More contraband believed to be connected to criminal justice advocate Alex Friedmann — who hid weapons inside the walls of the Downtown Detention Center while it was under construction — was recently discovered in the center, the Tennessean reports. The latest discovery comes more than six months after Friedmann was sentenced to 40 years in prison for felony vandalism in connection to the weapons. Employees found the additional items in a mechanical room in a non-secure area of the jail. The packages, found in the room’s ductwork, included a uniform, $100 cash and a pair of black shoes, one of which had a handcuff key hidden in the sole.

The Tennessee Innocence Project will open a new office in Memphis in September, the Daily Memphian reports. The nonprofit organization, headquartered in Nashville, also has hired two new employees to assist with Memphis cases. Gordon Pera will serve as a staff attorney of the new office while Katie Hagan will serve as senior legal counsel. Pera, a former Shelby County public defender, previously represented indigent clients. Hagan, a Nashville native, has practiced criminal law for 20 years. Previously, she worked at the Nashville District Attorney’s Office and was a partner at Hagan & Todd Law Offices. She will be based in Nashville. Tennessee Innocence Project executive director and lead counsel Jessica Van Dyke said the organization is thrilled to bring its mission to Memphis and “fight for justice and exoneration alongside the Memphis community.”

Montgomery County lawyer Hugh Reid Poland III was censured on June 23 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Poland represented a client who settled a custody dispute at mediation. The settlement required the client to create a parenting and visitation arrangement for a trial period, and Poland to draft the required agreed order, parenting plan and child support worksheet. The court found that Poland failed to respond to communications from opposing counsel regarding the documents and ultimately failed to draft the documents. Poland also made misrepresentations to his client and ultimately stopped responding to the client’s requests for information. Opposing counsel ended up drafting the required documents but included inaccurate statements about Poland’s client. Poland approved the documents without notifying or obtaining approval from the client. The court found that these actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 8.4(c) and 8.4(d).

Stephanie Williams has announced she is a Democratic candidate for Davidson County Circuit Court. She is running in a special primary election set for March 5, 2024, to replace Judge Philip E. Smith, who died in 2022. Williams has 20 years experience as a family law attorney. Her career began in the Law Office of Richard Manson. From there, she founded the Family Justice Center and represented hundreds of litigants at reduced rates. Most recently she served nine years as the special master of the court under Smith. Williams is one of three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. In January, Gov. Bill Lee appointed Stanley Kweller to fill the seat until the general election on Aug. 1, 2024.

It was not long ago that North Carolina had the highest personal and corporate income tax rates in the Southeastern United States, but state legislators have been systematically cutting business and individual taxes, Forbes reports. This year, legislators turned their attention to the professional privilege tax, with the state House passing a budget that repeals the tax. The final budget is being negotiated but if the tax is repealed in the Tar Heel state, Tennessee would be among just five states that still levy a privilege tax. Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth tells Forbes that state leaders agree with the goal of completely doing away with the tax but are moving judiciously. "It should never have been put in to begin with and on every single profession," he said. Jim Brown, NFIB state director in Tennessee, tells the magazine that “No one should be taxed just to go to work” and that “Paying the state $400 a year is a burden on many and frankly an insult” for those who “take care of the needs of so many Tennesseans.”

More than 200 general counsel and chief legal officers have signed a letter of support for Legal Services Corporation (LSC) funding, the corporation reports. The letter urges Congress to strengthen its investment in equal justice and emphasizes the important role legal aid plays in creating financial stability for families who form “the foundation of a resilient middle class and healthy consumers” and maintains the “strength of the American workforce.” The corporation also reports that similar letters have been signed by 37 state attorneys general, 93 law school deans, 184 law firm leaders, and the presidents of the Conference of Chief Justices and Conference of State Court Administrators.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, Nashville Bar Foundation and Country Music Association to provide free legal services for nonprofits and Black-owned small businesses in Nashville on July 20. Advice will cover business formation, corporate governance, contracts and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible entities may receive up to one hour of assistance. Clients should sign up online. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

A federal judge last week dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group of Tennessee-born transgender plaintiffs hoping to compel the state to change the sex designations on their birth certificates. The plaintiffs had sought to overturn a 1977 law that generally prohibits such changes, the Tennessean reports. The group, represented by Lambda Legal, argued that the law discriminates against transgender people and leads to possible harassment and violence when birth certificates do not match gender identities. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson wrote in his decision that while there are varying definitions of "sex," the term "has a very narrow and specific meaning" for the purpose of birth certificates: the "external genitalia at the time of birth." Read Richardson's opinion.

The TBA and student loan provider SoFi have teamed up for a free webinar for members on July 11 at 3 p.m. CDT. During the session, SoFi’s team will cover topics such as how to use the tools, resources and products available at SoFi.com/TBA; options for managing debt; how to receive an exclusive discount when refinancing student loans; and updates on the current student loan landscape. Register here.

Make plans now to join colleagues at the TBA’s 2023 Disability Law Forum. This year’s program will take place virtually on Oct. 20 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Check back for more details coming soon to the TBA’s online course catalog.