Bradley County Juvenile Court has been selected by the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts as a new site for a Safe Baby Court, Chattanoogan.com reports. The expansion of the concept is part of the state's ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of infants, toddlers and families, officials said. Safe Baby Courts focus on building a multidisciplinary team, including judges, attorneys, child welfare workers, mental health providers and early childhood specialists, that works collaboratively to develop individualized plans that address the needs of families involved in the court system. The program emphasizes trauma-informed care, early intervention and prevention strategies.

After 22 years of teaching judges, Tennessee Senior Judge Don Ash will retire as a regular faculty member at the National Judicial College, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. Ash, who joined the judicial college faculty in 2001, has taught nearly 1,500 judges from around the country and world and 50 courses, including ethics, case management and managing self-represented litigants. He first attended the judicial college in 1995, later earning a master’s degree in judicial studies through the college and the University of Nevada. His thesis focused on custody issues. Based on that research, he worked with the General Assembly to change the laws in Tennessee. His legacy will continue on following his retirement as Ash has set up a scholarship to the college for Tennessee judges. Read tributes from his colleagues.

Environmental groups have filed suit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over its approval of a pipeline that will supply methane gas to a new Tennessee Valley Authority power plant near Clarksville. Tennessee Lookout reports that the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to set aside the federal agency’s January order approving the 32-mile pipeline through Dickson, Houston and Stewart counties. The groups, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, argue that the pipeline poses avoidable risks to the communities and natural resources that lie in its path.

Disk encryption keeps client data safe even on lost or stolen devices. Find a comparison chart that shows features and benefits of top providers, in addition to other resources, in the Building a Firm section of TBA’s Law Practice Management Center.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2024 Annual Convention, set for June 12-15, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. In addition to CLE and leadership meetings, there are multiple social and networking events on the agenda. On Wednesday evening, a welcome reception is followed by casual dine-around for all attendees. Thursday begins with the Public Service Breakfast and law school breakfasts, and wraps up with a Tennessee Legal Community Reception open to all and joint bench & bar event featuring Memphis-based band "Soul Shockers." All of these events are included with full registration. Individual tickets will be available for purchase in the next few weeks.

Marlene Eskind Moses and Ansley Owens Tillett tackle a complicated case around child support obligations in "Family Matters."

Jeanne Bigham Heaton has been named the new executive director of the Nashville Bar Association. She will begin her duties on May 20. Heaton is a lawyer who served as the director of continuing legal education for the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) for more than 17 years. In that role, she directed the association’s CLE program, working with more than 50 sections and committees. She also represented the ISBA on the CLE Advisory Committee to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism. Heaton previously practiced environmental law in Illinois. Read more from the NBA.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that Tennessee and five other states are suing the federal Department of Education (DOE) to challenge its overhaul of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act. The Tennessean reports that Title IX is a longstanding federal law that bans sexual discrimination against students, employees and others at public schools, colleges and universities that receive federal funds. Earlier this month, the Biden administration introduced updated Title IX rules that include protections against all sex-based harassment and discrimination, including discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual characteristics. The lawsuit claims that the changes would harm Tennessee students, families and schools.

The Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission, Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS), West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS), Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), The University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic, Free Hearts and United Way are recruiting pro bono volunteer attorneys for their rights restoration project. The project's aim is to aid Tennesseans with criminal records in restoring their rights. View a flyer for more information and a link to register to help.

Chief Deputy Clerk Lisa Marsh retired from the Tennessee courts after 25 years. She began working in the clerk's office in 1976 and left in 1983 after the birth of her son. She returned in 2003. "You will not find a more dedicated or reliable public servant in the judiciary than Lisa Marsh,” said Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Neal McBrayer. “So many of us, especially me, have come to rely on her intimate knowledge of the inner workings of clerk's office. It is difficult for me to imagine coming to the courthouse without her steady presence." Read this tribute from the Administrative Office of the Courts.