A bipartisan bill that would make Juneteenth an official state holiday in Tennessee has stalled, WKRN reports. The measure, which would legally commemorate the emancipation of slaves, passed a Senate committee this morning and was headed for a full Senate vote but a House panel took the bill “off notice,” essentially stalling it for the remainder of the session. The legislation, backed by Gov. Bill Lee, was being carried in the House by Democratic Minority Leader Karen Camper. “I was really appreciative of him deciding it was important to not only observe the holiday but to make it an official day off and actually fund it in the budget,” Camper said.

The Nashville office of Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton has sued local legal services provider Legility, claiming that it does not owe for eDiscovery services performed as part of a legal action involving the state of Tennessee. Shackelford represented MedManagement Inc. in the state’s action against Pain MD, a Franklin-based pain management company organized under MedManagement’s umbrella. Pain MD was accused by both state and federal authorities of fraudulent billing practices. According to the firm, the state sought “voluminous electronic documents and other data.” When the company argued it did not have the resources to pay a third party vendor, the judge in the case ordered Legility, the state’s vendor, to compile the information at the state’s expense. But later, the state determined it was not able to use the documents and refused to pay Legility. The vendor is now seeking payment from the firm, the Nashville Post reports.

The Vogel Group, a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm with ties to former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, is opening a Nashville office, the Nashville Post reports. The firm was founded by Alex Vogel, a former aide to Frist, about four years ago. “Vogel Group has always had a unique, and important, relationship with Tennessee — driven originally by my work for former Senate Majority Leader Frist and our work for a large group of federal clients that are headquartered in Tennessee,” Vogel said about the decision. Local companies represented by the group have included Corizon, CoreCivic and SmileDirectClub. The new Nashville office will be led by former Oak Hill mayor Tommy Alsup, former Republican fundraiser Bryan Kaegi and Rob Mortensen, former president and CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association.

Members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma are willing to kick in more money — up to $6 billion total — to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids, according to a federal mediator. The company is trying to work out a deal with state attorneys general who rejected an earlier settlement, the Associated Press reports. Under the latest proposal, the Sacklers would contribute between $5.5 billion and $6 billion, an increase from the $4.3 billion they had agreed to in the original bankruptcy settlement. The funds would have to be used to combat the opioid crisis that has been linked to more than 500,000 deaths in the United States over the past two decades.

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) has named Laura Brown as its next executive director. Brown succeeds Ann Pruitt, who is departing the role next month. Brown currently serves as deputy director of client services at Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and previously served as general counsel of the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD). “Under Laura Brown’s leadership, TALS is well positioned for the next chapter in its forty-five year history of advancing a vital mission — strengthening the delivery of civil legal help to vulnerable Tennesseans,” said Pruitt. Among TALS’ programs that provide civil legal service for low-income and elderly individuals are TN Free Legal Answers and HELP4TN. Brown earned her law degree at University of Tennessee College of Law and is a PhD candidate in Leadership and Learning at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to decide whether the Biden administration must continue to enforce the Trump-era program known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while they wait for a hearing in U.S. immigration court. SCOTUSblog reports that the justices fast-tracked the administration’s appeal, setting the case for oral argument in late April, with a decision expected before the summer recess. President Joe Biden stopped enforcing the policy when he took office. Last year, a district court judge ordered the administration to reinstate it. That ruling is still in effect since the court of appeals and the high court declined to block it at the time. A new, revised effort to end the program also has failed to convince the lower courts to stop it, leading to this latest appeal to the Supreme Court.

Chapter 16 writer Joy Ramirez recently interviewed Keeda Haynes, a former Davidson County assistant public defender, about her journey from unwittingly abetting a criminal operation, to prison and now to lawyer and criminal justice advocate. Haynes writes about the experience in her memoir Bending the Arc: My Journey from Prison to Politics. The first episode of TBA’s Sidebar Podcast featured Haynes as well. In 2020, Haynes challenged U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper in the Democratic primary and earned 40% of the vote. At the time she said she would not rule out another campaign. She now works at The Sentencing Project, supporting state and local advocates advancing sentencing reforms and working to restore voting rights. Despite the challenges she has faced, Haynes says “Bending the arc takes effort. It takes action. It takes pressure. The work continues.”

Jacksboro resident and Knoxville attorney Zack Walden has announced his candidacy for Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court judge, WLAF News reports. The seat is currently held by Judge E. Shayne Sexton, who is retiring this summer. Walden is former chair of the Campbell County Republican Party and is an attorney with Eldridge & Blakney in Knoxville, where he focuses his practice on complex criminal litigation. He is an active member of the Knoxville Bar Association and the Barristers, receiving the group's President’s Award for his commitment to civics education. He is also active in the TBA and its Young Lawyers Division, serving as chair of the High School Mock Trial Committee. His vision for the court includes expanding the existing Recovery Court to specifically serve veterans and continuing to fight the scourge of opioids in the area. The Eighth District covers Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties.

Tennessee's Republican leadership is continuing its push against critical race theory, this time turning its attention to public universities, the Tennessean reports. A bill sponsored by leaders in the House and Senate would prevent universities from penalizing students who refuse to support a number of "divisive concepts,” which are laid out in the bill. The bill, HB2670, also would give college students and staff the right to sue the university if they feel discriminated against for pushing back on these concepts. It would also require schools to conduct a survey every other year to assess the campus community’s comfort level with speaking freely regardless of political affiliation or ideology. The legislation passed the House Education Subcommittee last week.

The final week of Law Tech 2022 wraps up Thursday with two sessions and two chances to win tech prizes. The Future of the Paperless Law Firm will begin at 10 a.m. CST and include a discussion of the pros/cons of a paperless practice and best practices for those taking the plunge. One lucky registrant at this session will win a Rocketbook Orbit Reusable Legal Pad. The afternoon session will be the popular Bill & Phil Show. Beginning at 1 p.m. CST, attorney Bill Ramsey and legal technologist Phil Hampton will share a broad overview of the latest tech gadgets, apps, tools and tips for attorneys. Registrants for that session will be entered to win an iPad Air. Thanks to all our Law Tech sponsors — Clio, Time Miner, Neal & Harwell and Page One Legal — who made this year's prizes possible.