Do you want to read a Tennessee Bar Journal article from 30 years ago? Did you miss an issue of TBA Today or a section Connect newsletter? You can access the archives of all TBA publications online. Journal issues going back to 1965 are available as PDFs; TBJ Select, which was launched in 2020, can be viewed as an online publication; nearly 20 years of TBA Today issues are available for viewing; and section Connect newsletter archives are available on each section's homepage in the right hand column under "Group Menu." Log in to your MyTBA account for full access to all of these great publications.

America First Legal Foundation (AFL), a conservative nonprofit law firm, recently sent letters to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti prodding investigation into Tennessee-based restaurant group Cracker Barrel. In its letter, AFL contends Cracker Barrel’s Culture and Inclusion policy violates both Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Tennessee Human Rights Act by "openly discriminat(ing) against heterosexual, white and male employees in favor of diverse employees." AFL also says the company’s voluntary employee-led resource groups for Black, Latino, LGBTQ+ and women employees unlawfully provide benefits based on sex, ethnicity or race. Other similar groups on the Cracker Barrel website include those for veterans, modern professionals and employees interested in improving their health. AFL was founded by current White House deputy chief of staff and former senior advisor for policy Stephen Miller. The Tennessean has more.

The 2025 TBA Topgolf Estate Planning Tee-off will take place Sept. 12. This annual favorite offers three hours of CLE followed by two hours of Topgolf gameplay. Sessions for the tee-off include trusts, taxes and other targeted topics to get attendees on the green. The event combines fun and a great team-building exercise with timely training for new planners and seasoned players looking to tighten their grip on essentials. Breakfast and lunch are provided, and space is limited. Register now before it's too late!

The TBA LGBT Section on Sept. 30 will host a free one-hour webinar on LGBT history and lessons for today’s legal environment. Led by law professors John Rice and Regina Hillman, the webinar will recount the history of the movement for LGBT rights and dignity in the United States, as well as offer lessons for how this history informs current and future social and legal action and strategy. One hour of general CLE credit is available for a $50 processing fee. Learn more and register here.

Combining existing law firms into a single business involves a lot of moving parts and personalities. Use this list to make sure you don’t overlook anything important. Find this and more in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

Indiana lawyer Carla Sheree Johnson was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on July 25. She had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago on Dec. 23, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition for reinstatement to be satisfactory.

California lawyer Emily D. Fulham was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on July 31. She had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago on May 27, 2020. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition for reinstatement to be satisfactory.

Tennessee state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, has announced that 30 state inmates will be moved from the Shelby County Jail to state facilities this week. That is in addition to 41 inmates who were moved last week, according to Local Memphis. Taylor said he toured the jail earlier this year and was asked by the sheriff’s office to help get a “high number” of state inmates moved to state facilities to cut down on overcrowding. Recent reports have shed light on crowded conditions at the jail.

The city of Chattanooga intends to appeal a judge’s finding that laws were violated during nonpublic meetings on redrawing local voting districts, the Times Free Press reports. According to the paper, the move comes after a judge found that an ad hoc redistricting committee met on three occasions without any public notice or minutes taken. Finding in support of the paper — which had brought suit — the court directed the city council to follow the state’s Open Meetings Act, submit to one year of oversight and write a semiannual report regarding its compliance. The paper is represented by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit group focused on First Amendment issues.

BUSH, Circuit Judge. After prosecutors agreed to have his murder conviction thrown out, Larry Smith sued Wayne County and Robert Donaldson. Smith claims that his conviction resulted from an elaborate scheme designed by police and prosecutors to elicit false testimony from jailhouse informants to help secure criminal convictions. He alleges that Donaldson, one of the prosecutors in his case, is liable because he actively participated in eliciting false testimony from a key witness. And he maintains Wayne County is also on the hook because it had a policy or custom of encouraging the nefarious activities. The district court granted summary judgment in favor of Donaldson and Wayne County. We AFFIRM. Donaldson is entitled to absolute prosecutorial immunity because Smith seeks to hold him liable for his conduct as an advocate preparing for trial. And Smith released his claim against Wayne County when he accepted a settlement under Michigan’s Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act. Both Defendants are entitled to summary judgment.