Make plans now to attend the TBA’s Environmental Law Forum set for Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CST. The forum will be presented virtually. Speakers include Wilson Buntin with the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, Leah Dundon with Beveridge & Diamond, David Higney with Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison, and Jeremy Hooper and Matt Taylor with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Chattanooga attorney and section chair Jennifer Brundige with the Tennessee Valley Authority is producing this year's forum.

The University of Tennessee College of Law is seeking applications for the position of associate director for the Bettye B. Lewis Career Center. This senior level position will handle planning, management, supervision of staff and operation of the career center. A key focus, and significant aspect, of the position is to analyze and evaluate courses of action, including the creation and implementation of strategic decisions and plans. A law degree and four years of experience, or a degree in a relevant field and seven years of experience, is required. See the full job description and application instructions.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Monday denied a motion from Davidson County attorney Kevin Williams Teets Jr. asking the court to set aside an Oct. 31 order suspending him from the practice of law for one year. The court took the action after the Board of Professional Responsibility recommended denial of the motion.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III joined with the attorneys general of Ohio and Kentucky to file a lawsuit today challenging the Biden Administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, asserts that the administration’s vaccination requirement is unlawful and unconstitutional because it violates state sovereignty and was not considered by the U.S. Congress. The attorneys general also argue that the mandate will cause harm to the citizens of their states. Read more about the suit and access the filing on the AG’s website.

Hamilton County Assistant District Attorney Chris Post has been named DUI Prosecutor of the Year by the members of the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference, Chattanoogan.com reports. In presenting the award, Hamilton County District Attorney General Neal Pinkston said that Post has “completely changed the process by which ... agencies investigate serious injury and fatal crashes caused by impaired drivers.” Post has served in the district attorney’s office for six years. He previously was the DUI coordinator in the 26th Judicial District. The award presentation took place as part of the conference’s fall meeting in Chattanooga.

The U.S. Justice Department has reopened its Office for Access to Justice, a unit created in 2016 to help low-income Americans who need legal representation. The move fulfills a promise by President Joe Biden to reinvigorate the office, which was shut down during Donald Trump’s administration, Reuters reports. The administration also recently released the 2021 report of the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, which brings together more than two dozen federal agencies to address legal service challenges. This year's report focused on access to justice in the age of COVID-19.

The new Tennessee Bar Journal, out this week, looks back on the life and career of Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Connie Clark, and what she meant to so many. Read this feature as well as a special edition of Spark!

Editors of the USA TODAY Network in Tennessee write in the Daily News Journal that Rutherford County needs new leadership and a new philosophy on the juvenile court bench. They call on Juvenile Court Judge Donna Scott Davenport to resign and not seek re-election in 2022. They also call for accountability for others in the juvenile justice system who allegedly used tactics that harmed hundreds of children over many years. The paper cites recent reporting by Nashville Public Radio and ProPublica as the basis for its position.

Callon Schmid, a former legislative liaison for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, has joined Butler Snow’s Regulatory and Government Group, the Nashville Post reports. She led the governor’s efforts related to the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees and the House Criminal Justice and Civil Justice committees. She previously was assistant director of constituent services and community relations for former Gov. Bill Haslam. Schmid holds degrees from Auburn and American universities.

With two special sessions in the rear view mirror, state lawmakers are turning their attention to Gov. Bill Lee’s use of sole-source contracts, Tennessee Lookout reports. Of particular concern is a contract with McKinsey & Co. for a study on streamlining government. State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, has asked the governor’s office for a copy of the contract. According to Gardenhire, who chairs the Fiscal Review Committee, the panel is looking at reforms to the bidding process and possibly asking the state comptroller to conduct random audits of such contracts. Other no-bid contracts signed during the pandemic involved a review of COVID-19 protocols and the purchase of masks, personal protective equipment and COVID-19 tests.