Governor Bill Lee’s plans for adding express toll lanes to some Tennessee highways won Senate approval Monday, the Associated Press reports. The bill would allow construction of express toll lanes on existing highways aimed at attracting drivers willing to pay a fee to avoid congestion. The state could contract with private entities to develop, build, finance, maintain or operate the lanes. Opponents criticized the bill for only adding highway space without addressing broader transportation issues in the state.

You can't win your case in a deposition, but it can be one of the most important discovery tools (if not the most important) in preparing your case for trial. Join us May 16 at noon CDT for a webcast on the do's and don’ts of taking, defending and using depositions. This program will cover tips and techniques on taking depositions, defending them and using them as your case progresses, including how to prepare yourself and your client for depositions. It will also cover tips on how to avoid and recover from common pitfalls.

Metro Nashville council members are scrambling to see how best to deal with the recently passed state legislation that cuts their number in half, Axios Nashville reports. Several council members have submitted proposals to the Metro Planning Department asking for it to draw maps with either 15, 16 or 17 districts. The remainder of the 20 seats under each would be at-large filled county wide. The city has also filed suit to block the law from taking effect before the 2023 election.

Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is hosting a course on expungement on March 30 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. This will be a virtual event covering the ins and outs of expungement, starting with non-conviction expungement, moving through conviction expungement and ending with information about re-entry and potential upcoming changes during this legislative session. There will be a 15 minute break between sessions. Sign up here for this free training.

John Hughes Henderson Jr. died March 16 in Franklin. He was 87. Henderson received his law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1961, and as a third generation lawyer, practiced law in Tennessee for 45 years, the last 17 as district public defender for the 21st Judicial District covering Hickman, Lewis, Perry and Williamson counties. In addition, he served in a number of leadership positions in the profession, including time on the TBA Board of Governors. Henderson was admitted to practice law in both Tennessee and Mississippi and retired in 2006. A memorial service will be held on March 30 at 3 p.m. CDT at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 510 W. Main St., in Franklin. Visitation and reception will be in Otey Hall at the church following the memorial service. Burial will be in a columbarium at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s historical committee or a charity of your choice. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.crawfordservices.com.

After a sudden and brief illness, 21st District Attorney General Kim Helper died Monday surrounded by family. She was 63. Helper and her family moved to Franklin 25 years ago and she was appointed district attorney general in 2008 after serving in the attorney general's office and as an assistant district attorney. She was re-elected three times, most recently in August 2022.

Helper has served as the District Attorney General's Conference designee on the TBA Board of Governors for several years and held a number of leadership positions in community and professional organizations, including My Friend's House, the Davis House Child Advocacy Center and Williamson County CASA, among others. She was a graduate of Stetson University College of Law. Arrangements are pending at this time. The Tennessean has more on her passing.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today referred the case of Sumner County lawyer Andy Lamar Allman to the Board of Professional Responsibility for a determination of final discipline. Allman pled guilty to and was convicted in Davidson County Criminal Court of one count of felony theft of property valued at $60,000 or more. Because Allman is already disbarred, the court said an order for immediate suspension was not necessary.

Women are leading the majority of national bar associations across the United States this year, and in celebration of Women’s History Month, the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession will host a free webinar about the advancement, challenges and power of women in bar leadership. The program will take place Friday from 12:30-2 p.m. CDT. Groups involved include the National Bar Association, National Association of Women Judges, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association, and South Asian Bar Association. Read more about the event or register here.

The federal judiciary is preparing to hire a chief information officer, a position the Government Accountability Office has said would bring needed oversight to its tech projects, Reuters reports. As part of a $9.1 billion budget request, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts told Congress it planned to hire a CIO, citing a "need for a strengthened role for IT leadership" within the judiciary.

Women are continuing to break barriers in the legal profession each day, and law school enrollment is no different, Above the Law reports. There are now more women in law school than ever before and they outnumber men for the seventh year in a row. The latest data from Enjuris, an independent legal resource, also shows that 16 of the top 20 schools (as ranked by U.S. News) had more women enrolled than men in 2022. And the majority of law schools had more female attendees than male attendees last year.