A plan to require more hands-on training for law students was pulled just prior to consideration by the American Bar Association (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. The proposal, which would double the number of required hands-on learning credits for American law students from six to 12 credits, had met with strong opposition, according to Reuters. Clinical legal professors and externship supervisors largely have backed the change, as have some attorneys and members of the public, saying it will help produce practice-ready attorneys. But many deans of ABA-accredited law schools said the change would be too costly.

When you’re busy, it’s difficult to think of a ringing phone as a prospective client rather than a mere interruption. The TBA's Law Firm in a Box offers a chart comparing services that not only answer phones but can help with client screening, intake and more. Access this and more resources in the Opening a Firm section.

Retired Rutherford County lawyer Allen D. Hale died Aug. 23 at age 73. A lifelong resident of the county, he worked as paramedic, police detective, assistant district attorney and private practice attorney. Visitation will be this Friday at 10:30 a.m. CDT at Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 S. Church St., Murfreesboro 37130. A service will follow at 12:30 p.m. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Gardens, 5350 NW Broad St., Murfreesboro 37129. Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.jenningsandayers.com.

MURPHY, Circuit Judge. Valerie Kloosterman sued her former hospital employer and several of its officials under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, Title VII, and Michigan law. The hospital defendants repeatedly asked the district court to dismiss all of Kloosterman’s claims on the merits. But the court declined to dismiss several of them. Only at that point—after a year of litigation and after the defendants got a preview of how the merits might progress in court—did they seek to arbitrate. We conclude that this request came too late, primarily because the defendants sought to avoid arbitration altogether by asking for a complete judicial victory. Specifically, we hold that the defendants lost their right to arbitrate under the Federal Arbitration Act because their conduct put them “in default in proceeding with [their requested] arbitration.” 9 U.S.C. § 3. We thus reverse the district court’s decision to dismiss this suit in favor of arbitration.

Petitioner, Shaquil Murphy, was convicted by a Knox County Criminal Court jury of attempted first degree premeditated murder, attempted second degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of employing a firearm during the commission of a dangerous felony, for which he received a total effective sentence of thirty years’ incarceration. Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which the post-conviction court denied after a hearing. On appeal, Petitioner contends that he was denied the effective assistance of counsel based upon trial counsel’s failure to move for a bifurcation of the trial for his charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and, instead, stipulating to Petitioner’s status as a convicted felon. Following a thorough review, we affirm the post- conviction court’s denial of relief.

A defendant was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. He was granted bail upon the posting of a $100,000 bond by a bonding company. In the wake of the defendant’s successive failures to appear, the trial court ordered the bond forfeited. The defendant was apprehended several weeks after the bonding company paid the forfeiture, and the bonding company sought a refund. The trial court denied the refund, and the bonding company moved the trial court to set aside its order denying the refund. The trial court also denied the motion to set aside, and this appeal followed. We affirm the trial court.

Defendant, Ricky Lee Allen, Jr., was convicted by a jury of driving under the influence (“DUI”). Defendant claims that the trial court erred by failing to suppress the evidence obtained as a result of his traffic stop, which he argues was unreasonably long, and that the trial court erred by finding that defense counsel “opened the door” to evidence that Defendant refused consent to have a blood sample taken. Discerning no error, we affirm.

In this compensation appeal, the employee asserts he has been treated unfairly in the dismissal of his claim and maintains he should be able to proceed with his case despite a prior order of dismissal entered three years before his current petition was filed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s dismissal of the employee’s petition for benefits on the grounds of res judicata, and we certify the trial court’s order as final.

A Nashville grand jury that declined to indict dozens of cases earlier this year has left some defendants facing higher bail and extended jail time, The Tennessean reports. The grand jury, led by foreperson and community organizer Theeda Murphy, issued “no true bills” in 47 cases from January to March, about 15 times more than the five other grand juries that have met since January 2024. While Murphy said prosecutors failed to present enough evidence, defense attorneys argue the move backfired, forcing defendants to pay bail twice or remain in custody. Judges and bonding companies are now untangling the fallout, which attorneys have called “insanely unfair.”

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners plans to set up an ad hoc committee next month to explore new jail options, the Daily Memphian reports. Incoming commission chair Shante Avant announced the move Monday as the commission delayed action on putting out a call for proposals to implement a master plan proposed for the new jail. Commissioners voted 8-1 to push consideration of a request for proposals to Sept. 17, after amending the resolution to broaden possible sites beyond county-owned land, allow rebuilding or relocation of the jail and consider private as well as public funding. Much of the debate centered on whether the former Firestone plant site in North Memphis should remain under consideration when exploring options for the jail.