Tennessean Al Gore, former vice president under Bill Clinton and both a U.S. senator and member of the House of Representatives, today received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony at the White House. The Tennessean reports that the medal is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, bestowed by the president to individuals who have made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.” Since leaving public office, Gore has worked on environmental initiatives. He founded the Climate Reality Project (previously called the Alliance for Climate Protection) in 2005, and received the Nobel Peace Prize alongside the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2007.

Well-Being Week in Law (WWIL) is organized annually by the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL) during Mental Health Awareness Month. Its aim is to raise awareness about mental health and encourage action and innovation across the profession year-round to improve well-being. This year's overall theme is Well-Being Reboot: A Fresh Start for Positive Change, which embodies two key ideas: a clean slate to start/restart well-being action plans and behavior changes aimed at greater well-being. TBA Today will share tips each day next week to encourage members to prioritize their well-being. Visit the TBA's Wellness Resources page for other resources.

Make plans now to join colleagues on May 10 for the inaugural TBA YLD Trial College. The program, which will be held at  Belmont University College of Law, will cover a range of litigation topics, including getting prepared for trial, putting together a trial notebook, prepping witnesses, conducting Voir Dire, planning for and presenting opening statements and more. The day will start at 8 a.m. CDT with registration, followed by programming from 8:30 a.m to 4:45 p.m. at the Randall and Sadie Baskin Center, 1901 15th Ave. S., Nashville 37212.

East Tennessee Lawyers’ Association For Women (ETLAW) will host its annual Tennessee Supreme Court Luncheon on May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. Join the East Tennessee legal community at The Square Room, 4 Market Square, Knoxville 37902, to honor state Supreme Court justices and other members of the judiciary. Individual tickets are $50. A table of eight may be purchased/sponsored for $350. Register here by May 16. Contact Bianca White with questions.

Missy Crutchfield is seeking to win the state Senate District 10 seat once held by her father, Ward Crutchfield, Chattanoogan.com reports. She is running as the lone Democratic candidate. In the Republican primary, incumbent Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, is being challenged by former Red Bank Commissioner Ed LeCompte. Crutchfield touts her work as vice president of Chattanooga State Community College, assistant to the chancellor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and administrator of the Chattanooga Department of Education, Arts & Culture. The primary is Aug. 1.

After having a previous effort dismissed, a group of plaintiffs has filed a new lawsuit challenging a state law requiring signs be displayed at polling places informing voters it is illegal to vote in a political party’s primary “without being a bona fide member of or affiliated with that political party, or to declare allegiance to that party without the intent to affiliate with that party.” The group argues the law is intended to confuse and intimidate would-be primary voters. Supporters of the law say the signs are designed to stop crossover voting. A similar case was dismissed in March when the judge said the plaintiffs were unable to prove the law would actually suppress voters. The new lawsuit has added plaintiffs who allege they were affected by the law in the March 5 presidential primary, the Nashville Banner reports.

Dozens of federal judges went to legal seminars at luxury resorts, getting free rooms, free meals and free money for travel, but failed to file required public disclosures, a new NPR investigative report has found. These trips to judicial education events are allowed but must be disclosed online within 30 days of the event and then again on annual financial disclosure reports. NPR journalists compared attendance lists at some of the bigger events — held in locations such as Yellowstone, Alaska, Maine and London — with disclosure reports. Learn more in an interview with the investigative correspondent who filed the story.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy met with surrounding county officials last week to discuss the sense of increasing violence in the region. “There was a palpable sense of urgency to the event, conducted in the immediate aftermath of the shooting death of MPD Officer Joseph McKinney and a lethal firefight at an Orange Mound block party,” the Memphis Flyer reports. During the meeting, Mulroy outlined various emergency crime-control procedures his office is taking and cited a new report from the Shelby County Crime Commission showing that crime statistics had actually receded during the last quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024. Local mayors reportedly expressed skepticism about those findings.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill Wednesday that seeks to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses, The Hill reports. The chamber approved the legislation in a bipartisan vote of 320-91. The bill would require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism when enforcing antidiscrimination laws. That group defines antisemitism as “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews” and that “rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism” can be directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has released a statement on the General Assembly’s approval of $8.6 million in additional funding for indigent representation. The court expressed appreciation for the funding, saying it would allow the judicial branch to “take an essential and significant step forward in addressing adequate compensation of appointed counsel.” Addressing the increase, Chief Justice Holly Kirby said: “I’m grateful for our judges who spoke forcefully about their struggle to find lawyers willing to take indigent cases — nearly half of which are in juvenile court and involve families and children in neglect or abuse cases. I’m grateful for the lawyers who explained how an extremely low rate of reimbursement impacted their ability to represent indigent parties. And I’m grateful for the elected leaders who listened with open hearts and minds and took action.” The additional funding will provide a $10 increase in the hourly rate of reimbursement for attorneys who accept appointments, along with a proportionate increase in the cap on the total amount a court-appointed attorney may recoup per case. Administrative Office of the Courts Director Michelle Long also thanked legislators, the governor’s office and the Tennessee Bar Association for their work bringing attention to this important issue. Read the TBA's previously released statement on the additional funding.