Civil Rights activist and pioneer in nonviolent protest, James Lawson, died yesterday at the age of 95, according to the Tennessean. Lawson inspired a generation of activists in the earliest days of the Civil Rights Movement, including helping to organize the movement to desegregate lunch counters in Nashville. Imprisoned as a conscientious objector during the Korean War in the early 1950s, Lawson was also kicked out of Vanderbilt University and arrested for organizing student demonstrations. During his incarceration, he said he learned about the nonviolent protests led by Mohandas Ghandi in India. In 1960, Lawson drafted the first purpose statement for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an organization led by Nashville students. In 1961, he was arrested during a freedom ride and held in a Mississippi prison for weeks. Lawson was working on the sanitation strike in Memphis in 1968 and called Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to participate, then leading marches in the wake of King’s death. In 2006, Vanderbilt invited Lawson back to the school as a divinity professor. The university later purchased his writings and photographs, and in 2021, launched the James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Nonviolent Movements.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has permanently disbarred Christopher Shawn Roberts from the practice of law and ordered him to close his law firm IOLTA account, pay restitution to his former client and pay all costs incurred to the Board of Professional Responsibility. The court took the action after finding that Roberts failed to diligently represent a client, provide competent representation, turn over client materials after termination of representation and reasonably communicate with his client. He also was found to have knowingly violated court orders, charged an unreasonable fee, concealed documents meant for others, advised his client to lie to a court officer, provided false information to the court, and engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, deceit, and misrepresentations. His actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct: 1.1, 1.2(a) and (d), 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 3.2, 3.3(a), 3.4(c), 4.1(a) and 8.4(a)(c)(d).

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman today urged a federal judge in Kentucky to block the Department of Education’s new Title IX rule from taking effect on Aug. 1. The pair, supported by four other state attorneys general, argued the rule would harm Tennessee students, families and schools and asked the judge to issue a temporary injunction. The same group sued in April over the new rule. Of the 26 states that have sued in other venues, this is the first case to be heard in federal court.

The U.S. Justice Department today announced a settlement agreement with Hawkins County Schools to resolve allegations of race-based harassment and other discrimination of Black students. The investigation, conducted with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, found that incidents of harassment — including a mock “slave auction” to sell Black students to their white counterparts — created a racially hostile environment. Under the agreement, the school system will take several concrete steps, including hiring a compliance officer and a consultant to help create a discrimination-free learning environment, creating an online portal to track complaints, updating its racial harassment and school discipline policies, and conducting training and educational events for staff and parents. Read more from the department.

Eleven residents of Sumner County have been charged with illegally registering to vote and illegally voting. While performing a routine check of registered voters in the county, officials found 15 individuals who had registered to vote after felony conviction but four of them have since died. District Attorney Ray Whitley says the individuals committed a felony crime when filling out the voter registration form and when voting. “On those papers the question is: Have you ever been convicted of a felony in the state of Tennessee? … And they had apparently checked the box that they were not convicted of any felonies when in fact they were,” said Whitley. Nashville Public Radio has more on the story.

This year's Federal Practice Forum, presented virtually via Zoom, will offer three sessions beginning at 9 a.m. CDT on July 26. Topics will include ADR in federal district court, ramifications of the Chevron decision and more! Be sure to sign up by 8:15 a.m. CDT the morning of the program to receive the link to watch by email.

The TBA’s 2024 Convention gets underway Wednesday with a meeting of the TBA House of Delegates, training for new section chairs and a welcome reception for all attendees. Pre-registration for the event is now closed but those still interested in attending may register on site at TBA Registration, which will be located in Grand Ballroom Salon C on the Mezzanine Level of the Peabody Hotel,  beginning at 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday. Those unable to attend this year’s convention in person are invited to join us for a livestream of the annual Lawyers Luncheon at noon CDT Friday on TBA’s Facebook page. Watch as President Jim Barry closes out his year of leadership, Tennessee lawyers are recognized for their contributions to the profession and TBA President-elect Ed Lanquist Jr. is sworn into office. Questions about this year’s event? Visit the event webpage or email convention@tnbar.org.

A spokesperson with Carter Malone Group, a public relations firm that works for the Shelby County Juvenile Court, told the Daily Memphian that court officials expect the juvenile court building to reopen in July. The building closed "indefinitely" in April while asbestos, mold and lead issues were abated. The Daily Memphian reports that officials are waiting on a formal announcement from Shelby County government about the reopening.

A Celebration of Life service for former Judge R. Leon Jordan will be held June 28 at 10 a.m. CDT in the Howard Baker Jr. Courthouse, 800 Market St., Knoxville 37902. Jordan was confirmed to the federal bench in 1988 and served as senior U.S. district judge from 2001 until late 2023. He died in February at age 89.

Financial disclosures for 2023 from eight of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices were released today. Justice Clarence Thomas listed luxury travel paid for by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh reported six-figure advances on book deals. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Sonia Sotomayor reported royalty income from their books of $250,000 and nearly $90,000, respectively. Jackson also reported the gift of four Beyonce concert tickets, from Queen Bey herself, valued at more than $900 each. The Associated Press and The Hill have more on the disclosures, which include rental properties, teaching fees and artwork.