A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked Murfreesboro city officials from enforcing an ordinance passed last summer designed to ban drag performances from taking place in public areas, reports WKRN. The order, issued by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Waverly Crenshaw Jr., bars the city from enforcing the rule during the BoroPride festival scheduled for Saturday. The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee against the city of Murfreesboro on behalf of the Tennessee Equality Project. The lawsuit alleged the Murfreesboro mayor and city manager “engaged in a year-long anti-LGBTQ+ campaign” by passing an ordinance last summer that restricted “indecent behavior” using language the suit labeled says is “staggeringly vague and overbroad.” Read the judge’s order and the ACLU press release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order Wednesday soliciting comments on a proposed change to Rule 9, section 16, which prescribes the procedure for complaints against members of the Board of Professional Responsibility, district committee members and disciplinary counsel. If adopted, these proposed amendments would replace Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9 section 16 in its entirety. The deadline for submitting written comments is Dec. 12.

On Oct. 25, from noon-1 p.m. CDT, Nashville YWCA will host the next installment in its Stand Against Injustice series. The webinar — "Are Domestic Violence Abusers Guaranteed Guns?" — will cover the historical context and possible ramifications of an upcoming case. Next month, the U.S. Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments in United States v. Rahimi. A decision earlier this year by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that individuals subject to orders of protection must be allowed to keep their guns. The decision overturned a federal statute prohibiting firearm possession by individuals determined to pose a credible threat to the safety of an intimate partner or child. National domestic violence organizations, including YWCA USA, have filed amicus briefs explaining why that decision endangers the lives of women.

Ricky Wilkins, Memphis attorney and longtime member of the Memphis Housing Authority, died Oct. 19 at age 58 of brain cancer. A Memphis native, Wilkins attended Howard University and Vanderbilt University Law School. He was a leader in the Memphis Bar Association and the Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association, and president of the TBA Young Lawyers Division from 1999-2000. He was later named a TBA YLD Fellow. The Commercial Appeal has this remembrance. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Knox County General Sessions Court Judge Chuck Cerny received the Leon Ruben Award for Excellence at the recent Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference in Memphis. The award was presented by Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh. The Leon Ruben Award for Excellence is given annually to a judge or judges who distinguishes themselves through outstanding service to the community, the conference and the judiciary as a whole. The award is named for Ruben, who was a sitting judge for 37 years in Nashville. He also served as a Metro Council Member and was known for his excellent contributions to the community. Read the full release from the court and see photos of the event.

Advocates for an independent immigration court testified before a U.S. Senate Judiciary panel on Wednesday, saying such an addition would help ease the backlog of pending cases. Immigration courts are currently an arm of the Justice Department, as governed by each presidential administration's immigration policy. The Tennessee Lookout reports that as of August, there is a backlog of more than 2.6 million pending immigration cases, according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, known as TRAC, a research center at Syracuse University. TRAC also found a 19% increase for the month of August in new immigration court cases, to 180,000 just for that month.

The Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) welcomes Erin Lynch to its professional clinical team. Lynch has a master of education degree in counseling psychology from Teachers College at Columbia University New York. She also holds a bachelor of arts degree in Asian & Middle Eastern studies and political science from the university. She has completed the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and is under supervision as a licensed professional counselor in Tennessee. In addition, she has past experience as a paralegal in the realm of domestic violence.

Belmont University College of Law will host the iLead Law and Leadership Conference on Oct. 27 in Nashville. The one-day event, from Just The Beginning - A Pipeline Organization, will focus on leadership and law and provide an inspiring platform for students from diverse backgrounds to come together for a day of learning and career exploration. The conference will offer valuable insights, guidance and mentorship from accomplished professionals. Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities. Sign up to help by Oct. 22.

Daniel Herrera, former Knox County Republican party chairman, announced that he will challenge incumbent Republican Knox County Law Director David Buuck in the 2024 election. Herrera was elected party chair in 2021 at just 28 years old after defeating Harry Brooks with more than 60% of the vote. The Knoxville News Sentinel has more on Herrera's leadership experience.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will launch its inaugural Diversity Law Week March 11-16, 2024, across the state, 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. Thanks to YLD President Quinton Thompson for his vision for this program and program coordinators Chattanooga lawyer Ariel Anthony, Memphis lawyer Kevin Christopher and Nashville lawyer Erin Shackelford. Contact TBA Young Lawyers Division & Law Student Development Coordinator Laura Labenberg with any questions.