The life of retired Tennessee Appeals Court Judge Charles D. Susano Jr. was celebrated last week in Knoxville. All five members of the Tennessee Supreme Court were in attendance at Susano’s funeral mass on Tuesday, as were judges in the Eastern Section of the Court of Appeals. “He was a great partner and incredible lawyer who did an amazing job of coping with a terrible situation,” former TBA President Sarah Sheppeard said of Susano’s 1993 sleepwalking accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down.  Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee said Susano “had a huge heart, a brilliant mind, a deep and abiding faith, and an almost endless capacity to love others.” “He was a highly respected appellate judge, yet remained humble and grateful for the opportunities he had been given,” Lee said. The Knoxville News Sentinel has more on Susano’s life.

Morgan Ortagus, a former candidate for U.S. House in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, has joined the team of her former opponent in the race, the Associated Press reports. Ortagus will now co-chair the National Security Advisory Committee for the campaign of GOP congressional candidate Kurt Winstead. Ortagus was removed from the ballot after the state Republican Party determined she, and two other candidates, did not meet party “bona fides.” Ortagus was the State Department spokesperson under former President Donald Trump and has recently launched a national security advocacy group.

The Tennessee Center for Estate & Elder Law PLLC in Murfreesboro is seeking to hire an attorney with at least two years of experience in estate planning and trust law. The attorney may also practice in other areas of law handled by the firm, including probate, conservatorships, elder law and transactional business and real estate law. For consideration, please send resumes and cover letters to Amy Farrar. The TBA’s JobLink webpage has more on the posting.

State Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, is recovering, but “ready to go,” after suffering what is believed to have been a mini-stroke over the weekend, WBIR reports. Johnson, who turns 60 this week, collapsed on Saturday evening and was taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center's emergency room. She was not admitted to the hospital. Doctors think she likely suffered what is referred to as a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, she said. Johnson has been representing District 13 in the state House, but after this year’s redistricting, has been prompted to move to District 90.

Gail Curley, a former Army colonel and military lawyer and current Marshal of the U.S. Supreme Court, has been asked to lead the investigation into the leak of a draft opinion that suggests the high court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. Experts say leaking the draft opinion likely wasn’t a crime, and Curley’s investigative tools are limited. She could theoretically hire an outside law firm to assist or, as in some other judicial records cases, call in the FBI. But it isn’t clear if she or others have the power to issue subpoenas to get material from journalists or the fewer than 100 people in the court — including justices — with access to a draft opinion. The Associated Press has more on Curley’s career.

Stephanie Gatewood, a nominee for Shelby County juvenile court clerk, is challenging her loss earlier this month in the Democratic primary, the Commercial Appeal reports. Gatewood, who came in third, is challenging the win of Janeen Gordon with the state primary board, claiming Gordon misled the public by using her mother's well-known name — Fullilove — on campaign materials and on the ballot. Gordon listed “Janeen Gordon” on early signage and with the County Election Commission, but on later signage and on the actual ballot she was listed as "Janeen Fullilove Gordon." She is the daughter of current Juvenile Court Clerk Janis Fullilove, but is not the daughter of Fullilove’s former husband, Fred Fullilove, and has never legally changed her name to Fullilove. Two other Democratic primary candidates, Althea Greene and Eric Winston, are also contesting their narrow losses for County Commission in Districts 7 and 11, respectively.

John Legend is an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award-winning entertainer, who recently kicked off a Las Vegas residency and just released a new single. But he is also a well-known activist and advocate for criminal justice reform and voting rights, National Public Radio reports. Now he is throwing his support behind a number of prosecutors who are running on a promise to reform the criminal justice system. Among the states capturing his interest are Tennessee, North Carolina, Oregon and California. In a series of tweets, Legend specifically points out the district attorney race in Memphis. In an interview with NPR, Legend discusses progressive prosecutors, the criminal justice system and President Joe Biden's approach to policing.

The Upper Cumberland Lawyers Association for Women (UCLAW) gathered last week for a reception with TBA President Sherie Edwards following the TBA Court Square CLE series in the city. The group met at Crawdaddy’s West Side Grill in Cookeville. In the photo, standing from left are: Caroline Knight, Circuit Court Judge Amy Hollars, Leslie Ledbetter, Caroline Sapp and Tia E. Jensen. Seated from left to right are: Amber Vargas, Sherie Edwards, Kelly Tollett and Rachel Moses. Not pictured: UCLAW President Lori Dowell. 

The position of First District Governor (three-year term) will be filled by the Tennessee Board of Governors at its meeting on June 18, in accordance with Article 47 of the TBA Bylaws. The First District Governor represents Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties. If you would like to be considered for this position, email TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson with your interest by June 1. Please include a resume with your submission as well as any other information that you would like considered by the TBA Board of Governors.

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions is soliciting public comments on a proposal to eliminate the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or other standardized test for law school admissions. The council will accept comments for 90 days, Bloomberg Law reports. Law schools are currently required to ensure that applicants have completed a “valid and reliable” admission test. The new proposal comes as more than 80 U.S. law schools have allowed prospective students to take the more general Graduate Record Examination (GRE) instead of the LSAT. Schools would be permitted to continue using the LSAT, GRE or another admission test under the proposal. Bloomberg Law looks at the arguments for and against the proposal. The process for submitting comments has not yet been announced. Watch the section’s website for more information.