The TBA’s Tax Law Section will hold its annual forum on Sept. 30 in person in Nashville. The program will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT and include sessions on the SECURE Act; required minimum distributions; state business, excise, sales and use taxes; ethics; and more. Speakers include Shelton Chambers with Chambliss Bahner & Stophel, Hannah Smith with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison and Steven Christopher with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. Get more details here.

The United States Trustee is seeking candidates for appointment as a standing trustee to administer bankruptcy cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee. A successful applicant will be required to undergo a background check and must qualify to be bonded. Although standing trustees are not federal employees, appointments are made consistent with federal Equal Opportunity policies, which prohibit discrimination in employment. Learn more about the position and get instructions for applying on the TBA’s JobLink platform. All resumes must be received on or before Sept. 15. 

Meet TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz! Berkley works closely with the Tennessee legislature and government agencies to advocate for the legal profession by educating lawmakers on TBA’s policy positions in order to advance TBA’s legislative priorities and stop or amend legislation that adversely affects lawyers and/or the practice of law. Berkley keeps everyone at the TBA laughing, so it makes sense that the emoji she uses most on her phone is a laughing face. “My kids call the crying laughing emoji the ‘mom’ emoji,” she says.

The #TeamTBA series offers members a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the TBA and how each staff members makes the association run. Check back every Wednesday for a new staff profile in TBA Today and on the TBA's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

FedEx is seeking a senior attorney in Memphis to provide legal counsel, advice, review and direction to the corporation, its subsidiaries, various departments and to members of management to ensure effective operation in accordance with federal, state and local laws. Six years of experience and demonstrated competence as a practicing attorney in relevant area of law is required. Instructions on how to apply can be found in the job posting. Find more job postings on the TBA’s JobLink site.

President Joe Biden today signed a landmark climate change and health care bill into law, the Associated Press reports. The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in history to fight climate change — some $375 billion over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients. It also would help an estimated 13 million Americans pay for health care insurance by extending subsidies provided during the COVID-19 pandemic. The measure is paid for by new taxes on large companies and stepped-up IRS enforcement of wealthy individuals and entities, with additional funds going to reduce the federal deficit.

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) is asking contractors for proposals to determine what it would take to implement a statewide e-filing system, the Nashville Post reports. The AOC is looking for someone to study the current state of court filing systems in Tennessee and to “provide comprehensive recommendations to move Tennessee courts to a unified e-filing system.” The contractor would have three months to conduct walk-throughs and interviews with 10-15 court clerks and speak with stakeholders, including lawyers. They’d also be asked to evaluate two and four e-filing providers and to create a “roadmap” to setting up a system. According to the request for proposal, “there are 11 courts in Tennessee that are utilizing e-filing systems and 20 additional courts that have been approved for implementation of an e-filing system. There are over 300 courts in the state.” The request for proposals will close early next month. 

Cade Cothren, former chief of staff for ex-House Speaker Glen Casada, is challenging a subpoena to testify before the Registry of Election Finance regarding a political action committee he secretly ran, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The Registry subpoenaed Cothren in January after a former girlfriend testified she formed the Faith Family Freedom Fund Political Action Committee at Cothren’s request so he could run it secretly. Cothren’s attorney, Cynthia Sherwood of Nashville, claims the court should not hold him in contempt for invoking his right against self-incrimination in response to subpoenas. Ahead of a September hearing in front of Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle, Sherwood is arguing that overlapping cases against Cothren should circumvent the state subpoena. The court filing acknowledges the Registry’s authority to refer cases for criminal prosecution but says “the authority to subpoena Mr. Cothren should yield to Mr. Cothren’s constitutional right against compelled testimony.”

The ABA Center for Innovation has released its inaugural “Innovation Trends Report,” a collection of essays and commentaries that focuses on internal ABA innovation, advances in law and technology and regulatory innovation. The report features eight authors who highlight some of the most innovative and forward-thinking efforts nationally in the delivery of legal services. It includes a report from legal tech company Rocket Lawyer, detailing their experience with Utah’s “regulatory sandbox” – a program created to test whether alternative business models for legal services improves access to justice. Read the full report here.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert has announced her office will be closed to the public for two weeks to “catch up on critically outstanding services,” the Daily Memphian reports. The clerk’s office will be closed the weeks of Aug. 22-26 and Sept. 19-23. The office has faced criticisms recently for a backlog of thousands of license plates and vehicle tags. Shelby County commissioners voted last week to call for state oversight, specifically by the state comptroller’s office, of all functions of the office, including the backlog of license plates and car tags renewed by mail and online. Halbert says her office is not to blame for the backlog. She notified commissioners earlier this month that the office would likely close to make up for work not done while addressing the license plate backlog.

TBA CLE’s Disability Law Forum 2022 will cover a variety of topics applicable to disability law practitioners, including a panel discussion on in-person hearings, a session dedicated to appealing ALJ decisions and more! Join the program on Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. CDT via Zoom Meeting. Learn more and get registered here.