A legislative panel considering rejecting federal school funds for Tennessee concluded two weeks of meetings yesterday, the Tennessean reports. The Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding heard testimony from representatives of conservative groups who highlighted the advantages of rejecting federal funds. Over the last two weeks, lawmakers also heard from state fiscal analysts and researchers, national education policy experts, representatives from schools and school districts, and officials from the Tennessee Department of Education. It will resume hearings after Thanksgiving and will prepare policy recommendations for the General Assembly when it convenes in January.

Rite Aid announced today it is suing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to stop a lawsuit alleging that the pharmacy chain ignored red flags and illegally filled hundreds of thousands of prescriptions for addictive opioid medication, reports Reuters. Rite Aid asked a U.S. bankruptcy judge to rule that the DOJ lawsuit cannot proceed while it is bankrupt. Other opioid plaintiff lawsuits were automatically stopped by bankruptcy filing, the company argues. The DOJ, which sued Rite Aid in March, agreed only to a "brief pause" of its suit after Rite Aid went bankrupt last month, a position that Rite Aid say threatens to undermine the company's restructuring efforts.

The TBA Appellate Practice Section will host a free webinar on Dec. 12 at noon CST to review of the nuts and bolts of e-filing in Tennessee appellate courts. Panelists will provide tips on best practices and share feedback from appellate court clerks on how to successfully navigate the appellate e-filing system. Questions are welcome. Learn more and register.

Join us Dec. 7 at noon for a live webcast on Corporate Counsel 2023: Ethical Issues with Laura Chastain, ethics counsel for the Board of Professional Responsibility. Chastain will discuss Formal Ethics Opinion 2022-F-168, other new ethics opinions and ethics for in-house counsel.

The state Supreme Court reinstated the license of Davidson County attorney Lauren Suzanne Wachsman today, retroactive to Nov. 9. Wachsman was placed on inactive status more than five years ago on May 21, 2018.

State Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, told a forum for Black journalists at Howard University on Tuesday that a “lack of democracy is what brought attention to Tennessee," according to the Commercial Appeal. Jones, known for his activism, highlighted his strategy behind demonstrating in the House chamber. “What we're not talking about is the movement to ban assault weapons that are terrorizing ... our schools” said Jones. The forum was sponsored by the Center for Journalism and Democracy.

Community activist and former Shelby County commissioner Tami Sawyer announced yesterday she is challenging incumbent Joe Brown in next year's race for General Sessions Court clerk, the Commercial Appeal reports. Sawyer said in a press release "we are at a dangerous crossroad in Shelby County at the intersection of crime and poverty." The General Sessions Court clerk election will be held March 2024. Brown was elected in 2019 and previously served as the Memphis City Council Super District 8 Position 1 representative for 21 years.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will launch its inaugural statewide Diversity Law Week March 11-16 and is looking for attorneys and judges to provide high school students with a unique opportunity to learn firsthand from professionals. Students will shadow legal professionals during the week as well as engage in an immersive experience at a college or law school campus and observe a court proceeding. The goal of the program is to give high school students early exposure to the legal world and resources for a career in law. Those interested in volunteering to help the program are asked to register online. Contact TBA Young Lawyers Division & Law Student Development Coordinator Laura Labenberg with any questions.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee today announced two judicial appointments to state courts. Murfreesboro lawyer Terry Fann has been named to the 16th Judicial District Circuit Court. An attorney at Waldron, Fann & Parsley, Fann earned his law degree from the University of Memphis School of Law. The vacancy on the court, which serves Rutherford and Cannon counties, was due to the retirement of Judge J. Mark Rogers. In addition, Brentwood lawyer Erin Nations has been named to the 21st Judicial District Circuit Court. Nations currently serves as an attorney at Beal, Nations & Crutcher. She earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law. The vacancy on this court, which serves Williamson County, was due to the retirement of Judge Michael W. Binkley.

The manhunt continues for Johnson City businessman Sean Williams, who is accused of sexually assaulting more than 50 unconscious women and two young children. While being transported to a federal court appearance in Greeneville on child rape charges, Williams escaped and remains a fugitive. His apprehension is now a top priority for federal law enforcement, WJHL reports. Willams’ arrest is at the center of multiple lawsuits, including one from a former federal prosecutor who claims police failed to investigate him for years and one from a group of alleged victims who says police knowingly failed to investigate multiple complaints and dissuaded women from pursuing charges. The city is also dealing with a “scathing audit” from an outside auditing firm that “exposed systemic failures in the way police investigated sexual assaults,” according to the Tennessean, which has released a lengthy report on the case.