Family, friends and supporters of Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee were in Knoxville last week for the unveiling of her official portrait at the Supreme Court Building. The event was live streamed and the archived video can be viewed on the court’s YouTube page. Lee will retire on Aug. 31. She has served as a Supreme Court justice since 2008 and previously served on the Court of Appeals. Her portrait is the first portrait of a female justice to hang inside any of the Tennessee Supreme Court's three courtrooms. Read more about the ceremony and see photos on the Administrative Office of the Court's website.

The Biden administration officially launched its new income-driven student loan repayment plan for borrowers Tuesday, The Hill reports. The official launch of the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan comes just weeks before interest will begin to accrue on student loans for the first time in more than three years. The application to participate in the program is online.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will host two in-person Essential Documents for Essential Workers clinics this Saturday. Volunteer attorneys are still needed for the clinic in Cookeville, which will be held at the Cookeville Police Department from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT. Volunteers will meet with clients and enter client information into software that creates wills, powers of attorney and advanced health care directives. No prior experience is needed and a training session will be offered. Contact YLD District Representative Amber Vargas to help.

A group of Williamson County parents, represented by lawyer and state Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, is turning to the courts to try to remove five books from middle and high school libraries. The Tennessean reports that the group filed a petition in Williamson County Chancery Court, accusing the county's board of education of violating a state law passed in 2022 that requires school boards to review library materials and remove those deemed inappropriate for students. The board voted 8-2 during its June 19 meeting to keep the books. The parents argue that the board did not actually evaluate the five books or adopt an adequate procedure for reviewing library collections as required by the law.

Longtime Metro official Raymond Lester "Ray" Barrett died Tuesday at the age of 88. Barrett worked 52 years for the Nashville government, including as clerk and master of the Davidson County Chancery Court and administrator of elections. He was president of the Tennessee County Officials Association and later worked for the Williamson County Circuit Court. Barrett earned his law degree in 1962 from the Nashville School of Law. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. CDT Saturday at First Presbyterian Church of Franklin, 101 Legends Club Ln., Franklin 37069. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday and one hour prior to service on Saturday at the church. Interment will be at Williamson Memorial Gardens. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Salvation Army.

The Advisory Commission on the Rules of Practice & Procedure has presented its annual recommendations for rules changes to the Tennessee Supreme Court, which is now soliciting comments on the proposals. This year's package includes two proposed changes to the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure: adding a comment to Rule 30 that all appellate court electronic filings are governed by Tenn. S. Ct. Rule 46 and changing Rule 31 regarding the brief and oral argument of an amicus curiae. The commission also proposed one change to the Rules of Civil Procedure, which would amend Rule 43.01 to allow witness testimony to be presented using audiovisual transmission from a remote location. Written comments on the proposed changes are due by Nov. 22. Submissions should reference Docket Number ADM2023-01208.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday reinstated five lawyers and today reinstated three lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the Aug. 23 order, the Aug. 24 order or see the list of all those reinstated online.

Bar Buzz is back with a new episode featuring Sheree Wright, TBA's new executive director. BarBuzz is a monthly show from the TBA Podcast Network that recaps legal happenings from across Tennessee, upcoming events at the bar, attorney shout outs and more. Check out the August episode and discover past shows in the Bar Buzz archive.

A U.S. appeals court today rejected an Ohio contractor's challenge to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) ability to adopt rules governing workplace safety, reports Bloomberg Law. In a 2-1 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit said a 1970 law that gives OSHA its powers is valid. The court affirmed a judge's ruling dismissing a lawsuit by Allstates Refractory Contractors LLC, which claimed Congress violated the U.S. Constitution by giving OSHA power to regulate private companies. The court noted that while the agency had been given broad authority, it was only allowed to adopt rules that are "reasonably necessary or appropriate" to address known health risks.

The Tennessee Senate today passed three bills coming out of the Senate Judiciary Committee: a measure to remove sales tax on gun safes and provide free gun locks to Tennessee residents; a proposal to change the deadline for courts to submit records to the state background check database; and a bill to require the TBI to create an updated report on human trafficking. Additionally, the Tennessean reports that the Senate passed $16.3 million in bonus funding for mental health workers, $3 million for mental health scholarships and $10 million for a stop-gap measure to allow for more security officers in schools. Other bills, including a risk protection order proposal, a bill to arm teachers,  expanded funding and insurance coverage for mental health treatment, and a bill that would allow certain minors to be tried as adults for certain offenses that were passed by House committees, were tabled in the Senate. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, also announced that Senate leadership plans to meet with House leaders to determine a path to adjourn the special session.

Earlier today, Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin issued a temporary restraining order against the Tennessee House of Representatives’ new rule barring signs in the galleries, the Tennessean reports. The order follows a lawsuit filed this morning by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee after three activists were removed by state troopers from a hearing on gun reform after being told to lower paper signs and not clap during the proceedings. A hearing on the temporary injunction is scheduled for Sept. 5.