Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS) today announced that it has launched a fundraising campaign devoted to funding reentry services provided to residents of Middle Tennessee. The campaign, running through the end of 2023, has a fundraising goal of $200,000. Having a criminal record can create a barrier to employment, housing, public benefits and other necessities, the group says. “Reentering society after incarceration is much more difficult than many people realize, with countless legal hurdles that can make it an uphill battle to simply find a job and a place to live,” says Executive Director DarKenya W. Waller. LAS’s reentry program assists residents trying to reacclimate to society and return to the workforce after a period of incarceration. Read the full press release.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings to provide free legal services for nonprofits and Black-owned small businesses in Nashville on Dec. 21. Advice will cover business formation, corporate governance, contracts and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible entities may receive up to one hour of assistance. Clients should sign up online. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

The former women presidents of the TBA have joined together to celebrate 25 years of leadership with a sponsorship for the upcoming Raising the Bar CLE. The group, coordinated by 2007-2008 president Marcy Eason, will sponsor the lunch and reception for the Nov. 30 program, which this year focuses on being an advocate for oneself and others. Thank you to these leaders: Kathryn Reed Edge, who served as TBA president from 2000-2001; Marcy Eason; Gail Vaughn Ashworth, who served from 2009-2010; Jacqueline Dixon, who served from 2012-2013; Cynthia Richardson Wyrick, who served from 2013-2014; Sarah Sheppeard, who served from 2019-2020; Michelle Greenway Sellers, who served from 2020-2021; Sherie Edwards, who served from 2021-2022; and Tasha Blakney, who served from 2022-2023. TBA’s first woman president, Pamela Reeves, who served from 1998-1999, was included in the group through the generous donation of her husband Charles Swanson. Reeves died in 2020.

LegalOn Technologies announced that a new study shows the AI chatbot GPT-4 outperforms most aspiring lawyers on the legal ethics exam required by most states to practice law, reports Reuters. GPT-4 answered 74% of the questions correctly on a simulated Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE), compared with a 68% average among human test takers. LegalOn Technologies sells the AI software that reviews contracts. Reuters reports other studies have found that GPT-4 can pass the bar exam and improve speed on legal writing assignments but did not bolster the quality of law students' work.

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) is seeking to increase its annual budget next year by nearly $182 million, reports the Tennessee Lookout. DCS chief Margie Quin said the funds would be used to meet the rising housing, mental and physical health needs of children taken into state custody after allegations of abuse or neglect. There has been a 19% increase in the number of children needing specialized inpatient care between the 2022 and 2023. Quin noted the number of foster care placements has dropped 13%. Lawmakers previously approved a $181 million increase in the agency’s annual budget in 2022.

The head of the Tennessee Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services told the governor’s budget team she would like to see a school-based behavioral health liaison in every school in the state, reports WKRN. “In order to be healthy ... and in order to succeed, you got to take care of your mental health,” said Commissioner Marie Williams. She noted there currently are behavioral health liaisons in 333 out of 1,900 state schools, and her team has seen improvements in student performance at those schools. To reach that level, the department has spent $28 million in state and federal funds. An additional $120 million would fully fund the program.

Still need to get continuing legal education hours before the end of the year? Then you will not want to miss the TBA's “Gobble Up the Savings” CLE sale! Just in time for Thanksgiving, the sale starts today and runs through Monday. TBA members can purchase packages of premium content at a 60% discount! Choose from a three-hour package, 10-hour package or 15-hour package. Buy now and watch at your convenience. All programs will remain available to view through Dec. 31.

The American Bar Association (ABA) is hosting a free webinar on Legal Aid in America: A Challenge for Equal Justice on Nov. 30 at 10:30 a.m. CST. The discussion about the state of legal aid will be moderated by Yale University lecturer and author Lincoln Caplan. Panelists include Rebecca Sandefur, Arizona State University professor and director of the Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics; Radhika Singh, National Legal Aid & Defender Association vice president for civil legal services and strategic policy initiatives; and Jeniece Jones, executive director of Public Justice Center. Registration is required.

Tennessee Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, has asked for Gov. Bill Lee’s aid to help address rising crime issues in and around Memphis, ABC24-Memphis reports. In a letter addressed to the governor, Taylor cites recent crimes, including the murder of St. Jude employee Alexander Bulakhov. The senator is requesting unannounced "surges" of patrols from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, a "monitoring" team to better track crime data, and support to hold the judicial system more accountable.

The U.S. Supreme Court today declined to revive a Florida law banning the performance of drag shows in the presence of minors, Reuters reports. Florida officials made a request to narrow a judge's pause on the law to a single plaintiff rather than maintain a temporary statewide halt of the measure. U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell blocked the measure in June, deciding it likely violates free speech because its prohibitions were poorly defined and risked outlawing constitutionally protected expression.