Memphis attorney William Michael "Mike" Richards, age 77, died on March 12 after a long illness. Following his graduation with distinction from Rhodes College (then Southwestern), he obtained his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School. He practiced law for 50 years at the Memphis law firm Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC. Richards served as vice president of the Tennessee Bar Association and president of the Memphis Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. Services will be held on March 19 at the Lord’s Chapel, located on the grounds of Elmwood Cemetery, 824 S Dudley St, Memphis 38104. Visitation is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT, with burial following the 1 p.m. service. Memorials can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

A special committee of House and Senate members has unanimously recommended removing Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd from the bench, the Commercial Appeal reports. The move comes after the state Board of Judicial Conduct issued a public reprimand to Boyd for refusing to undergo counseling after admitting to using marijuana and cocaine. The board referred the case to the General Assembly, which has the sole authority to remove judges from office. Representatives of the board were at the hearing to answer questions. In related news, Boyd has separately pleaded not guilty to charges of witness coercion and harassment.

The state Senate Education Committee approved a bill yesterday that would vacate the board of trustees of the historically Black Tennessee State University (TSU) by June 30 and authorize Gov. Bill Lee to appoint eight of the board’s 10 members. The other two positions would be filled by a student and faculty representative. The move comes after the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury recommended a change in leadership, the president stepped down and other reviews found the school was underfunded by more than $2.1 billion over the past 30 years. The board, to no avail, had asked state lawmakers for more time to address outstanding issues and find a new president. The Nashville Scene reports on developments.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has suspended Florida lawyer Joy T. Reid from the practice of law in Tennessee for 60 days. The court reports that Reid applied for comity admission to the Tennessee bar, but that during review of her application for admission, the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners discovered that she appeared to be holding herself out as a currently licensed Tennessee attorney. The Tennessee Board of Law Examiners conducted a show cause hearing during which Reid made misstatements of material fact. She agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging her conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 5.5, 7.1 and 8.4(c).

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Amy Coney Barrett addressed the Civic Learning Week National Forum at The George Washington University earlier this week to discuss the state of relations among the justices in the wake of several high-profile and controversial rulings — including one that rejected state efforts to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot. The justices united to promote civility even in the midst of disagreements. They said the need for civil debate has never been greater than it is in these polarized times, and that the court, where voices do not get raised in anger, can be a model for the rest of the country. “We do not interrupt one another, and we never raise voices,” Barrett said. The Washington Post has a recap of the event while PBS Newshour has video of the presentation.

The East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (ETLAW) will hold a reception with law students from the University of Tennessee College of Law and Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law on March 19 from 5-7 p.m. EDT. The event will take place at Monkey's Bar, 103 Depot Ave., near the Old City. Tickets are $10 for ETLAW members, $25 for non-members and free for law students. Register and purchase tickets here.

Lawyers in Chattanooga recently gathered to remember colleagues that were lost in the past year. The Chattanooga Bar Association’s annual memorial service was held March 1 in the Hamilton County Commission Room of the county courthouse. Among those honored were William Thomas Alt, James Anderson Jr., Thomas Maxfield ”Max” Bahner, former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice William “Muecke” Barker, Mark Johnson Mayfield and John Wolfe Jr. Read about the tributes shared at the event in the Hamilton County Herald.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito this week extended a temporary pause on a Texas law allowing state law enforcement authorities to arrest people suspected of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. His action gives the justices additional time to weigh a request by President Joe Biden's administration to freeze an order from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that allowed the law to take effect while being challenged. The administration had sued to block the measure in January, arguing it interferes with the federal government's power to regulate immigration. Alito's new order is set to expire on March 18, extending the pause from the original expiration date of March 13, Reuters reports.

The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has adopted a new rule aimed at curtailing “judge shopping,” whereby state attorneys general, activists and companies file lawsuits against government policies in courthouses where one or two sympathetic judges are virtually guaranteed to hear the case. The move reportedly comes in response to concerns from the American Bar Association, the Biden administration and other Democratic lawmakers about the number of suits being filed in single-judge divisions in Texas, which have limited President Joe Biden's policy agenda. Under the new policy, lawsuits seeking to block state or federal laws will be randomly assigned to a judge in the federal district. Some judges have criticized the rule, saying it appears to clash with a federal law that  gives district courts control over the allocation of cases on their dockets. Others have questioned the logistics of transferring cases, Reuters reports.

Diversity Law Week students participated in a unique opportunity at the Court of Appeals in Nashville today. The students met for a Q&A session and tour with Judge Andy D. Bennett. The students learned the history of the Supreme Court building, the appellate process, and what clerks and judges do. The event concluded with a tour of the court's museum, an explanation of the formation of the Tennessee Constitution and a chance to view interesting artifacts. Special thanks to Judge Bennett and Nashville attorney Erin Shackelford for meeting with the students. See photos from the day.