The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has announced that an investiture ceremony and reception for Judge Katherine Crytzer will be held Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. EDT at the Howard H. Baker Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville. The ceremony was originally scheduled for last November but was postponed. Crytzer was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2020. She was previously the principal deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy.

The next Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic — a joint project of Knoxville area legal organizations — will take place Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. EDT at the Knoxville Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St. This general advice and referral clinic is supported by the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers and Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, University of Tennessee  College of Law, Lincoln Memorial University-Duncan School of Law, and the local Veterans Affairs office. Sign up here to volunteer.

Courses from the recent Litigation Ethics Forum are now available. These programs include an essential discussion of ethical issues associated with the remote practice of law, as well as the triumphs and travails of practicing full-time in a virtual law firm. The second session from the program features an in-depth discussion by seasoned practitioners, judges, and court staff about important litigation issues with conservatorship. The full program or individual sessions — Legal Ethics in the Era of Remote Work or Navigating the Ethical Tightropes Associated with Conservatorships —are available for purchase.

After announcing an adjustment to the settlement process in Memphis, the Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims issued a clarification today. Under the new process, the Memphis office will accept settlements on Tuesdays from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 2:30 p.m. CDT. On Thursday, the office will accept settlements from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. The limit is 20 settlements in the mornings, and nine on Tuesday afternoon. Attorneys will not have a specific assigned time but can secure a spot by sending in requests as currently done. The court will then take cases on a first-come, first-served basis. The same process will apply to the new Lauderdale County office beginning in July. For questions, contact LaShawn Pender at 901-543-0042 or Ricki Brown at 901-543-6077 or 901-947-8802.

Last month, the Tennessee Supreme Court adopted an order referring the case of State of Tennessee v. Angela Joy Hopson to the Board of Professional Responsibility for “whatever actions the Board may deem warranted.” Madison lawyer Hopson pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and theft of property. She received judicial diversion in both cases.

A sergeant in the National Guard filed suit against the Tennessee Departments of Safety and Human Resources this week, alleging that state officials failed to give him — and potentially hundreds of other job applicants — required veteran preferences in hiring. Between 2016 and 2022, Kelly Hance applied six times for a job as a Tennessee state trooper. His court filing indicates initial applications were found to meet minimum requirements for the position, but he was never offered a job. Hance repeatedly asked whether the agency was giving weight to his military service, and received mixed answers. Under a 2012 state law, veterans and their spouses who served on active federal duty in the U.S. Armed Services are required to receive a preference for a state job interview. If two candidates are equally qualified, the law requires hiring preference be given to the veteran. A spokesperson for the Tennessee Attorney General did not respond to a request for comment. Tennessee Lookout reports on the case.

The state will not appeal a federal court ruling striking down a transgender bathroom sign mandate on businesses, Nashville Business Journal reports. The law had required many businesses to post signs if they allowed transgender people to use their restrooms but Judge Aleta A. Trauger of the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Tennessee ruled last month that the act was unconstitutional. Read more about Trauger's decision in the Tennessean.

Three former Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear oversight managers, who were removed from their posts after alerting the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to repeated safety concerns and violations, are now suing the utility in federal court. The trio filed suit last week in U.S. district court, Tennessee Lookout reports. They contend they were ousted from their posts in 2019 and targeted for public humiliation in retaliation for talking to the NRC and the TVA Office of Inspector General about safety concerns and intimidation of other whistleblowers. TVA argues the firings were justified because the workers did not have the needed “skills and abilities” to do the job.

Atlanta-based law firm Smith, Currie & Hancock announced today it has opened an office in downtown Nashville. The firm, which focuses on construction and government contracts, has acquired space in the One Nashville high-rise, according to the Nashville Post. Associate attorney Jeanne Harrison moved to Nashville to oversee the new office. She is joined by associate Alex Hoppestad. Partner Lochlin Samples will serve as resident partner for the Nashville office. Five other attorneys will serve Tennessee clients from the Atlanta office. They are William L. Baggett Jr, Philip E. Beck, K. Alex Jennings, Brent R. Laman and Steven J. Stuart. The firm cited development in Nashville as a driving factor for opening an office in the city.

The Office of the Post-Conviction Defender in Nashville is seeking an investigator to work with attorneys and paralegals to develop both guilt/innocence and sentencing claims on behalf of clients. Primary duties will include developing and maintaining a relationship with clients and their support system; record review; creation and/or maintenance of core case documents such as witness lists and timelines; identifying, locating and interviewing witnesses; and drafting a range of documents and reports. The investigator will also subpoena witnesses for evidentiary hearings and assist with managing the witnesses at the hearing. Application deadline is June 17. Learn more about this and other opportunities on TBA’s JobLink.