Nashville mayoral candidates Freddie O'Connell and Alice Rolli will meet for their final debate tomorrow at Belmont University's Fisher Center, 2020 Belmont Blvd., Nashville 37212 at 6:20 p.m. CDT. Free tickets are available to the public. The debate series is a collaboration between The Tennessean, NewsChannel5, Belmont University, American Baptist College and the League of Women Voters of Nashville. Early voting for Nashville's mayoral runoff election starts Friday.

Marvin S.C. Dang has become the first Asian American lawyer to be elected an officer of the American Bar Association in its 145-year history, the organization has announced. Dang was elected secretary for a three-year term as one of five officers on the ABA Board of Governors. He is currently a managing member of the Law Offices of Marvin S.C. Dang LLLC in Honolulu. He also is a partner in the Law Offices of Nelson & Kennard, a California law firm doing business in eight states. Dang co-manages the Hawaii office, focusing on civil litigation.

Law schools are replacing open-ended diversity questions in their applications in an effort to gain a deeper understanding of candidates after the Supreme Court court ruled in June against the use of affirmative action programs in the admissions process, reports Reuters. Duke Law School and the University of Texas School of Law have added “personal background” statements with essay prompts. And this year, Harvard Law School is requiring a “statement of purpose” and “statement of perspective” to learn how a candidate's background has shaped them. Most U.S. law schools will begin accepting applications for next fall on Sept. 1. The U.S. Department of Education released new guidance last week to colleges and universities on how to legally encourage racial diversity on their campuses.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday reinstated four lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the order or see the list of those reinstated online.

A federal appeals court yesterday rejected a bid by gun rights advocates to block the Biden administration from enforcing new regulations aimed at privately made firearms known as "ghost guns," reports Reuters. The St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that gun rights organizations and 16 Republican state attorneys general who joined the suit had not established they would be irreparably harmed by the rule, which went into effect in August 2022. The rule updated the definition of a "firearm," "frame" and "receiver" under the Gun Control Act of 1968 to address the rise of ghost guns which can be assembled from kits and purchased online without a background check.

Registration is now open for the TBA’s 37th Annual CLE Ski set for Jan. 20-25, 2024, in Snowmass, Colorado. The CLE package offers 15 hours of credit in a variety of practice areas while allowing time to enjoy the beautiful slopes and one of Colorado's premier ski resorts. Participants will stay at The Stonebridge Inn, located in the heart of Snowmass Village just 10 miles from Aspen and central to four remarkable ski areas: Snowmass, Aspen Highlands, Aspen Mountain and Buttermilk. An opening reception on Jan. 20 will kick off this year's program. Reserve your spot now or learn more in the online CLE course catalog.

The Tennessee General Assembly continued its second day of a special legislative session called by Gov. Bill Lee focused on public safety proposals in response to the shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville last March, reports the Tennessean. The special session began with the adoption of new rules governing the proceedings and announcing committee assignments for two representatives expelled from the chamber in April for participating in a protest on the House floor. House subcommittees passed legislation addressing keeping minors’ autopsy reports private, allowing law enforcement officers, the military and handgun carry permit holders to carry a handgun openly or concealed in public schools and buses, establishing a loan forgiveness program for mental health professionals and several bills addressing school safety.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation eliminating sales tax on gun safes, requiring the TBI to give an updated report on human trafficking and the creation of a new deadline for court records to be entered into the state database used for background checks. Spectators crowded the committee rooms and three protesters were physically removed from the House Civil Justice Subcommittee for holding up signs during the committee proceedings. No end date for the session has been established. Senate and House Committees are scheduled to meet tomorrow at 8 am.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Davidson County lawyer Newton S. Holiday III from the practice of law on Aug. 17 for two years, with six months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court conditioned reinstatement on payment of $9,500 in restitution, engagement of a practice monitor and payment of the disciplinary costs. The court found that Holiday failed to act with reasonable diligence; failed to communicate with a client or keep her informed of significant events and developments in her case; accepted representation pursuant to a contingent fee agreement that was not in writing; and secured the client’s acceptance of a settlement without advising the client of his conflict of interest. These actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5(c), 1.8(h) and 8.4(a).

Four lawyers recently were reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee after being on inactive status. They are: Washington, D.C., lawyer Marc Scandlyn Brewen, Virginia lawyer Katherine Villane Johnson, Williamson County lawyer Erika D. Roberts and Alabama lawyer Amanda Kay Snipes. Read about their specific cases in the Tennessee Supreme Court orders linked above.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday reinstated 18 lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the order or see the list of those reinstated online.