An assistant professor of art history has filed a $2 million suit against Vanderbilt University, claiming she was denied tenure as a result of the school’s unequal treatment of female “spousal hires,” who are offered a job as part of an employment deal extended to their partners. Mireille Lee filed suit in Davidson County Chancery Court last week alleging the university engaged in unlawful gender discrimination against her in the denial of tenure in both 2015 and 2019, then retaliated against her when she complained. Lee joined the faculty in 2008 after Vanderbilt offered a job to her husband, Joe Rife, an assistant professor of classics and anthropology. Tennessee Lookout has more on the suit.

The leak of a draft opinion regarding abortion has turned the Supreme Court into a place “where you look over your shoulder,” Justice Clarence Thomas said Friday at a conference in Dallas. The Washington Post reports that Thomas also said the leak exposed the “fragile” nature of the court and that trust may be gone forever. “I wonder how long we’re going to have these institutions at the rate we’re undermining them. And then I wonder when they’re gone or destabilized, what we’re going to have as a country.” It was the second time in a week that Thomas decried declining respect for institutions; he made similar remarks at a conference of judges and lawyers two weeks ago.

Adams and Reese LLP announced today it has launched a team dedicated to alcohol and hospitality law within its Intersection of Business & Government Practice Group. The firm also has added liquor lawyers Rob Pinson and Will Cheek in its Nashville office. The team will provide regulatory, transactional and litigation counsel for businesses and entrepreneurs in the hospitality and alcoholic beverage industries, according to a release from the firm. Pinson formed the Tennessee Distillers’ Guild and assisted in the formation of the new Tennessee Whiskey Trail. He holds a master of laws in taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and law degree from the University of Tennessee. Cheek is a founding member of the Alliance of Alcohol Industry Attorneys and Consultants and serves as an advisory board member and legal counsel for the National Association of Licensing and Compliance Professionals. He also authors Last Call, a blog covering new regulations and developments in the alcohol and hospitality industries. He earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that federal law limiting the amount of money candidates can raise to pay off personal debt violates the First Amendment. The Hill reports that the court, on a 6-3 vote, struck down a $250,000 cap on the amount of post-election funds a candidate can use to repay personal loans made to his or her campaign. Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, said the law unduly burdens a candidate’s constitutional right “to use his own money to facilitate political speech.” The case was brought by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who sued the Federal Election Commission in an effort to pay off debt in excess of the federal limit.

Shelby County Chancellor Jim Kyle ruled on Friday that Lee Mills can remain on the Republican primary ballot for House District 99, the Commercial Appeal reports. Mills, the former chair of the Shelby County Republican Party and a Republican state executive committee member, had his residency in Shelby County challenged by Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins. At issue was whether Mills’ house is in Shelby County or neighboring Fayette County; different maps show it in both counties. Kyle described his ruling as narrow and only on the fact that Mills is a resident of Shelby County. He did not rule on the border dispute between Shelby and Fayette counties, which underpins the case. Mills will face Tom Leatherwood, the current District 99 representative, in the primary on Aug. 4. He previously lost to Leatherwood in 2020.

At least two people connected to a Tennessee execution that was abruptly put on hold last month knew that the injection drugs to be used had not undergone required testing, the Associated Press reports. The report comes after the outlet received “20 pages of heavily redacted emails and text messages” from the state Department of Correction through a public records request. The documents reveal that testing was not performed for endotoxins, which usually come from bacteria. Such testing is considered vital because it could be an indication of problems with the manufacture of the drugs, according to the AP. The governor’s office has declined to release any information or comment on the new documents citing an ongoing investigation by former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton.

John Ryder, a Memphis attorney who was active in the state and national Republican parties for decades, died this weekend after a long a battle with cancer. He was 72 years old. Ryder practiced election and bankruptcy law at Harris Shelton and was widely considered an expert on election issues. He volunteered in a variety of different capacities in both government and politics. Most recently, he completed an appointment to the Tennessee Valley Authority. For 16 years he served on the board of the Tennessee Republican National Committee and more recently as the board’s general counsel. The Commercial Appeal has more on his life. Information about funeral services has not yet been announced.

The TBA’s annual Court Square Series, designed to provide attorneys with the latest developments in multiple areas of the law, is underway and will be making a stop in Chattanooga on June 3. The three-hour event will begin at noon EDT with a networking lunch with TBA President Sherie Edwards, followed by a session on preventing attorney burnout with Dr. Kristen Black, an ethics update from Board of Professional Responsibility Disciplinary Counsel Jim Milam, and a discussion on the latest in labor and employment law with Kathleen Siciliano. The program will be held at the law firm of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. The Court Square Series also will be making stops in Cookeville on May 19, Kingsport on May 26 and Jackson on June 7. Read more about these programs on the TBA CLE website.

Hawkins County lawyer John Stephen Anderson was reinstated to the practice today. He had been suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court in December 2015 for six years. Anderson petitioned for reinstatement in October 2021. The court found that he had complied with the terms and conditions of his suspension but directed him to engage a practice monitor for two years, enroll in the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program to undergo an evaluation and comply with any recommended monitoring agreement, and complete three additional hours of CLE on ethics and professionalism during 2022.

In addition to compelling CLE, social events and networking opportunities, the TBA's governing bodies will meet throughout the 2022 TBA Annual Convention. On June 15, the House of Delegates will meet from 2 to 5 p.m., while new Board of Governors members will attend an orientation session. On June 16, section and committee leaders will meet to recap their work over the past year and begin making plans for the 2022-2023 bar year. On June 17, the Young Lawyers Division will hold committee meetings and the division’s annual meeting, which is open to all YLD members. Finally, on June 18, the TBA Board of Governors and the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation Board of Trustees will meet, as will the YLD Executive Committee and full YLD Board. Check out the full convention schedule and make plans to be in Nashville June 15-18!