TBA's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, by TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett, is now available to watch online. The pair talked about the need to increase the hourly rate and cap for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent, and expressed support for the Administrative Office of the Court’s budget request of $26.145 million to raise the hourly rate to $80 per hour. Following their testimony, the committee approved a motion in support of adding $26.145 million to the governor's budget for that purpose. The funds ultimately will be decided through budget negotiations between the administration and the legislature. Watch the TBA's testimony beginning at 17:08.

One of Nashville’s largest law firms is leaving its downtown office and downsizing its space, the Nashville Business Journal reports. According to the journal, Butler Snow has signed a 31,000-square-foot lease for the top two floors of a new office tower in Germantown’s Neuhoff District. The firm currently has offices at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place, occupying 46,000-square-feet on the 15th and 16th floors. In explaining the move, firm chair Chris Maddux said, “After a lengthy search, we concluded that Neuhoff was the best fit for our firm’s future.” Its “combination of striking architecture and the dynamic mix of retail and amenities will provide an elevated experience for both our team and our clients.” The firm is one of several tenants leaving the downtown tower. Bass, Berry & Sims previously announced it would move to Nashville Yards.

The TBA’s International Law Section will host its annual forum on May 17 in Nashville. Brie Knox, director of U.S. Commercial Service Tennessee/U.S. Department of Commerce/International Trade Administration, will be among the speakers at this informative program. Additional details will be announced soon. Watch the registration page for updates.

The TBA Federal Practice Section directory is a great place to find colleagues with a similar focus. The directory provides a list of section members with contact information, as well as listing any other sections or TBA groups to which they belong. This resource provides a great way to connect with like-minded lawyers. View the section directory here.

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday, market analysts expect disruptions in shipping and supply chains. Baltimore's port handles the highest volume of shipments of cars and light trucks in the U.S., so some carmakers will have to divert to other East Coast ports, in New York, New Jersey or Roanoke, Virginia, which could raise costs. Shipments of coal and sugar also will be affected, as will warehousing and trucking operations around Baltimore. Read more at NPR.

Make plans now to attend the annual TBA Intellectual Property Law Forum on April 5 at Belmont University College of Law, 1901 15th Ave. S, Nashville 37212. This year's topics include AI and copyright and patent law, IP issues within the alcohol world and the intersection between IP and street art. Read about the presenters and register.

Nigel Lewis, an attorney supervisor in the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office, died March 17 at age 49 after a short cancer battle. He received his bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University in Florida and later attended law school at Southern University and A&M in Louisiana. He also received a master's degree in tax law from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. began his legal career in a private firm where he worked for two years before moving to the public defender’s office. Lewis served there for 14 years until his death and worked in the direct representation unit, which handles clients charged with most serious felonies. The Daily Memphian has more on his life.

The Tennessee Bar Association has opened the nomination period for the Fourth Estate Award: Honoring Courageous Reporting on Justice and the Law. This year’s prize includes a $250 honorarium for the winner.

The TBA strongly supports freedom of expression under the First Amendment, as exercised by lawyers on behalf of their clients and by journalists on behalf of the public. It particularly wants to recognize and encourage journalists who promote public understanding of the rule of law and our system of justice through vigorous exercise of First Amendment rights.

Prior winners include the WSMV News 4 I-Team, Steven Hale of the Nashville Scene, the Bristol Herald Courier, and Marc Perrusquia’s work published in the Daily Memphian and on the website of the Institute for Public Service Reporting, the Kingsport Times News, and two reporters with the Elk Valley Times. All promoted a better understanding of the legal system in Tennessee with fact-based and courageous reporting. Read more about past recipients here.

Nominees must be Tennessee-based journalists who have shown exemplary courage in exercising First Amendment rights in the promotion of public understanding of how the law and our legal system works and how it should work as demonstrated by a story or series of related stories published in 2023.

Nominees may be individuals or teams of journalists who worked on the published stories. Journalists may also self-nominate. The nominees may have published their story or stories online, in a newspaper or magazine, in a book, on a podcast, or on television or radio.

The nomination form for work published in 2023 is now available.

The presentation of this award will be made in June at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Bar Association in Memphis. The deadline for entry is April 25.

TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright and Williamson County attorney David R. Grimmett testified this week before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the need to increase the hourly rate and cap for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent. In her statement, Wright said, “Tennessee’s court-appointed attorneys, who represent indigent citizens statutorily and constitutionally entitled to legal counsel, are the lowest paid in the country, and have not had their hourly reimbursement rate raised in 26 years.” Grimmett ended his testimony by stating, “On behalf of the juvenile court bar and every appointed counsel in this state, I am begging you to raise the rate for appointed counsel so that we can find a voice for these children and these families.” Wright and Grimmett agreed they support the Administrative Office of the Court’s (AOC) budget request of $26.145 million to raise the hourly rate for court appointed attorneys to $80 per hour, which was not included in the governor’s budget or his supplemental budget. However, Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, chair of the committee, made a motion after Wright and Grimmett’s testimony to amend the governor’s budget to add the $26.145 million in increased recurring funding to the AOC for indigent representation; this motion passed unanimously and will be signed by the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The funds will ultimately be decided through budget negotiations between the administration and the legislature. Watch the TBA's testimony beginning at 17:08 or see photos from the day.

JULIA SMITH GIBBONS, Circuit Judge. Ferrellgas, L.P., appeals the district court’s order enforcing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission subpoena. Because the district court did not abuse its discretion in enforcing the subpoena, we affirm.