State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, is proposing legislation that would allow Tennessee students to use the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as a third option for college entrance exams and qualifying for the state’s Hope Scholarship program. Similar to the ACT and SAT, the CLT assesses foundational logic and reasoning skills through classic and historical texts. Slater, dean of Adult and Online Studies at Welch College, believes the CLT offers a valuable alternative. The Moore County News has more on the proposal.

Alabama attorney Matthew Brian Ferry died Sept. 10 at the age of 35. Ferry was born in Chattanooga and was a member of the inaugural graduating class at Belmont University College of Law in Nashville, receiving his law degree in 2013. Following graduation, Ferry relocated to Alabama, where he practiced law at the Porter Law Firm in Scottsboro. A funeral was held last week with burial following in the Cedar Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Jackson County Drug Court Indigent Fund, 102 East Laurel St., Ste. 302, Scottsboro, AL 35768, a cause that was close to Ferry's heart, according to the obituary.

W.J. Michael Cody, a Memphis attorney who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,  served as Tennessee’s attorney general and as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, has died at the age of 88. Cody, a partner at Burch Porter & Johnson since 1961, was instrumental in the legal team representing King during his 1968 visit to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. Among his work, he successfully convinced a judge to lift an injunction preventing strikers from marching, the Commercial Appeal reports. Cody met with King at the Lorraine Motel not long before King was assassinated on the balcony outside his hotel room. Following King's death, Cody and Memphis pastor James Lawson formed a neighborhood legal services operation to offer free aid to the sanitation workers. That idea expanded into the organization now known as Memphis Area Legal Services, the paper reports. According to the family, a private memorial service will be held with a public celebration of life to take place at a later date.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Hamilton County lawyer Walter Francis Williams to disability inactive status on Sept. 13. Williams may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing that the disability has been removed.

The third installment in TBA’s Mockingbirds & the Rest of Us series will take place Sept. 19. This highly interactive three-part series, taught by Doug Blaze and Buck Lewis — founders of the Institute for Professional Leadership at UT Law — examines the book, movie and recent Aaron Sorkin adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” through the lens of contemporary times. Panelists examine the lynching scene on the porch of the jail, the trial and the final scene on the Finch porch after an attempt on the Finch children’s lives. The full program qualifies for 4.5 dual hours of CLE. Register for part 3 here. View recordings for part 1 and part 2 using the respective links.

This year’s Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) Boot Camp will take place Oct. 8 in Nashville. This unique opportunity allows lawyers to observe oral arguments in real cases, followed by a Q&A session with CCA judges. Participants will then take a short walk to Lewis Thomason’s Nashville office for a networking lunch and a lawyer’s panel, featuring analysis by the attorneys who participated in the earlier arguments discussing preparation, tips and considerations for deciding to seek review in the CCA. A one-hour ethics session will cap off the day. The event qualifies for 1 dual and 3.5 general hours of CLE credit. Learn more and register here.

The TBA Appellate Practice Section on Sept. 25 will host a free webinar on unusual appeals. Panelists Nate Kinard, Bill Koch and Jacob Vanzin will discuss the key features of less common but crucial appeal types, including writs of certiorari to inferior tribunals and agencies, interlocutory appeals, extraordinary appeals and writs of mandamus. Don’t miss this opportunity to equip yourself with the knowledge and strategies needed to navigate these procedures that every Tennessee litigator should know. CLE credit for 1.5 hours of general CLE is available for a $60 processing fee. Contact jword@tnbar.org with questions regarding CLE credit. Register now.

The TBA Administrative Law Section will host its Annual Forum on Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST at Burr & Forman in Nashville. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The program is designed to help Tennessee administrative lawyers stay current in their practice. Watch for more details on speakers and topics coming soon to the TBA website.

A legal clinic in Campbell County on Saturday helped more than 40 individuals expunge their criminal records, thanks to the efforts of local officials and legal professionals. Campbell County General Sessions Judge Bill Jones, 8th Judicial District Public Defender Leif Jeffers and District Attorney General Jared Effler, Circuit Court Clerk Bobby Vann, the Bullock Law Firm, and members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division and University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic contributed their time and expertise to the event. The Campbell County Sheriff's Office provided courthouse security for the clinic. See photos from the event.

The TBA YLD's Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Class of 2025 has been formed and each law student needs to be matched with a mentor. This award-winning program runs from January to June and is designed to help students develop skills to succeed as a law student and attorney. Those interested in volunteering as a mentor or being part of the programming should fill out this form.