The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold a veterans only clinic next Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37203. To volunteer for the clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131.

The U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision upheld the conviction of a federal prisoner on Thursday who was challenging his 27-year prison sentence for violating federal gun laws. Marcus DeAngelo Jones argued that he should be allowed another chance to get his conviction thrown out following a 2019 Supreme Court decision where the justices ruled prosecutors must prove that people charged with violating federal gun laws knew they were not allowed to have a weapon, the Associated Press reported. 

The state Supreme Court today permanently disbarred Steven Edward Sams from the practice of law in Tennessee. The panel found Sams’ conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 3.4 (knowingly disobeying an obligation under the rules of a tribunal), 5.5 (unauthorized practice of law), and 8.4 (misconduct) and warranted permanent disbarment. In certain instances, Sams’ conduct resulted in irreparable injury.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today transferred the law license of Williamson County lawyer Paul William Duty to disability inactive status. Duty may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the court for reinstatement after showing that the disability has been removed.

Two lawyers who used fake case citations generated by ChatGPT in a court filing were ordered in U.S District Court on Thursday to pay a $5,000 fine, reports Law.com. Judge Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York also ordered Steven Schwartz of Levidow, Levidow & Oberman and his associate, Peter LoDuca, to send letters to their client, Roberto Mata, and to “the judges whose names were wrongfully invoked.” Schwartz said in a court filing in May he "greatly regrets" his reliance on the technology and was "unaware of the possibility that its contents could be false." Read more about the case in our previous reporting in TBA Today.

The sixth floor of the Cordell Hull legislative building in downtown Nashville was briefly closed Thursday after envelopes containing an unidentified substance addressed to Republican legislature members was discovered, reported the Tennessean. No injuries were reported. An investigation by the FBI is currently underway.

A story in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today reported that the Nashville Metro Council voted unanimously this week to appoint former Metro Councilmember Anthony Davis to the state House seat held by Democratic Rep. Bill Beck, who died earlier this month. Davis will serve in an interim capacity until a special general election is held in September. He will face three other Democrats in a special primary election on Aug. 3. The winner of that race will advance to the general election on Sept. 12. One Republican has picked up papers to run in the general election. The Nashville Post has more on the story.

The U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a suit on Thursday by the Navajo Nation that would have required the federal government to develop a plan to secure water access for the tribe on reservation lands in the southwest, reported Reuters. The tribe claimed more than 30% of households on the Navajo reservation currently lack running water. The 5-4 decision ruled that an 1868 peace treaty between the U.S. and the tribe did not require the federal government to take steps to secure water. The ruling reversed a decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that had permitted the Navajo Nation's lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department ruling the government had a "duty to protect and preserve the Nation's right to water."

The African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee held coordinated news conferences in Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis on Wednesday urging that gun violence be considered a "public health crisis," reports the Commercial Appeal. In Memphis, Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon spoke about the upcoming referendum scheduled for October 5 that will challenge recent state legislation that removed requirements for gun permits and background checks. "This referendum … states that individuals must have a permit to carry firearms," said Sugarmon. A recent survey by the Daily Memphian confirmed that crime is a big concern in Shelby County, noting that 52% of Shelby County respondents say they have considered leaving the area because of crime.

Attorneys for four former Memphis Police Department officers are requesting that a $500 million civil lawsuit filed by the family of Tyre Nichols be halted until the criminal case is finished, the Commercial Appeal reports. Pausing the civil lawsuit, which alleges negligence by Memphis police and fire departments in the death of Nichols, would include a freeze on civil discovery and any mediation efforts while the criminal case is ongoing, the Commercial Appeal says. In their motions, attorneys claimed that the civil case could be prejudicial to the criminal case. On Thursday, two former officers who are facing criminal charges also filed motions to have their cases tried separately, reports the Tennessean.