Wyatt Nowlin Taylor, a former judge in Bedford County, died on Oct. 25. He was 89. Taylor served in the U.S. Army for three years, then earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law and went into private practice in Shelbyville in 1964. Throughout his legal career, Taylor served as city attorney and was a judge in the Bedford County General Sessions and Juvenile courts for 18 years. Visitation and funeral services were held over the weekend for Taylor in Shelbyville. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to New Destiny Dog Rescue, P.O. Box 42, Wartrace, TN 37183.

Join the TBA Administrative Law Section for its annual forum on Dec. 3 from 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. CDT. Worth two general and one dual CLE hours, the program will begin with a session covering Supreme Court changes to the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Rules for Disciplinary Enforcement. It will also feature a session on recent updates related to the Tennessee Public Records and Open Meetings Act and a panel discussion that explores the UAPA and environmental contested cases. Learn more and register for the program here.

The University of Tennessee College of Law has announced five finalists in its search for dean. Candidates are: Melanie B. Jacobs, Michigan State University College of Law; Zachary A. Kramer, Arizona State University, Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; Lonnie. T. Brown Jr., University of Georgia School of Law; Nicola A. Boothe, Boston University School of Law; and W. Jonathan Cardi, Wake Forest University School of Law. Each finalist will give a community presentation on campus beginning next week. Visit the College of Law’s website for a presentation schedule and to read more about the candidates.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has two cases set for Wednesday’s docket via video conference. It will live stream the oral arguments on its YouTube page. The first case will begin at 9 a.m. while the second case will begin at 10:30 a.m. CDT. The cases are Tommie Phillips v. State and State v. Douglas E. Linville. Read more about the cases.

Twenty-four members, or about half, of the Nashville Metro Council are calling on Mayor John Cooper to review recent actions of the state legislature and prepare for possible legal action, Mainstreet Nashville reports. The members said legislation passed this weekend that limits the role of localities in responding to COVID-19 was “unprecedented and dangerous." If the bill is signed into law, several Metro policies could be reversed, including a mask requirement for public school children and in libraries and community centers.

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty has promoted Michael Sullivan to his state director, succeeding Jim Henry who is retiring, the Nashville Post reports. Sullivan was campaign manager for Hagerty’s 2020 election effort. Previously, he was executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party and has worked on GOP campaigns in several states. He had been deputy state director under Henry, who previously served as deputy governor under Gov. Bill Haslam, minority leader in the state House, chair of the Tennessee Republican Party, and commissioner of the state Department of Children’s Services.

The Tennessee Supreme Court last week denied a petition asking the court to create a new Rule 31B that would govern voluntary arbitration in domestic relations cases. The petition was drafted by the TBA Family Law Executive Council and filed on Sept 23. The court did not include any explanation in the order and simply stated, “After careful consideration, the Court respectfully denies the Petition.”

The Knoxville Bar Association Annual Membership Meeting will be held Dec. 10 at 8:30 a.m. EST at the Main Assembly Room of the City County Building. Masks will be required. A virtual option will be available for those who wish to participate via Zoom. At the end of the meeting, Jason H. Long will be sworn in as KBA president; Loretta G. Cravens will take office as president-elect; Catherine E. Shuck will be treasurer; and Carlos A. Yunsan will be named secretary. Learn who is running for four seats on the Board of Governors, get information on absentee voting, and see a proposed bylaws change on the event webpage. Call the KBA Office at 865-522-6522 with any questions.

A Davidson County Chancery Court has ruled that the remains of Judge John Haywood, known as the Father of Tennessee History, may be moved to the Nashville City Cemetery. Haywood, who died in 1826, is currently buried in “South Nashville somewhere in a patch of grass between a gas station dumpster and a Baptist church,” Mainstreet Nashville reports. Haywood, a former Tennessee Supreme Court justice, was buried next to his wife in 1826 at his home in South Nashville. In 1879, a resolution was adopted to place a monument at the family cemetery but it was never erected. A marker pointing to the gravesite was finally placed on adjacent property. The Tennessee State Museum plans to excavate the area to find the remains, verify their authenticity and move them to the city cemetery.

In the ongoing copyright lawsuit against ROSS Intelligence, Thomson Reuters has now subpoenaed documents from legal research and publishing company Fastcase and Morae Global Corporation, a company that provides legal and compliance solutions to legal departments and law firms. The subpoenas request documents relating to the companies' relationship with ROSS or LegalEase, the company that Thomson Reuters says helped Ross steal content from its legal research product Westlaw. Read more about the suit from Bob Ambrogi’s Law Sites Blog.