Volunteers are needed for the Shelby County General Sessions Court Cost & Expungement Clinic on Aug. 12 at Southbrook Mall, 1254 E. Shelby Dr., Memphis 38116. No previous experience is required. Volunteer attorneys will primarily assist with presenting court cost waivers to the participating judges. Training and scripts will be provided. Visit the link to register.

The West Alabama Women's Center and the Alabama Women's Center sued the state in federal court today to block Alabama from prosecuting people who help others travel out of state to get abortions, reports Reuters. The Yellowhammer Fund, an abortion advocacy group, filed a similar lawsuit. Both lawsuits argue that any such prosecution would violate a basic right to travel between states under the U.S. Constitution and cite remarks made by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in an August 2022 radio interview that Alabamans who help others travel to states where abortion is legal could be prosecuted as criminal accomplices. 

The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators met Friday at the National Civil Rights Museum to discuss Gov. Bill Lee’s upcoming special session on Aug. 21 to propose new gun legislation, reports the Commercial Appeal. The caucus has been holding town hall meetings state-wide discussing ways to curb gun violence since the General Assembly recessed in May. "What is good for rural isn't always good for urban," noted state Rep. Jesse Chism, D-Memphis. Suggestions for the upcoming session include gun safe lock programs for firearm owners and a requirement for all guns in cars to have locks.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the U.S. Trustee asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to halt Purdue Pharma from proceeding with a bankruptcy settlement that protects the company’s owners, the Sackler family, from lawsuits, reports Reuters. The DOJ argued that Purdue should not be allowed to move forward with its restructuring before the Supreme Court weighs in on legal protections for non-bankrupt entities, an issue that has divided bankruptcy courts across the U.S. Last week, an appeals court ruled that Purdue may proceed with a plan approved in May that would shield the Sacklers from opioid related lawsuits in exchange for a $6 billion contribution to the company's broader bankruptcy settlement.

Federal prosecutors on Thursday accused former Tennessee state senator Brian Kelsey of intentionally delaying his sentencing after he unsuccessfully attempted to withdraw his guilty plea in his federal campaign finance laws case. Kelsey, a Republican from Germantown, has engaged his third set of attorneys in the matter, prompting Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Klopf to compare switching up attorneys to “throwing a wrench in the gears again.” The Associated Press reports that Judge Waverly Crenshaw has set Kelsey's new sentencing date for Aug. 11.

The Tennessee Bar Association Academy offers an exciting opportunity for a limited number of Tennessee attorneys to be admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. The 2023 admission ceremony will take place Dec. 5 at the court in Washington, D.C. In addition to taking part in the private ceremony, participants will be invited to a TBA President's Reception and a special celebration dinner, and will receive three hours of prepaid credits to use for future CLE programming. The group will stay at the Hay Adams Hotel, where a block of rooms has been reserved at the discounted rate of $359 a night. The cost to register is $725 for TBA members and $300 for their guests. Those interested in participating should complete this online form by Aug. 7. Applicants will be considered on a first-come basis and will be contacted to confirm their interest and complete the application process.

A new Tennessee law now in effect adds new requirements before a student can receive corporal punishment at school. News Channel 9 in Chattanooga reports that under HB 0995/SB 0972, before any kind of corporal punishment can happen, teachers are required to have acted to address the student’s behavior, provided consequences to the student, consulted with the student’s parents about their behavior and considered the need to evaluate whether the student has a disability. Corporal punishment against a student with a disability is prohibited unless the punishment is permitted by the local education agency and the parent agrees in writing.

A new study, published in the Illinois Law Review, finds that the majority of incoming law students are not able to accurately predict their grades. Reuters reports that 95% of the more than 600 surveyed students believed they would end up in the top half of the class, while more than 22% of students predicted they would be in the top 10%. Study authors surveyed incoming law students at the school about their expected class rank between 2014 and 2019, then compared those predictions with their actual rank at the end of their first year.

Join your colleagues at noon CDT on Thursday for Real Estate Essentials 2023: Cybersecurity Considerations in Real Estate Transactions. This program will cover aspects of safeguarding information from cyber threats specific to real estate transactions. David Palmer, a supervisory special agent in the FBI Memphis field office will lead the session.

Tennessee residents who have felony convictions and want to vote now must obtain a pardon or have all citizenship rights restored, and show they have paid all restitution and court costs from their conviction, and are current on child support payments, according to guidance from the state coordinator of elections. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the guidance from Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins applies to people convicted in Tennessee, another state or in federal court. The policy builds upon a June 29 ruling by the Tennessee Supreme Court on the voting rights of Ernest Falls, who currently lives in Tennessee and was convicted and then granted clemency in Virginia.