Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly says he will seek reelection for a second term in 2025. The Times-Free Press reports that Kelly highlighted various accomplishments during his tenure, including pay increases for city workers, road infrastructure investments and wastewater system improvements, and also emphasized his commitment to addressing issues such as affordable housing and homelessness.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito says there is “no valid reason” for his recusal from an upcoming tax case. The Associated Press reports that Senate Democrats question Alito’s ability to judge the case fairly because he was interviewed for several hours by a Wall Street Journal opinion page editor and David Rivkin, one of the lawyers in the tax case. Rivkin also represents Leonard Leo, former leader of The Federalist Society, who helped arrange a private trip Alito took to Alaska in 2008. In the second of two articles from the interviews, Alito said Congress lacked the authority to impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court. Alito’s statement was issued a day after Justice Brett Kavanaugh said he is hopeful that the court will soon take “concrete steps” to address ethical concerns.

Prosecutors are opposing motions to sever the trials of former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the killing of Tyre Nichols. The five officers, accused of second-degree murder and related charges, are currently charged as co-defendants. The Daily Memphian reports that the state argues that the officers should be tried together, emphasizing factors such as the simplicity of the case, the shared evidence and witnesses and the absence of prejudicial statements from the officers. The officers' motions had cited concerns about confusing the jury, differences in involvement and potential conflicts in their defense strategies as reasons for severance.

The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is facing legal challenges in its construction project at a new downtown location. The lawsuit against the museum is brought by Friends for Our Riverfront, alleging that the project violates an easement established in the early 19th century. The Daily Memphian reports that attorneys for the museum estimate that halting construction temporarily could cost the project between $5 million to $7 million, and they are requesting a bond to cover this cost. The museum's response questions the timing of the lawsuit and cites historical court cases supporting its position on property rights.

Munford native and former Knoxville attorney Frankie Ellis Wade died Thursday. She was 80. Wade attended the University of Tennessee Knoxville and majored in home economics. After having two children as an army wife, Wade returned to Knoxville to raise her family and later attended law school at UT. She began her career in law in 1978 as the only female lawyer at Ambrose, Wilson and Grimm in Knoxville. Wade soon started her own firm and became a family law attorney, serving as an active member of both the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility and the Tennessee Bar Association. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Frankie Ellis Wade Scholarship Endowment at the University of Tennessee. This scholarship provides an opportunity for former Lady Vol student-athletes to pursue a law degree. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Sept. 15 at 10 a.m. CDT at Idlewild Church, 1750 Union Ave. Memphis, with a reception to follow. Please wear your UT orange! See more. 

Memphis attorney Rehimhan "Rehim/Ray" Babaoglu died on Aug. 24. He was born in Milan, Italy, in 1946. His family immigrated to the United States in 1951, and he attended Rutgers University, graduating in 1969 with a degree in Russian language and literature. Babaoglu served in the U.S. Army Reserve in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and later he and his wife, Lydia, moved to midtown Memphis. Babaoglu attended Memphis State University College of Law, earning his law degree in 1974. After graduation, Babaoglu embarked on a 45-plus year career specializing in immigration law. He served both the Memphis Bar Association and Mid-South Immigration Advocates as a board member, and was on the board of directors of Memphis Area Legal Services for nearly 22 years, serving two years as chair. Services are private with a celebration for Babaoglu scheduled for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Memphis Zoo, New Ballet Ensemble and School or the Captain Paul Watson Foundation.

AI is coming for lawyers. Whether it’s ChatGPT, virtual assistants or other new technology, lawyers are facing new challenges. Join the CLE Performer Stuart Teicher for a webcast on Oct. 12 at 11:30 a.m. CDT as he explores the never-ending problems with the hottest technologies.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee temporarily suspended Joseph Houston Crabtree Jr., from the practice of law today finding that Crabtree failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for the immediate temporary suspension of an attorney’s license to practice law in cases of an attorney’s failure to respond to a complaint of misconduct. Crabtree previously was suspended on Nov. 22, 2022, for a period of three years, with one year served on active suspension and the remaining two years on probation. That suspension remains in effect.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated two lawyers yesterday and one lawyer today who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the Sept. 6 order, the Sept. 7 order or see the list of all those reinstated online.

Florida based law firm Bernheim Kelley Battista has announced the opening of a Nashville office. BK Law focuses on personal injury, product liability and consumer advocacy, reports the Nashville Post. The local office will be led by managing partner Gregory Marangos. Marangos, a graduate of University of New Hampshire School of Law, practiced with related firm Bernheim Dolinsky Kelley from 2015 to 2017 and has practiced with Steinger, Greene & Feiner since 2017.