The U.S. Supreme Court will begin a new term on Oct. 7. Catch up on what the justices were doing over the summer (think emergency requests, book tours and security threats) with a new episode from Bloomberg Law’s Cases and Controversies podcast. For those interested in a preview of the new term, the American Bar Association will offer a free virtual program on Oct. 1 to explore issues set to be considered, including cases involving election questions, water quality standards, the First Amendment and ghost guns. The court also will take up Tennessee’s law banning gender-related medical care for minors. “On the Docket: Looking Ahead at the New Supreme Court Term” will run from 1-2:20 p.m. EDT. Learn more or register here.

The prosecution in the federal trial against three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols rested its case earlier today after hearing from its 19th and final witness. The trial began on Sept. 9. The Daily Memphian has a recap of each day of the trial. The Commercial Appeal also reports that the defense filed a motion for acquittal at the conclusion of the government’s case. Judge Mark S. Norris was set to hear arguments on the motion today.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and will mark the occasion with a special event on Oct. 19 at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH). The evening will run from 6:30 to 11 p.m. CDT and feature food, drinks and music by the Soul Shockers. Each attendee also will leave with a special anniversary gift. The deadline to register is Oct. 4. Learn more here and purchase tickets here.

Arizona's program that allows people who are not lawyers to co-own law firms now has more than 100 approved businesses, Reuters reports. In 2020, Arizona became the first U.S. state to eliminate rules barring non-lawyers from having an economic interest in law firms, allowing lawyers and non-lawyers to co-own legal service businesses if approved by the state's Supreme Court. The court earlier this week approved additional applications, including one from online legal services company Rocket Lawyer. Other national legal services businesses such as LegalZoom, Elevate and Axiom previously were approved. Supporters of the program argue that loosening barriers for non-lawyers to hold a stake in legal services firms can make legal advice more affordable, spur innovation and expand access to justice. Critics contend the changes can lead to abuses if providers are not fully bound by professional ethics rules. The article also looks at pilot programs in Utah, Washington State, California and Florida.

Following release of a state investigative report, which found that the Nashville District Attorney’s Office secretly recorded criminal defense attorneys, office employees and visitors, Comptroller Jason Mumpower is calling for the appointment of a special prosecutor to determine if any laws were violated. Mumpower made those comments in an interview with NewsChannel 5 after Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he would not prosecute anyone. While Skrmetti said there may have been ethical breaches, he determined that “the facts and law do not provide sufficient basis for a successful criminal prosecution.” District Attorney Glenn Funk has maintained that the recordings were lawful because there is no expectation of privacy within a district attorney's office.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has updated Rule 11 of its rules to reflect the assignment of justices to the state’s various judicial districts. Jeffrey S. Bivins has replaced recently retired Roger A. Page as the justice for Circuit No. 2, which consists of the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 31st Judicial Districts. Mary L. Wagner has replaced Bivins as the justice for Circuit No. 4, which consists of the 17th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th and 32nd Judicial Districts. The court issued a corrected version of this order on Oct. 8. Read the order.

The TBA’s Corporate Counsel Section will hold a one-hour webcast on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on corporate governance. The program will air at 9 a.m. CDT on Oct. 25. Tune in to hear from Matt White, a shareholder with Baker Donelson and co-chair of the firm’s Financial Services Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Team, and Barbara Bennett with Frost Brown Todd, a nationally recognized health care, data privacy and AI governance attorney. The course offers one hour of dual CLE credit. Learn more and register online.

Monroe Waldemar Gibbs Sr. died Sept. 17 at age 87. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a 1971 graduate of Howard University Law School. A Tennessee Bar Association member and senior counselor, Gibbs served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at the Temple of Deliverance. A memorial service will be held Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. CDT at Temple of Deliverance, Church of God in Christ, 547 Mississippi Blvd., Memphis 38126.

A state investigation has found that Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office secretly recorded criminal defense attorneys, office employees and visitors. From 2020 to 2021, Funk’s office used government funds to install a surveillance system throughout the building, according to a joint report from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. WPLN News reports that former members of Funk’s staff told investigators that it was common practice to record criminal defense attorneys without their knowledge. The report noted that the practice violates attorney-client privilege, and encroaches on Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. According to a letter obtained by WPLN News, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will not be prosecuting Funk or his office and stated “that the facts and law do not provide sufficient basis for a successful criminal prosecution.” Funk has maintained that there is no expectation of privacy within a DA’s office. The Associated Press reports that the investigation also found that Funk used government resources to support his re-election campaign and surveilled an employee whose family supported a different candidate for the DA position. Metro Nashville Chief Public Defender Martesha Moore is requesting that Funk’s office disclose all cases, both pending and closed, in which this surveillance occurred.

Michael Halliburton (“Halliburton”) filed a lawsuit against his former attorney, Blake Ballin (“Ballin”) and Ballin’s law firm, Ballin, Ballin & Fishman, P.C. (“Ballin Firm”) in the Circuit Court for Shelby County (“the Trial Court”). Ballin and Ballin Firm filed a motion to dismiss Halliburton’s amended complaint. The Trial Court granted the motion to dismiss, and Halliburton has appealed. Having reviewed the record and briefs in this case, we conclude that Halliburton presents an issue unreviewable by this Court and that Halliburton’s appellate brief, accordingly, does not comply with Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 27. We affirm the Trial Court.