Attorneys interested in estate planning will have the chance to gain valuable knowledge and enjoy a round of Topgolf at a special event on Nov. 7. The program, which will feature three hours of CLE programming, is designed for new attorneys and those looking to add estate planning to their practice. The event will include breakfast, lunch and two hours of golfing after the presentations. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT. Learn more or register here.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says the state is working to resume executions, after an effective pause on the death penalty has continued for more than two years. Lee’s comments came during a session with reporters in Knoxville last week, WBIR reports. Among his comments, Lee said, "I think it's important that we move as quickly as we can, but take as long as we need to, to make sure we get it right. I've tasked our team with getting a protocol in place. This has to be done, it's the law of our state. We need to be in a position to fulfill that law. But as you know, if you don't have the correct protocols in place, then the outcomes are not what any of us want in this state. I suspect that we are closer than further from having a protocol in place and will be allowed then to continue that process." In April 2022, Lee paused executions moments before an inmate was scheduled to die citing issues with protocols. He then launched an independent review of the lethal injection preparation process. According to reports, the state struggled to follow its own lethal injection rules at several steps, including the chemicals' testing and storage prior to the pause. WKRN also has details of Lee's recent remarks.

The Tennessee Worker’s Compensation Appeals Board will hear three cases on Oct. 1 in Knoxville. Oral arguments will start at 9 a.m. EDT. The cases are: Gary Dingus v. Grand Piano and Furniture Co., in which the trial court denied a defense of willful failure to wear a safety device; John Oldham v. Freeman Webb Realtors, in which the trial court awarded permanent total disability after applying the direct and natural consequences rule; and Bibiane Francoeur v. Amerimed Medical Solutions LLC, in which the trial court awarded temporary disability benefits for an employee who was under a “no-driving” restriction but was not provided with transportation to work.

Shelby County Chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson will hear initial arguments in the Memphis City Council’s suit to include gun referendum questions on the November ballot later this month, the Daily Memphian reports. The hearing, set for Sept. 16, will test whether the council may proceed with plans to include the ballot questions despite guidance from Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins and Secretary of State Tre Hargett that the ballot additions would illegally preempt state law. The council sued over that decision last week.

The Belmont University College of Law’s Law Review will host its annual fall symposium later this month. The 2024 event, set for Sept. 27 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT, will focus on “Contemporary Issues in Technology and the Law.” Speakers include U.S. practioners, including three from the Nashville area, as well as from New Zealand. The cost of $20 includes a breakfast and lunch. Learn more or register here.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is planning its first expungement clinic in Campbell County on Sept. 14. The group will be partnering with the Legal Aid Society to expunge criminal records. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to noon EDT at the Campbell County Justice Center. Volunteer attorneys are needed and should plan to arrive by 8:30 a.m. for an orientation. Experts will be on site to help guide volunteers and answer any questions. To assist, please email Tomi Robb.

Tori Smith was sworn in as the new Hamilton County General Seesions Court judge yesterday in Chattanooga. Judge Gary Starnes administered the oath of office, Chattanoogan.com reports. Smith was selected to fill the seat last week by the county commission. The vacancy was created when Judge Alex McVeagh was elected to the Judicial District 11 Circuit Court. Smith previously was with the public defender's office. She will serve until the August 2026 general election. The winner of that election then will serve until 2030, which is when McVeagh’s term would have expired.

The Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office will receive $300,000 in federal funding for a program that supports victims of and witnesses to crimes, the Daily Memphian reports. The money will be used to provide support and resources to victims and witnesses, reduce the backlog of cases and of data processing such as forensic evidence, and update a data system that supports prosecutorial decision-making. District Attorney General Steve Mulroy said the funds will provide “tangible, concrete assistance to victims ... and witnesses.” U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, Democrat of Memphis, announced the award this week.

A federal indictment unsealed Wednesday alleges a Tennessee content creation company was the tool a team of Russian propagandists used to infiltrate U.S. audiences with Kremlin-backed messaging. The Tennessean reports that two employees of “Russia Today” were indicated for funneling nearly $10 million to an unnamed company to publish English-language videos on social media sites addressing issues such as immigration, inflation, and domestic and foreign policy. It appears the employees turned to the company after “Russia Today” was banned from operating in the U.S. following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The paper suggests that the company in question is Nashville’s Tenet Media.

Tami Sawyer took the oath of office last week as the new Shelby County General Sessions Court clerk. The oath was administered by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris in the Shelby County Board of Commissioners chambers where Sawyer served for four years. She took office officially on Sept. 1. Sawyer said her office would ensure that “victims of domestic violence receive their orders of protection immediately” and that new budgets will go toward “improving the morale” of the more than 200 employees. The Daily Memphian has more on the story. Sawyer upset incumbent Joe Brown in the March Democratic primary and then beat Republican nominee Lisa Arnold in the August county general election.