KPMG, a global network of independent firms offering audit, tax and advisory services, is seeking to launch a new legal services business in the United States, leveraging the relaxed law firm ownership rules in Arizona, according to Reuters. KPMG Law US, a subsidiary of KPMG US, has applied to the Arizona Supreme Court to operate as an alternative business structure under a state program that allows non-lawyers to co-own law firms. The Arizona location would offer compliance, contract-related services and other outsourced legal work. A committee will review the application at a meeting tomorrow. If approved, the application then will go to the court for final approval. In 2020, Arizona became the first state to lift restrictions on non-lawyers owning an economic interest in law firms, allowing co-ownership with court approval. Since 2021, the Arizona court has approved more than 100 alternative legal business structures.

Free Legal Answers, the American Bar Association's (ABA) virtual legal clinic program, has surpassed 400,000 total questions answered since its inception in 2016. In 2024, the program provided over 16,500 hours of pro bono service, assisting with family law, housing, consumer rights, employment and civil rights questions. The program, which has over 15,000 registered volunteers and is available in 42 states and territories, allows eligible users to post questions and receive answers to civil legal issues. Baker Donelson created and continues to maintain the portal in collaboration with the ABA. Originally launched in 2009 as Online Tennessee Justice to serve low-income individuals, the initiative has expanded into a nationwide program under the ABA Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service. See the most recent program report for more information. 

The Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (DDA) recently announced it will award grants for state colleges and universities to assist students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The grants are provided through DDA’s Tennessee Believes program, which received $1 million in funding this year from Gov. Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly. Half of the funding will go to already awarded multi-year grants, with approximately $500,000 available to new awardees. Qualifying institutions can apply on the DDA website. Applications are due by Feb. 14.

A recent piece in U.S. News & World Report examines tax deductions for seniors receiving medical care in their homes or assisted living. The article covers a variety of concerns, such as deductions for medical devices, home health services, certain nursing home expenses, memory care and more. Also included is information regarding benefits for adult children who are helping to support a parent.

Those interested in serving on the TBA Board of Governors or House of Delegates, or as a TBA delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates, should apply by the end of the day this Wednesday, Jan. 15. Open positions include TBA's vice president (must be from middle Tennessee this year); district governors in two districts and grand division governors on the TBA Board; certain members of the TBA House of Delegates; and two Tennessee representatives to the ABA House of Delegates, one of whom must be a young lawyer. The 2025 Election Notice has more information on the open positions, including the qualifications for each and the process for applying. Questions? Visit the TBA’s election guidelines webpage.

The Memphis Bar Association's (MBA) Second Saturday Legal Advice Clinic originally scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled due to inclement weather. The clinic will next be held on the second Saturday in February. To sponsor a future clinic, contact Mary Ann Upchurch at maupchurch@memphisbar.org. Questions about the clinic should be directed to Memphis Area Legal Services Pro Bono Managing Attorney Heather Staggs at hstaggs@malsi.org.

This week's installment of TBA's Indigent Representation Primer is now available. The new post provides more information about the role, responsibilities and resources for guardians ad litem (GALs), including the obligation to advocate for the best interests of a child, ensuring their needs are fully considered in legal decisions. In many instances, family law cases can be complex and emotionally charged; a GAL ensures that decisions are made based on the child’s needs, rather than the adult participants’ desires. Often the cases the GAL is involved with include not only legal problems, but also social, economic or health issues that may be relevant. In Tennessee, Supreme Court Rule 40 sets forth guidelines and responsibilities of GALs in juvenile court neglect, abuse and dependency proceedings, including special considerations when a child's best interests are in conflict with their expressed wishes. Read all past primer posts.

During a meeting Tuesday, Memphis City Council members passed an amendment adding a "trigger" to an ordinance that includes a series of gun control measures approved by voters in the 2024 election. Members also voted to enter the election results into the permanent council record. According to the Tri-State Defender, the resolution acknowledges that current state law nullifies the ordinance but includes language allowing it to take effect if the open-carry law is changed in the future. 

James William "Bill" Stinnett Jr. died Tuesday at age 96. A U.S. Navy veteran, Stinnett served as city judge in Ashland City until his death, possibly making him the oldest serving judge in Tennessee until his recent illness, according to the Tennessean. He earned his law degree from YMCA Night Law School (now Nashville School of Law [NSL]) and in 2012, he and his partner, Bill Wilkinson, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from NSL. The family will receive visitors from 4-6 p.m. CST on Monday and on Tuesday from 10 a.m. until noon at Cheatham County Funeral Home, 117 Elizabeth St., Ashland City 37015. Services will be held Tuesday at noon in the funeral home's chapel, with burial to follow at EverRest of Cheatham in Pleasant View. Donations may be made to Shriners Hospital or St. Jude Children's Hospital. 

After initially denying public records requests for an execution manual outlining new lethal injection protocols, the Tennessee Department of Correction has released a redacted version of the document. According to the Associated Press, the manual — much shorter than the previous version — includes a single page on lethal injection chemicals with no specific instructions for testing the drugs. It also removes a requirement that the drugs come from a licensed pharmacist. Kelley Henry, a Nashville-based assistant federal public defender who represents several death row inmates, described the new manual to the news outlet as "incomplete, truncated and vague." She added, "As of today, we still do not know the source of drugs, whether they are compounded, or whether they have been diverted from the market into a gray market, how they will be procured, stored, tested and administered." The 44-page document also redacts some titles and names and omits previously detailed steps for carrying out executions in Tennessee.