all TBA members, but registration is required. Questions and feedback are encouraged. Submit questions in advance to jword@tnbar.org.

The TBA YLD was on hand to speak with University of Tennessee Winston College of Law students today. Samantha Ellis, the East Tennessee governor of the TBA YLD and Winston Law alumna, returned to her alma mater to encourage students to get involved with the TBA while still in law school. She answered questions about their entrance into the legal field and encouraged them to apply to two of the YLD's statewide programs: DLI and the Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF). Savannah Grant, a student at Winston Law, shared her experiences as an RJF fellow this summer. See a photo from the event. 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee sent a letter to the town of Mason urging officials to halt all actions related to a planned ICE detention center at a former state prison, the Commercial Appeal reports. The letter alleges the project did not receive the necessary votes to pass. The Mason Board of Aldermen voted on Tuesday on two contracts: one between the town and private prison company CoreCivic, and another between the town and ICE. Mason’s town recorder initially said the second contract failed, but the town attorney later said abstentions had been mistakenly counted. If approved, the project would convert the West Tennessee Detention Center in Mason into an ICE detention facility operated by CoreCivic.

After several months of steady rates, Tennessee’s unemployment rate edged up slightly in July, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate was 3.6%, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from June. A year ago, the rate was 3.4%. Tennessee’s rate remains below the U.S. rate, which was 4.2% in July, unchanged from a year earlier.

Nashville's Estes Kefauver Federal Building and Annex at 801 Broadway is on a list of government properties approved for closure and divestment this year, The Tennessean reports. Named for Tennessee politician Estes Kefauver, the building served as a courthouse for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee until 2021. The federal government plans to sell the property, and remaining federal tenants will vacate. Officials say the sale could save $484 million. A timeline for the transaction has not been announced.

Hamilton County Criminal Court Clerk Vince Dean is warning the public about a bond scam targeting family members of inmates. Dean said scammers are contacting relatives, often claiming to represent established local bonding companies, and requesting payment to post an inmate’s bond, The Chattanoogan reports. In one reported case, a family paid the requested amount after receiving a message from someone using a fake bondsman’s name, but no such person exists on the county’s bond list. “Everyone should use extreme caution when making bonds for family and friends,” Dean said, noting that it is against state law to solicit a bond. He advised verifying any bonding agent by asking to see their Tennessee Association of Professional Bail Agents card, which includes a photo and expiration date.