Over the last several days, the Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated 13 lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the Aug. 25 order, the Aug. 28 order and Aug. 29 order or see the list of all those reinstated online.

A new study at the University of Minnesota found that low-performing law students scored 45% higher on final exams when given access to artificial intelligence, reports Reuters. Researchers compared the final exam scores of 48 students in two courses: Introduction to American Law and Legal Reasoning and Insurance Law. The students first took the final without AI, then took a different final using GPT-4, the latest large language model from Open AI. They found that GPT-4, which produces human-like text based on user prompts, vastly improved student performance on multiple-choice questions. Higher performing student scores were about 20% lower when using GPT-4. The use of GPT-4 did not improve essay scores in either group.

3M has agreed to pay $6 billion to settle over 250,000 lawsuits that accuse the company of selling defective combat earplugs that caused hearing loss in hundreds of thousands of military service members. Reuters reports the deal was announced today after a failed attempt by 3M to move the lawsuits, which are currently the largest mass tort litigation in U.S. history, into bankruptcy court. Combat Arms earplugs were made by Aearo Technologies, a company 3M acquired in 2008. The earplugs were used by the U.S. military from 2003 to 2015, including in Afghanistan and Iraq. A U.S. judge dismissed Aearo’s recent bankruptcy claim, noting that Aearo, as a subsidiary of 3M, enjoys a "greater degree of financial security than warrants bankruptcy protection."

The Rutherford County Library Board has ordered four books pulled from shelves following a recently-adopted Murfreesboro community decency standards ordinance and a Tennessee General Assembly law that requires children be protected from sexual descriptions, reports the Tennessean. During a contentious meeting, the board voted to remove the young adult books "Flamer" by Mike Curato, "Let's Talk About It" by Erika Moen, "Queerfully & Wonderfully Made" edited by Leigh Finke and "This Book is Gay" by Juno Dawson. Library card members can still gain access online to the materials because the state law and city ordinance does not govern internet access. In June, Murfreesboro City Council members agreed to an ordinance that includes punishments for violators exposing children on any city property to "public expressions appealing to prurient interests or that are offensive to prevailing community standards."

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced his office has reached a settlement with Auburn Hills Mobile Home Park to resolve the state’s suit alleging the park took advantage of residents in violation of state and federal law. Shortly after a deadly tornado in April 2020, allegations emerged that park managers were holding charitable donations intended for residents. Further investigation revealed the park failed to address severe septic issues that caused raw sewage to pool on the ground and back up into homes in addition to other charges. The settlement requires the defendants to develop a sewer system and secures $750,000 to go toward consumer restitution, civil penalties and litigation costs. Affected consumers will be contacted soon regarding restitution payments.  

Several law firms involved in a suit against the U.S. government over tainted drinking water at a Marine Corps base are being sued for violating the U.S. Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), reports Reuters. Violations of the TCPA can result in damages of up to $1,500 per unwanted call or text. The litigation over Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, is emerging as one of the largest mass tort actions in U.S. history. Over 1,000 federal lawsuits and 93,000 administrative claims have been filed so far on behalf of victims. The U.S. government has estimated its total payout could amount to more than $20 billion.

The 2023 Equal Justice University (EJU) kicks off this week in Murfreesboro, starting with a meeting of the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) board Tuesday evening. Wednesday's opening plenary speaker is Rachel Rossi, director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice, followed by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins speaking at the Welcome Luncheon. Wednesday afternoon, the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission meets and breakout sessions continue. The evening concludes with the annual Access to Justice Awards Dinner. On Thursday, the TBA Access to Justice Committee meets and TBA President Jim Barry speaks at lunch. The event wraps up Friday morning with a keynote address by Legal Services Corporation President Ron Flagg. The conference is presented by TALS and co-sponsored by the TBA and others.

A story in yesterday's issue of TBA Today misidentified state Rep. Justin Jones' district. He represents House District 52 in Davidson County.

Tennessee's special legislative session continued today with the House meeting at 2 p.m. and the Senate meeting at 4 p.m. CDT. In the House, spectators in the gallery expressed anger after the body voted 70-20 to silence Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, for the day. The Tennessean reports that Jones earlier had been ruled out of order twice by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. Democrats walked out of the session after the vote and Sexton ordered troopers to clear the balconies. In the Senate, leaders continued to refuse to open up the committee process and consider more proposals despite a call from Gov. Bill Lee to do so. Lee reportedly asked the Senate to consider 12 previously tabled bills in an effort to broker a compromise with House leadership. The paper has a summary of the bills in question.

Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin held an expedited hearing at 11 a.m. CDT today in a legal dispute over a decision by the Tennessee House of Representatives to ban protest signs during a specially called session on public safety. Martin heard arguments from the state and ACLU, which filed suit on behalf of three attendees who were removed from a committee hearing after holding up small signs. The group argued that their free speech rights were violated. For the state, Assistant Attorney General Cody Brandon argued the signs were disruptive and that Martin overstepped her authority by temporarily blocking the rules. Martin did not immediately rule but vowed to issue a quick, thorough and thoughtful decision. Read more from the Tennessean.