The University of Memphis seeks a Law Fellow for a two-year appointment to work in the Office of Legal Counsel. The candidate successful will have a law degree from an ABA accredited school, and admission to the Tennessee bar or awaiting bar exam results/admission to the Tennessee bar at the start of the fellowship term. The fellow must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee within six months of the start date.

The American Bar Association's (ABA) House of Delegates voted Monday to withdraw a proposed diversity and inclusion resolution, Standard 206. The resolution was revised three times between spring 2021 and February 2022, and an ABA spokesperson told Law.com that "[t]he resolution, aimed at bolstering the ABA’s existing diversity and inclusion standard, was withdrawn to await further consideration and discussion with other entities." Christine Charnosky reports, "The most recent amendments to Standard 206 would have required individual law schools to ensure the effective educational use of diversity by providing (1) full access to the study of law and membership in the profession to all persons with a particular focus on underrepresented groups related to race and ethnicity, (2) a faculty and staff that includes members of underrepresented groups with the same focus related to race and ethnicity, and (3) an inclusive and equitable environment for a larger list of groups, according to the executive summary." A PDF of the full article is available.

Professor and Director of Vanderbilt Law School’s Criminal Justice Program Chris Slobogin is one of the speakers in the just released line up for TEDx Nashville, Aug. 27-28. Slobogin is one of the top five most frequently cited criminal law and procedure authors in recent years, and has authored more than 200 articles, books and chapters on criminal law and procedure topics as well as mental health law and evidence. See the complete list of speakers and get ticket information.

The roof of the new Sumner County Courthouse in Gallatin caught fire Sunday night. The local fire department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) are investigating. The cause is still unknown, though Sumner County Mayor Andy Holt speculated that the fire was caused by a lightning strike during Sunday night's storms. It is estimated that 30% of the roof will need to be replaced, likely delaying the 2023 opening of the building. Nashville's NPR station WPLN and Nashville's Fox affiliate have more information.

The Shelby County Commission voted 13-0 Monday to approve $3.45 million in operating and capital spending for a new bail courtroom. Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich and Shelby County District Attorney-elect Steve Mulroy were both in attendance to advocate for a fully-staffed courtroom to hear bail requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Daily Memphian reports that Weirich favors the new courtroom if it is fully staffed with a chance for prosecutors and the victims of crime to also be present for bail determinations currently not made in such a formal setting by judicial commissioners. "Victims have the right to be present," she told the Memphian. "That is the driving force behind my recommendation that we needed additional staff and resources." Some bail bond companies are questioning the commission's authority to set up such a courtroom.

The Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Alumni Chapter at the University of Memphis will host its Pillars of Excellence Law Alumni Chapter Awards on Aug. 20 at FedExForum. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m., and an after-party at 9 p.m. CDT. The 2022 Pillars of Excellence honorees are Lee J. Chase III of Glankler Brown PLLC; David J. Harris of Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC; the Hon. Janice M. Holder, retired chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court; Allie J. Prescott III, senior vice president at Waddell & Associates; and the Hon. Diane K. Vescovo, retired chief magistrate judge for the Western District of Tennessee. The Law Alumni Chapter will also bestow the honor of 2022 Friend of the Law School to Bill Nixon, retired architect at Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects. Make reservations or get more information online or by emailing alumniassociation@memphis.edu.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today held the first of two days of formal interviews for the six applicants for Tennessee’s new attorney general and reporter. Each applicant introduced himself, followed by extensive questioning from each of the justices, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. A video of the proceedings is now available online. “The applicants were all remarkable, experienced, and gracious in their answers during a robust interview process,” Chief Justice Roger A. Page said. The court will continue its process tomorrow.

At the American Bar Association annual meeting this past week in Chicago, three Tennessee lawyers were recognized. Former TBA president Danny Van Horn took office as chair of the ABA’s Litigation Section and was celebrated at a reception hosted by his firm. He will serve during the 2022-2023 bar year, which marks the section’s 50th anniversary year. Van Horn is a trial attorney in the Memphis office of Butler Snow. Then at a reception hosted by the TBA, Knoxville lawyer Heidi Barcus and Nashville lawyer Sam H. Poteet Jr. were honored for their ABA service. Barcus, a special counsel at Lewis Thomason, is the immediate past chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Section and an ABA Fellow. Poteet, a principal at Manier & Herod, is a past chair of the ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section and past chair of the ABA Tort, Trial & Insurance Practice Section’s Fidelity & Surety Law Committee. See more photos from the meeting.

A drop in demand for legal services, combined with rising pay and overhead costs, could spell trouble for U.S. law firms this year, Reuters reports. The Thomson Reuters Law Firm Financial Index, a quarterly composite score of demand, expenses, rates, productivity and other economic indicators at large and midsize law firms, was released today. It showed the index fell to its lowest point this past quarter since its 2006 founding. A year ago, the index was at an all-time high. So, what changed? Reuters points to a decrease in demand for law firm services combined with a 12% rise in direct expenses.

A new lawsuit has been filed on behalf of six Davidson County children, collectively known as the “Baby Doe Plaintiffs,” all of whom were born dependent on opioids as a result of in utero exposure. The claim, which was filed under the Tennessee Drug Dealer Liability Act (DDLA), seeks compensation for the harm inflicted on the children by the alleged actions of numerous drug producers, distributors, pharmacy chain and pill mill defendants. Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings is handling the case. Read more in a release or read the filing.