Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will host four clinics this week. Tomorrow, the group will hold a clinic at the Nashville Public Library from 4-6 p.m. On Thursday, it will hold an expungement clinic in Columbia from 1-4 p.m. On Friday, it will hold a legal aid clinic in Columbia from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. And on Saturday, it will hold its McHugh Clinic in Nashville from 9:30-11:30 a.m. All times central. Get additional information on the LAS website or volunteer to help at any of these clinics by contacting Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131.

A group of Catholic nuns has sued the board of Smith & Wesson in an attempt to force the gunmaker to abandon the manufacture and marketing of its assault-style rifles used in U.S. mass shootings, reports Reuters. The nuns filed the lawsuit in their role as Smith & Wesson shareholders, in what is known as a derivative lawsuit, the first against a gun manufacturing board, according to the nuns' attorney. The lawsuit, filed in Nevada state court, alleges Smith & Wesson's directors exposed the company to significant liability by intentionally violating federal, state and local laws.

Nashville attorneys April Nemer and Jake Nemer have announced the opening of the family law practice Nemer LLP. The attorneys previously practiced with Lindsey Amonette Nemer + Glassford PLLC. The new practice includes divorce and family law litigation, probate and estate administration and mediation. April Nemer attended Belmont University and New England School of Law. Jake Nemer attended Rhodes College and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Both are Nashville natives.

A survey by consultancy Withum Smith+Brown found that leading law firms are less bullish heading into 2024 than they were coming into 2023, reports Law.com. About 42% of respondents said increased salary demands posed a risk to their cash position. The report also found more than 48% expected overhead to rise in 2024, compared with 27% in 2023. Even before top law firms began adopting salary increases, the outlook was already described as “tepid” and “volatile.” Legal industry analysts noted high billing rates may have helped firms stave off further cuts next year.

Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville on Tuesday ended his blockade of hundreds of military promotions following heavy criticism from senate colleagues, the Associated Press reports. Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions was in protest over the Pentagon’s abortion policy. Almost 400 military nominations have been in limbo due to Tuberville’s blanket hold on confirmations and promotions for senior military officers. The stance has left key national security positions unfilled.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Louisiana Monday night, 11 Republican-led states and energy groups challenged a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that bolsters state and tribal veto power over infrastructure projects that might pollute rivers and streams, reports Reuters. The states argue the EPA's ruling revising the Clean Water Act's process to block projects that impact water resources exceeded the agency's authority. The plaintiffs warned the rule, which went into effect last month, will increase the workload of state agencies and thwart new infrastructure projects.

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The Libertarian Party of Tennessee on Friday sued state officials over “unduly burdensome” ballot access requirements for minor parties, reports the Commercial Appeal. The lawsuit asks for a court order to ensure that Libertarian candidates are listed as members of their party on ballots for the Nov. 5, 2024, election. Under current laws, third parties running for statewide office must collect more than 43,000 signatures from registered voters while candidates running as Republicans, Democrats or independents need only 25 signatures. Political parties have previously challenged Tennessee’s ballot requirements. In 2013, a judge ordered the party’s candidate for the state House of Representatives be listed as “Libertarian” on ballots.

The U.S. Senate has voted 80-12 to elevate U.S. Magistrate Irma Carrillo Ramirez to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, reports Reuters. Ramirez will be that court’s first Latina judge and the fifth active Democratic appointee on a court dominated by 12 judges nominated by Republican presidents. The bipartisan vote reflected the support of Texas' two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. Overall, the Senate has now confirmed 160 of Biden's judicial nominees.

A new report shows students at California law schools not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) had a pass rate of just 21% on the July 2022 bar exam. Reuters reports that according to the state bar’s first-ever comprehensive Law School Profile released Friday, graduates of ABA approved law schools had a pass rate of 67%. The report also showed that California law schools unaccredited by the ABA have cheaper tuition and more diverse student bodies than their ABA-accredited counterparts. The report raises policy questions about the future of law school regulation in California. The state bar said it plans to conduct further research on the trends identified in the new report.