The Tennessee Supreme Court on July 28 referred the case of Shelby County lawyer Monica Aislynn Timmerman to the Board of Professional Responsibility for whatever action the board deems warranted. Timmerman pled guilty to and was adjudged guilty of driving under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor, in the Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court in February.

More than 100 attorneys from across the country joined Tennessee lawyers in honoring TBA Immediate Past President Tasha Blakney during the ABA Annual meeting in Denver. The Sunday event during the ABA’s Annual Meeting featured comments from former TBA President John Tarpley, an introduction by current TBA President Jim Barry and remarks from Blakney. See photos from the event.

In January 2024, individuals earning an excess of $145,000 looking to make catch-up contributions to traditional retirement accounts will see them designated as Roth contributions, according to a recent piece on Forbes. Part of the SECURE Act 2.0, the revision means these contributions will not receive pre-tax treatment and requires retirement plans to be amended accordingly. The new rule makes these high earners pay taxes on their catch-up money now instead of in retirement when they would likely be in a lower tax bracket. Experts say the move is to raise tax revenue to offset money lost to some of the act’s savings incentives.

Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, Riley Keough, on Friday was officially ruled the sole trustee of her late mother’s estate. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lynn Healey Scaduto signed off on a settlement between Keough and Priscilla Presley, her grandmother and ex-wife of Elvis. Priscilla previously contested the validity of a 2016 amendment to Lisa Marie’s will removing her and a former business manager, Barry Siegel, as co-trustees. The elder Presley initially said the amendment was invalid because she was not notified of the change, and that the signature was on a blank page and inconsistent with Lisa Marie’s handwriting. Keough was also named owner of Graceland, but Priscilla can retrieve any belongings and be buried in its Meditation Garden next to Elvis. The trust will also allow her to remain as a special adviser and receive a monthly payment for her role. People has more.

Don’t miss the Sept. 8 Topgolf Tee-off, which allows an opportunity to earn CLE credits followed by two hours of Topgolf gameplay. This unique event provides an optimum learning experience and is a great team-building exercise for your group or firm. Topics for the forum include how to choose between a living trust or will, silent trusts, corporate transparency and much more. Breakfast and lunch are provided. Space is limited, so register now before it’s too late!

Make plans now to join the TBA YLD's Civil Rights Walking Tour in Chattanooga on Oct. 13. This unique CLE will run from 1:30-5 p.m. EDT and offer two hours of CLE credit. Participants will visit a number of important landmarks in the city's fight for civil rights and learn about the legal history that has made Chattanooga a more inclusive place to live and work.

President Joe Biden's new regulation restricting asylum access at the U.S.-Mexico border can remain in effect for now, a U.S. appeals court ruled yesterday. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals put on hold a district judge's ruling that the regulation violated U.S. law by cutting off asylum for some migrants caught crossing the border without documentation. The appeals court allowed the restrictions to remain in place pending the outcome of the government’s appeal. The court also said it would expedite the appeal, Reuters reports. A challenge to the regulation was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups that argued it mirrored Trump-era restrictions that were blocked in court.

Former Rep. Timothy Hill, who was appointed to fill House District 3 seat following the resignation of Scotty Campbell, was elected yesterday to fill the remainder of Campbell’s term, WJHL reports. Hill, a Republican, prevailed over Democrat Lori Love. Hill held the same seat from 2013-2020 and rose to the position of House majority whip. He gave up the seat in 2020 to run for Congress after U.S. Rep. Phil Roe announced his retirement. He and other Republican hopefuls lost the primary to now-Rep. Diana Harshbarger. The state House seat became vacant when Campbell resigned in in April over sexual harassment issues.

As the U.S. Department of Justice commences a civil rights investigation of Memphis Police, state Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, is calling for an overhaul of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, including removal of director Bill Gibbons. “We need a real Crime Commission,” Hardaway said, challenging the next Memphis mayor to appoint a group accountable to the public. Gibbons, who has been Shelby County district attorney general, Tennessee Homeland Security commissioner, Memphis City Council member and Shelby County commissioner, heads the 50-member commission, which was created in 1996. In 2022, the commission released a new plan to reduce crime after violence escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tennessee Lookout has more on the news.

Edward Blum, the activist behind the U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down affirmative action, set his sights on two new targets this week, Reuters reports. Students for Fair Admissions, Blum’s group behind the high court case, has a new campaign to end an affirmative action exemption at military schools. The group launched a website called "West Point Not Fair" and is asking those denied acceptance at military schools to contact it. Earlier this week, the nonprofit American Alliance for Equal Rights, founded by Blum, sued an Atlanta-based venture capital fund that supports Black women who own small businesses. The group says the Fearless Fund is violating a law barring racial bias in private contracts by allowing only Black women to participate in a grant competition.