The American Bar Association (ABA) Board of Governors is seeking nominations for the 2022 recipient of the ABA Medal, which honors a member of the bench or bar who has "rendered conspicuous service in the cause of American jurisprudence." The award is given by the board’s Profession, Public Service and Diversity Committee. Guidelines for awarding the medal and a list of past recipients are available online. Nominations should be submitted by email to Cecilia Boyd or by mail to Boyd at 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654. Nominations are due by May 20.

Rachel Harmon has been appointed deputy director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the agency reports. Harmon first joined the AOC in 2015 and has served as general counsel and director of legal services and judicial development. For the last two years, she also has served as the court’s main point of contact for pandemic-related operations and orders. Prior to joining the AOC, Harmon spent nine years with the state attorney general’s office and two years in private practice with Puryear, Newman & Morton in Franklin. She is a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law.

National law firm Polsinelli is adding a real estate element to its existing Nashville office, the Nashville Post reports. The firm recently announced the addition of two real estate attorneys from Maynard Cooper & Gale. Sarah Laird joins the firm as a shareholder and Brittany Macon joins as an associate. Real Estate Chair Amy Kiefer Hansen says the firm has been wanting to add a real estate team to the Nashville office calling it one of the firm’s “most vibrant offices in the Southeast region” and one that offers a “huge potential for further growth.” Both Laird and Macon earned their law degrees from Vanderbilt University Law School.

East Tennessee State University’s Office of University Counsel is seeking to fill a vacancy for an attorney. The position will be classified as a staff attorney, assistant counsel or associate counsel depending on the successful candidate’s years of experience. The responsibilities of the position may include providing legal advice to senior administrators, faculty and staff; reviewing and negotiating university contracts; handling immigration matters pertaining to university employees; providing legal advice pertaining to international programs and processes; and defending the university, officers and employees in administrative proceedings and investigations. Three to five years of legal experience in an accredited institution of higher education is preferred. See the full job description and apply online.

Nashville activist and Stand Up Nashville co-founder Odessa Kelly is moving her congressional campaign from the 5th District to the 7th District following redistricting, the Nashville Post reports. Kelly initially planned to challenge Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, in the 5th District’s Democratic primary, but redistricting split Nashville into three different districts and Cooper announced his decision to retire. Kelly now will run in the Democratic primary in an effort to take on incumbent Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, whose 7th District now includes much of northern Davidson County. Kelly currently lives in the 6th District, but plans to move to the 7th District though election laws do not require congressional candidates to live in the district they seek to represent.

Those opposed to the current bail system frequently raise concerns about the number of those detained before trial and the “patchwork” of bail practices across Tennessee's 95 counties. According to the state Department of Correction, about 59% of the 24,264 people in jail in the state are being detained pre-trial. According to WPLN, three bills have been introduced this session to address issues related to bail practices. SB2377/HB2367 would create a system to send alerts to all “interested parties” at each step of the legal process, including notifying the defendant of when to return to court. SB2237/HB2355 would further regulate bail bond agencies, including requiring additional continuing legal education. And SB1791/HB1936 would require a bail hearing within 48 hours of an arrest. Read more about the proposals and track where they are in the legislative process on the General Assembly's website.

The TBA Federal Law Section will host its annual forum on May 18 as a live virtual program. This year’s forum is being produced by Audrey Calkins with the Memphis office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. Section members enjoy additional savings on this program. Not a section member yet? Join here. Watch for more details coming soon.

The TBA Adoption Law Forum is set for May 16 in Nashville from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT, offering one dual and three general CLE credits. Produced by Jennifer Williams, speakers are Meredith Brasfield, Vicki Davis, Douglas Dimond, Susan Kovac, Marianne Shore and Kevin Weaver. Register here. 

Cookeville attorney Dana R. Looper has announced her candidacy for 13th Judicial District Circuit Court judge. She is an attorney with Fry, Fry, Knight & Looper where she has a general practice including federal court and appellate practice. She received her legal education from the Nashville School of Law. Prior to becoming an attorney, Looper was a police officer for the Algood Police Department and a domestic violence advocate. The district covers Clay, Cumberland, Dekalb, Overton, Pickett, Putnam and White counties.

A group of legal and community advocates in Memphis is requesting a racial equity audit of Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich and her office, The Daily Memphis reports. They made the request today on the heels of the controversial case of Pamela Moses, a Memphis woman sentenced to six years and a day in prison after she was prosecuted by Weirich’s office for voter fraud. Moses has since been granted a new trial.