The Appalachian Public Interest and Environmental Law (APIEL) Conference is an annual gathering of lawyers, scientists, students and members of the general public to discuss environmental issues and happenings in Appalachia, public policy and grassroots initiatives. This will be the 14th Annual APIEL Conference, featuring topics such as the Kingston Coal Ash litigation and ethical considerations for environmental lawyers. The conference will run Oct. 21 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT at the University of Tennessee College of Law. There will be a pre-APIEL social event on Oct. 20, from 6-9 p.m. at Albright Grove Brewing Company for speakers and attendees to meet and connect. There will also be a post-APIEL social event on Oct. 21 from 6-9 p.m. at Hi-Wire Brewing. Click here for more information and to register.

Thirty law students from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law met with members of the TBA YLD Board today. Board members Brande Boyd, Patrick Morris and Jennifer Sneed joined YLD President Quinton Thompson in an interactive panel to discuss the many benefits of getting involved with the TBA. Students were encouraged to apply for the award-winning Diversity Leadership Institute which begins in January and to attend CLEs which are available to them at no cost with their free law school membership.

The Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a public reprimand for Putnam Country Judge R. Steven Randolph related to comments made in a video posted to the Putnam County School's Instagram page. Read the reprimand here.

Tennessee's Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson reported state revenues for August came in $39.4 million less than estimated and $1.7 million lower than the same month a year ago, reports Tennessee Lookout. The 0.11% drop was mostly due to a decrease in franchise and excise tax collections, according to Bryson. Sales taxes were $25.4 million higher than estimated for August. But the state also provided a break on grocery sales taxes and a weekend-long sales tax holiday, much of which was part of a $400 million tax reduction set to include business tax breaks scheduled to kick in permanently next year. 

Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti announced today that a $44.5 million settlement has been reached with K-VA-T Food Stores, known as Food City, over the grocery store chain’s opioid-related misconduct. Most of the settlement will go to Tennessee’s Opioid Abatement Fund to support efforts in addressing the opioid epidemic. Food City has agreed to ensure future compliance by providing additional training to pharmacy staff, updating their prescription-validation process and monitoring and reporting suspicious activity. Read the full press release.

A federal trial has been set for May 2024 for five former Memphis police officers charged with violating Tyre Nichols' civil rights, reports the Commercial Appeal. The officers were indicted in federal court on Sept. 12. They each face charges of depriving Nichols of his right to be "free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer," deliberate indifference to Nichols' medical needs, tampering with evidence and intentionally providing false and misleading information. The maximum sentence the five former officers face is life in prison. There is no parole in the federal system. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee elected not to pursue the death penalty for the case.

The Athens City Council approved a motion earlier this week allowing its members to begin carrying concealed firearms during council meetings, reports the Tennessean. Vice Mayor Larry Eaton promoted the measure over concerns for his personal safety. The motion would only allow for council members to carry concealed weapons who have a permit and would not include city residents attending meetings. Athens, the county seat of McMinn County, is located 60 miles south of Knoxville and has 14,000 residents.

Registration is now open for the TBA's Law & Culture in Ireland CLE program scheduled for May 2024. Two travel options are available: a four-night trip to Dublin and a six-night trip to Dublin and Belfast. In conjunction with CLE Abroad, travelers will engage with local experts, academics, officials and change makers who will offer in-depth commentary on the EU and UK legal-political systems, economics, environmental justice, history and religion. In Dublin, the group also will explore ancient castles, visit landmarks, museums and notable legal institutions, and sample local cuisine. In Belfast, travelers will learn about the region's unique political history, Good Friday Agreement, ongoing reconciliation efforts and peace process. Add on trips to the West Coast and Cliffs of Moher also are available. View a brochure for the trip or learn more online.

This year's Disability Law Forum is returning as a live and in-person program on Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at the Bluegrass Yacht & Country Club in Hendersonville. Sessions will cover ways to prepare a successful GRID case, best practices from a vocational expert, a DDS/OHO update and an ethics course designed to help "unstick" stuck cases. A happy hour will immediately follow the program.

Franklin alderman and mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson said yesterday on her Instagram account that she had been arrested and pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution in Dallas in the mid-1990s, the Tennessean reports. In the video, Hanson recalled that while attending Southern Methodist University, she took a job answering phones for a "modeling and entertainment casting company.” Hanson said she did not know the company was running an escort service until her arrest. The revelation of her arrest is the latest controversy for Hanson, who earlier this month faced a NewsChannel 5 investigation that reported on a group of women who said Hanson had used their social media posts to falsely claim they were supporting her mayoral campaign.