Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell said today that voters should expect to see local transit funding on their ballots in November, reports the Tennessean. During his campaign for mayor, O'Connell pledged to pursue a countywide vote on a tax raise to fund mass transit projects during his first term. Today's announcement marks the start of a new campaign to sell the city on a plan to improve public transit and a dedicated stream of new tax revenue to pay for it. O'Connell said he expects to present a plan in greater detail next month, including the anticipated cost of the project, which likely will be "somewhere in the billions" spread over a 30-year period, according to the paper.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit over Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution statute, which it argues violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Daily Memphian reports that the suit, which also lists the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as a defendant, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. “The enforcement of state criminal laws that treat people differently based on HIV status alone and that are not based on actual risks of harm, discriminate against people living with HIV,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a news release. The state’s aggravated prostitution statute was enacted in 1991. Read previous coverage of the statute from TBA Today. 

Serious threats to U.S. federal judges have more than doubled over the past three years, according to U.S. Marshals Service data reviewed and reported by Reuters. The service, which is responsible for the protection of 2,700 federal judges and more than 30,000 federal prosecutors and other court personnel, reports a sharp rise in threats since the 2020 presidential election. The data also showed that serious threats against federal judges that triggered an investigation by the agency rose to 457 in fiscal year 2023 from 224 in fiscal year 2021.

Tennessee High School Mock Trial District competitions will be occurring across the state over the next two weeks and volunteers are needed in several locations. The District 7 competition will take place this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST at the Rutherford County Judicial Center, 116 W. Lytle St., Murfreesboro 37130. To help with this event please contact Morgan Hanna. The District 14 competition will take place in Memphis Feb. 22-25 at the Judge D'Army Bailey Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Memphis 38103. Volunteers are especially needed on Friday and Saturday. Complete this form or contact Faith Watson or Brande Boyd to help. The District 9 competition will take place in Nashville on Feb. 23-25 at the Historic Metro Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Nashville 37201. Scorers, judges and bailiffs are needed for this competition. Bailiffs do not need to be licensed attorneys. Dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday will be provided to volunteers. Register here to volunteer. Finally, the District 5 competition in Chattanooga will be held Feb. 24-26 at the Hamilton County-Chattanooga Courts Building, 600 Market St., Chattanooga 37402. Volunteers are needed on Saturday from 9-11 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m., Sunday 1:30-3:30 p.m., and Monday, 5:30-7:30 p.m. EST. Contact Alex McVeagh and Mary France DeVoe to volunteer for this event.

Stanford and Yale law schools, which share the number one spot on U.S. News & World Report’s law school rankings, are moving up their summer associate recruiting programs to June, Reuters reports. Other top ranked law schools that supply the bulk of summer associates, including Harvard, Columbia and New York University, are waiting until July or early August for their primary interview program. The expedited process means that firms may have a single semester of grades to consider when extending offers to early recruits, making it tougher to gauge their potential. Law firms' rivalry for the very top law students historically has remained fierce, according to the news source.

Vanderbilt University has reappointment Chris Guthrie as dean of its law school. The reappointment is for a five-year term starting July 1, at which point Guthrie will have completed 15 years in the role. Guthrie joined the law school in 2002, serving as associate dean for academic affairs from 2004 to 2008. He was named dean in 2009. His expertise includes behavioral law and economics, dispute resolution, negotiation and judicial decision-making. Guthrie holds a law degree from Stanford Law School and a master’s degree in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Read more about his background.

The American Bar Association (ABA) has asked the federal judiciary to stop using the term “court-appointed master," arguing that it has negative connotations and does not accurately describe the role of those who help guide litigation. The group proposed using the term “court-appointed neutral” instead. The judiciary’s Advisory Committee on Civil Rules may consider the change when it meets on April 9, Reuters reports.

Shelby County General Sessions Judge Deborah Means Henderson was honored by the Shelby County Commission at its meeting on Feb. 5, the Administrative Office of the Courts reports. A resolution, sponsored by Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, noted Henderson’s career accomplishments and her work with the unhoused, as well as her recent election as president of the Tennessee General Sessions Judges Conference. Henderson is now the first Black woman elected president of any state judicial conference. Her service on the court includes efforts to establish a pre-litigation eviction mediation program to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.

The 2024 TBA Leadership Law class met yesterday for its “Issues in Policy & Politics” program in Nashville. Class members heard from a number of legislators and state leaders. TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright led a panel discussion about the legislative process and what lawyers bring to the table when serving as legislators. Lawmakers participating in that session included Sen. Sara Kyle, D-Memphis, House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, and Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville. Class members also heard from Anastasia Campbell, director of the Legislative Office of Legal Services, and Brandon Smith, chief of staff to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. See photos from the day.

The Chattanooga Chapter of the American Inns of Court has raised $21,437 for The Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC). The fundraising effort included the sale of auction items and individual donations, Chattanoogan.com reports. CAC Director of External Affairs Lisa Moore said the funding would be used to continue the center’s essential services to child sexual abuse victims and their families. More than 200 lawyers and judges belong to the local chapter of the Inns of Court, which aims to improve the skills, professionalism, ethics and civility of the bench and bar. This year’s president is Michael Alston, managing partner of Husch Blackwell's Chattanooga office.