The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld decades-old federal standards that give preferences to Native Americans and tribal members in the adoption or foster care placement of Native American children, rejecting a challenge that claimed that parts of the law were racially biased against non-Native Americans. Reuters reports that the 7-2 ruling threw out a lower court's decision that had struck down — as a violation of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection under the law — a requirement that "other Indian families" receive preference in adoption and foster care after members of a child's extended family or tribe members.

At the TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville today, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee and First Judicial District Chancellor John C. Rambo were recognized for their contributions to the legal system. Lee, who is retiring at the end of August, received the TBA’s Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award. Rambo, who is from Jonesborough, received the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award, which is given jointly by TBA and the Tennessee American Inns of Court. The award was presented by Reeves’ children, who are now both practicing lawyers. The luncheon keynote address was given by Rick Barnes, head coach of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team. Barnes spoke of his troubled childhood and the difference several key individuals made in his life. He challenged the group to make every day special and to invest in those who need a helping hand.

The day also included several tracks of CLE programming, author book signing, a puppy wellness break, a reception hosted by the TBA, Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers and Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women, and a joint event with state judges at Neyland Stadium. See photos from the day.

The American Bar Association will award the 2023 ABA Medal to Fred D. Gray, who was described by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as “the chief counsel” of the civil rights movement. Gray will accept the award at the ABA’s Annual Meeting in Denver in August. Gray played a crucial role in many of the movement’s key moments including representing Rosa Parks, serving as the chief legal strategist during the Montgomery bus boycott and representing marchers in Selma in 1965.

Make plans now to attend this year’s Elder Law Forum, which will take place in person on July 21 at the Belmont University College of Law in Nashville. This annual staple for Tennessee attorneys provides an optimal learning experience, while allowing attendees to meet with other professionals sharing their focus. Topics for this year’s program include a probate judge’s panel, redetermination, ethics for elder law attorneys, crisis planning, tax considerations and more. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity! Learn more about our speakers and register here.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will hold a free webinar on June 27 at 9 a.m. CDT for people interested in state tax issues for the hospitality industry. Participants will discuss how taxation affects food/beverage, lodging and recreation businesses in Tennessee. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month. Learn more or register.

The annual 2023 TBA Convention in Knoxville kicked off Wednesday evening at the Downtown Marriott. If you’ve already registered for the convention, you may pick your badge in the lower level/pre-function area. Walk-up registrations are welcome. See our full schedule for convention events and CLE programming. See photos from our first day. 

The Nashville office of Maynard Nexsen will relocate from Edgehill Village to the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, the Nashville Post reported today. The firm, which was formed when Birmingham-based Maynard Cooper & Gale merged with Nexsen Pruet of Columbia, South Carolina, is home to 17 attorneys in Nashville. It will lease about 7,600 square feet at Nashville Warehouse Co. starting in July. The address of the building is 1131 Fourth Ave. S., Nashville 37210.

Following the Tennessee Supreme Court’s decision striking down a $50 cap on TennCare reimbursements for emergency room non-emergency health conditions, the state agency says it is “considering next steps.” The cap, which has been in place for more than a decade, was originally set to help cut costs as the agency was facing a $100 million shortfall. At the time, the agency promised to go through a standard rule-making process to put the cap in place, but that never occurred, Tennessee Lookout reports. The court ruling now potentially opens up taxpayers to years of back claims from hospitals and doctors in the state.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Courts held a hearing today on U.S. Supreme Court ethics. Those testifying included George Mason University Law School Assistant Professor Jennifer Mascott, Hofstra University School of Law Professor James Sample, and Donald Sherman, chief counsel and executive vice president for Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics. The session comes on the heels of a full committee hearing last month into whether Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court itself should adopt a code of ethics for justices. Watch the proceeding on the committee’s website.

The petitioner, Roger Reed, appeals the Shelby County Criminal Court’s denial of post- conviction relief from his 2016 convictions of premeditated first degree murder, felony murder, and aggravated robbery, arguing that he was deprived of the effective assistance of counsel at trial. We affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.