The Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is now accepting nominations for the fourth annual Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers’ Compensation. Nominees must have a minimum of five years of involvement with the state’s workers’ compensation system in one of the following categories: employer or employer’s representative, employee representative, service provider, claims professional, medical provider or legal professional. Nominees will be judged on their positive contributions to the state workers’ compensation system, including reflecting the bureau’s mission of fulfilling the promise of workers’ compensation. Nominations, which will be judged by a panel of leading industry professionals, are due by April 4. Read more about the award and nomination process on the bureau’s website.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office has concluded that a dog muzzle sent to the state’s former vaccine chief Dr. Michelle Fiscus was sent by someone else who fraudulently obtained a credit card in her name, WPLN reports. Last summer, Fiscus was fired from the Tennessee Department of Health. Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said the firing was due to job performance. Fiscus has claimed it was political retribution for comments about vaccinating some teenagers without parental consent. In the weeks before Fiscus was fired, someone sent a muzzle to her office. It was purchased with a credit card in her name, leading some to assume that she sent the item to herself. In the report, the district attorney’s office says it is too soon to tell whether the muzzle was meant to be a political statement, but that the events appear “too coincidental to be random.” The report recommends further investigation by federal authorities.

President Joe Biden has granted a major disaster declaration for seven Tennessee counties as a result of a winter storm last month, the Associated Press reports. The declaration will give local jurisdictions and some private, nonprofit organizations access to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program. Counties included in the declaration include Crockett, Fayette, Haywood, Lauderdale, Shelby, Tipton and Weakley. Gov. Bill Lee requested the declaration, while the state’s congressional delegation supported it.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a clinic on Wednesday specifically for veterans. The clinic will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S. Nashville 37203. Masks are required. To volunteer contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. See all March clinics.

The Immigration Law Section will host Immigration Law Basics virtually on May 23 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CDT. Attendees will learn helpful tips on immigration court practice and explore the basics of family, naturalization and U visa practice with regional experts. The program also will feature a session on business and entertainment aspects of immigration law in Tennessee. The course offers up to three CLE hours, including one dual hour.

Hamilton County lawyer Katherine Teresa Farrar was reinstated to the practice of law yesterday. She had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on Oct. 12, 2015. The court made her reinstatement effective as of Feb. 14.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in providing free legal services for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits at a clinic on March 17. Issues to be covered include questions about business formation, corporate governance, contract review and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible businesses may receive up to one hour of assistance but must register by Monday. Clients may sign up online. To volunteer, email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

The $1.5 trillion spending bill approved by Congress this week includes $85.5 million for a new federal courthouse in Chattanooga. The money comes on top of an initial $94.5 million approved in 2021, Chattanoogan.com reports. But the funding falls short of the $94.6 million that government officials say is necessary to complete the project. The new courthouse is projected to be 186,000 square feet. The federal General Services Administration began looking for a new site between two to five acres in January. It also will have to determine the best use and reuse opportunities for the current courthouse. Known as the Joel Solomon Building, it was the final work of famed Chattanooga architect R.H. Hunt when it was built in the 1930s.

The Tennessee Education Lottery is seeking a legal compliance and government relations manager to handle all legislative activities for the agency and assist the legal division with coordinating legal services. Candidates should have a law degree and a Tennessee law license. A minimum of three years of legal experience is required. Read more about the position or apply online at www.tnlottery.com.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order last week seeking comments on a petition filed by the Board of the Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection (TLFCP) on March 3. The petition asks the court to consider amendments to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9 and Rule 25 to (1) increase the annual attorney registration fee from $170 to $185, (2) increase the portion of the fee TLFCP receives from $10 to $25, (3) modify the limitations on payments that TLFCP may make, and (4) require TLFCP to publicize information about claims that are paid. Comments should be submitted by June 10.