Chattanooga lawyer William Robert Heck died May 2 at the age of 81 following an extended illness. Heck earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1968 and enlisted in the Army. He was honorably discharged in 1971, returned to Tennessee, and earned his law degree at the University of Tennessee College of Law (now Winston College of Law). He was admitted to the bar in 1974, establishing himself as a small firm practitioner specializing in criminal defense. For nearly 50 years, he was a stalwart presence in Hamilton County's courtrooms, defending clients across the full spectrum of criminal charges — from misdemeanors to high profile death penalty cases. Visitation will be Friday from noon to 1 p.m. EDT at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson 37343. A chapel service will follow at 1 p.m. Burial with full military honors will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Chattanooga National Cemetery, 1200 Bailey Ave., Chattanooga 37406.

Joelton lawyer Irving Lee Fentress, age 77, died June 13. Services were held June 17 at the Austin & Bell Funeral Home in Springfield. Burial followed in the Mt. Sharon Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in Greenbrier. Fentress graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin and the Nashville School of Law. He ran his own CPA firm for over 40 years. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Mt. Sharon Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 4634 Mount Sharon Church Rd., Greenbrier, TN 37073 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty has reintroduced a bill that aims to prevent sanctuary cities from receiving federal funding for affordable housing, WZTV reports. The "No Community Development Block Grants for Sanctuary Cities Act" would amend the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, which authorized federal funding for various local government community development plans, to prohibit funding for Section 8 housing, rental assistance and other living assistance programs. "Cities that encourage illegal immigration shouldn’t be rewarded with federal housing subsidies," Hagerty said about the bill. Read more about the proposal in a press release from Tennessee's junior senator.

After four years sitting empty and unused, Hamilton County's old downtown jail building may be poised for a new life, the Times Free Press reports. County officials and the River City Co. are accepting bids to evaluate potential ways to reuse or redevelop the facility at 601 Walnut St. in Chattanooga. According to the paper, the building presents some potential challenges because of its heavy-duty construction made for security. Its configuration of concrete, iron and steel make it difficult to adapt, according to a River City Co. spokesperson.

The Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a 60-day intent to sue notice on behalf of the national NAACP, claiming xAI has committed violations of the Clean Air Act with its prolonged use of gas turbines at the company's supercomputer facility in Memphis. According to the Commercial Appeal, the lawsuit alleges xAI operated gas turbines without necessary permits, resulting in excessive emissions and lack of pollution control technology, and operated without the best safety protocols or best available control technology. "We cannot afford to normalize this kind of environmental injustice — where billion-dollar companies set up polluting operations in Black neighborhoods without any permits,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson.

The Knoxville Bar Association and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), will hold a Debt Relief Clinic on June 28 to provide pro bono legal services to income-eligible consumer debtors. The clinic will begin at 9 a.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Judge Suzanne Bauknight will present a short overview of the bankruptcy system and then volunteer lawyers will conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Those interested in helping should register online. Clients seeking advice should call 865-637-0484.

Americans are divided on major issues before the U.S. Supreme Court but most agree on one thing. According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, a majority do not see the nation's top judicial body as politically neutral. Specifically, 58% disagreed that the high court is neutral while only 20% agreed. The rest did not know or did not respond. Among Democrats, only 10% agreed the court was politically neutral while 74% disagreed. Among Republicans, 29% agreed and 54% disagreed. The Supreme Court's popularity has declined since its 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In 2021, 57% expressed a favorable opinion of the court. By the end of 2022, that figure had fallen to 43%. This year, 44% of respondents expressed a favorable view of the court, including 67% of Republicans and 26% of Democrats. Reuters has more on the poll’s findings.

Nashville lawyer John L. Farringer IV took office as vice president of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) last week during the group’s Annual Convention in Franklin. He will advance to the presidency in June 2027. A member of the law firm Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, Farringer has practiced law for over 20 years, focusing on complex business and commercial litigation. He has been active in the TBA for many years, including serving for six years as a member of the Board of Governors and as associate general counsel with a special focus on issues related to indigent representation. He was a member of the 2011 Leadership Law class and received the 2015 President’s Award for his work as chair of the Medical-Legal Partnership Working Group. Farringer has made access to justice a passion of his career, including serving as chair of the TBA’s Access to Justice Committee from 2014-2015. He received the TBA’s Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Award in 2012 for his work on behalf of Juana Villegas, an undocumented woman who was shackled during and after childbirth. Last week, he also received the TBA President’s Award for his efforts in support of a new indigent representation system for the state. Farringer also served on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission from 2018-2024, and chaired the commission from 2022-2024. Read more about his career in the TBA's press release.

TBA’s new executive officers and new Board of Governors members took office Friday at the Annual Convention in Franklin. Officers for the upcoming bar year are: President Heidi Barcus of Knoxville, President-elect Charlotte Knight Griffin of Eads, Vice President John Farringer of Nashville, Secretary Terica Smith of Jackson and Treasurer Mary Beth Maddox of Knoxville. Nashville lawyer Ed Lanquist Jr., who wrapped up his year in office last week, moved into the immediate past president role. New board members taking office were Assistant Treasurer Karin Anderson, East Tennessee Governor Kelly Street, Middle Tennessee Governors Sean Aiello and Rachel Moses, Fourth District Governor Hank Fincher, YLD President Judge Alex McVeagh, YLD President-elect Jennifer Sneed, Judicial Conference President Chancellor Doug Jenkins, Public Defenders Conference President Robert Taswell "Tas" Gardner, General Counsel Kimberly Silvus, Assistant General Counsel Jennifer Pearson Taylor, Associate General Counsel Matthew Evans, Chief Opportunity Officer Deborah Yeomans-Barton, and Assistant Opportunity Officer Amy Bryant, who assumes this new role in addition to her 5th District Governor position. The District Attorneys General Conference will name its representative to the board this month.

Eads attorney Charlotte Knight Griffin took office as president-elect of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) last week during the group’s Annual Convention in Franklin. She will advance to the presidency in June 2026. Knight Griffin began her career in private practice in Memphis after earning her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (now Winston College of Law). She joined Memphis Light, Gas and Water as a staff attorney in 1978 and retired in April 2023 after 45 years of service. Knight Griffin has been active in the TBA for many years, most recently serving as vice president, speaker of the House of Delegates and a member of the Board of Governors. She is a past chair of the Local Government Practice and Litigation sections, a charter fellow of the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), a past executive officer of the YLD and president of the TBA YLD Fellows. Read more about her career in this press release.