Melanie Gober Grand, executive director of the Lawyers’ Association for Women (LAW) Marion Griffin Chapter in Nashville, has announced her intention to retire on March 31, 2024. Grand has been in the role since June 2000. She previously was executive director for the Tennessee chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. Grand also owns MGG Association Management & Consulting LLC, through which she advises and supports small professional organizations in Tennessee. The chapter has formed a search committee to lead the effort to replace Grand. See the job description or contact Courtney Orr with any questions.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) is partnering with The Hub — which provides services and resources to Memphians experiencing homelessness —to host a free legal clinic on Sept. 27 from 1-3 p.m. CDT. The clinic, which is held on the fourth Wednesday of the month, takes place at 590 Washington Ave., Memphis 38105. Sign up to volunteer here or contact Heather Staggs, 901-255-3421 with any questions.

President Joe Biden has nominated Memphis City Council member Patrice Robinson for a seat on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board, the Commercial Appeal reports. Robinson has served on the council since 2016, but is term limited from running again. Prior to joining the council, she served for 13 years on the Memphis-Shelby County School Board. The nomination requires confirmation by the U.S. Senate.

The National Conference of Bar Examiners recently announced that the NextGen Bar Exam will be a nine-hour test administered over one-and-a-half days, Reuters reports. The schedule would include two three-hour sessions on the first day and one three-hour session on the second day. This compares with the current Uniform Bar Exam, which is about 12 hours long and taken over two days. The conference says the new exam is set to debut in July 2026, which means that this fall's incoming law students would be the first to take the new exam when they graduate. But, there is no hard deadline for jurisdictions to make the switch, Law.com reports. The new exam is intended to be more skills-oriented but many in the legal industry remain skeptical of the proposed questions and shorter duration.

The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office has released footage of a fatal encounter between 20-year-old Jaylin McKenzie and Memphis police in December 2022. Three videos, from a combination of dashboard and body-worn cameras, show the events immediately before McKenzie was shot, the Commercial Appeal reports. The footage shows a car chase giving way to a foot chase, during which McKenzie fired a weapon and was shot and killed. Less clear, the paper reports, is whether McKenzie was the first person to fire.

Two national law firms, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Morrison & Foerster, have changed the description and criteria for their diversity scholarships after a group opposed to affirmative action filed suits, Bloomberg Law reports. The American Alliance for Equal Rights sued Morrison & Foerster and Perkins Coie over DEI programs in August. Morrison & Foerster changed its program to remove references to historical underrepresentation in eligibility criteria. Gibson Dunn changed criteria for its $50,000 DEI scholarship, making it available to students “who have demonstrated resilience and excellence on their path toward a career in law” instead of those “who identify with an underrepresented group.” Perkins Coie, which has not changed its program, said it would “vigorously” defend itself against the suit.

Gov. Bill Lee yesterday announced that long-time legislative director Brent Easley will step down next month to return to the private sector. Liz Alvey will succeed Easley in the role, effective Oct. 16. Alvey currently serves as legislative counsel. She previously worked with the Tennessee State Senate and was senior policy advisor to state Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris. Lee praised Easley, one of the longest-serving members of his senior team, for his work expanding access to education, boosting economic development, and modernizing transportation and infrastructure. Easley also served as a member of the COVID-19 Unified Command, coordinating the state’s response across executive branch agencies during the pandemic.

Federal courts will allow remote public access to certain proceedings to continue as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, but with new restrictions, Reuters reports. The new policy adopted by the U.S. Judicial Conference allows judges presiding over civil and bankruptcy cases to provide live audio access in non-trial proceedings and those that have no witness testimony. The policy falls short of calls by lawmakers and advocates to go further in allowing remote access to other court proceedings, including former President Donald Trump's criminal trials, but goes beyond what the judiciary had generally allowed before the pandemic.

Nashville Police are seeking information about a shooting that occurred last Friday, which is being described as a random act of road rage, the Tennessean reports. Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea Myles was driving west on Interstate 440 at about 8:50 p.m. when a suspect fired at her vehicle. Myles was struck by broken glass from the shooting, but was not injured, according to police. A passenger in the car sustained non-life threatening gunshot wounds to her hand and leg. Investigators said the suspect vehicle involved in the case was a white, late model sedan with glossy paint and a temporary tag. Nashville Crime Stoppers is offering $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those responsible.

Join colleagues on Nov. 14 from noon to 1 p.m. CST to learn how to save time, reduce paper and increase completion rates of client questionnaires. Danielle DavisRoe with TBA’s member advantage partner Affinity Consulting will discuss free and inexpensive tools to electronically gather data from clients during this webcast. Learn more or register here.