The Tennessee Bar Association has submitted a comment to the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) regarding the licensure of court reporters and the sunsetting of the Board of Court Reporting. Recently, the TDCI identified the Board of Court Reporting as a regulatory body that is no longer needed. Among other things, the TDCI noted that the board meets only twice a year and has relatively few complaints to deal with. Given that the purpose of most regulatory boards is to protect the public, in this instance the TDCI believes that the public is well protected, and there is no longer a need to have a regulatory board in place. The TBA earlier publicized the request for public comment, and also polled section members to determine their respective opinions on the issue. While some comments agreed with the TDCI’s position that the board is unnecessary and is not needed to protect the public, the majority of comments expressed support for the continued regulation of court reporters. The TBA has thoughtfully considered TDCI’s rationale in recommending to sunset the board, but respectfully believes that the very existence of the board serves the critical function of protecting the public, which is a paramount consideration for the creation or continuation of any state board. Read the full comment.

Perry Stout, former Johnson County Sessions Court Judge, and his wife Pamela Ann Stout, have been charged with various drug charges by the First District Attorney General Steve Finney’s office, reports WJHL. Stout has been charged with money laundering, possession of a weapon during commission of a dangerous felony, conspiracy to possess with intent to sell or deliver Schedule VI drugs, and maintaining a dwelling for the sale or use of narcotics. Stout resigned in June citing "immoral acts" and stated in July that he would not seek reelection to the bench.

Tennessee will participate in a federal program designed to give parents extra cash to buy food for their children during the summer months. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children, or Summer EBT, will provide $40 per month for each school-aged child living below the poverty line. The funds are loaded onto a debit card that may only be used to buy food. There are 644,000 Tennessee children who are eligible for Summer EBT — potentially drawing more than $77 million in funding for low-income families.

A second former police officer charged in the death of Tyre Nichols has asked for his upcoming federal trial to be moved outside of Memphis. Demetrius Haley yesterday asked for the trial to be moved outside of the city due to excessive media coverage of the case, according to the Daily Memphian. Haley's attorneys, Michael Stengel and Stephen Leffler, asked the court to consider several options, including moving the trial to Jackson, expanding the jury pool or sequestering the jury. Tadarrius Bean made a similar change of venue request on Jan. 5. The trial is set for May 6.

The Memphis Bar Association announced in an email this afternoon the following area courts will be closed tomorrow: Shelby County Circuit Court (please note: if there are emergency matters that require attention, emails should be sent to the division clerk), Chancery Court, Probate Court, Criminal Court, General Sessions Civil, General Sessions Criminal and Juvenile Court; U.S. Bankruptcy Court; and Memphis and Jackson federal courts.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) recently named George Nolan as the new director of its Tennessee office. A native of Bon Aqua, Nolan has practiced law in Nashville for 33 years. He was previously a member of Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry PLC and Leader, Bulso & Nolan PLC. Nolan received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and  law degree from the University of Virginia. SELC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan law firm with offices in six southeastern states and Washington, D.C.

Womble Bond Dickinson has named Josh Mullen as the new managing partner of offices in Nashville and Huntsville. This, and other leadership appointments, were effective as of Jan. 1. Mullen will focus on government contracts and business litigation, and assist various government contractors with litigation and general counseling in all aspects of procurement law. In addition to Nashville, Womble Bond Dickinson has 24 offices in the United States and eight in the United Kingdom.

Miller & Martin's Women's Network has announced a new community partnership with The Launch Pad, a Chattanooga non-profit organization offering support to local women in recovery. The Launch Pad provides residential, 12-step based sober living to women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, and currently serves as a safe haven for 49 residents in five group homes. Residents attend AA/NA meetings, participate in weekly group therapy and obtain gainful employment. “The members of Miller & Martin’s Women’s Network are honored to partner with The Launch Pad and have been inspired by its commitment to ... its residents in 2024," said Lynzi J. Archibald, Chattanooga co-chair of the network.

Taylor English Duma LLP announced it has expanded its fractional GC practice "tle General Counsel" to Nashville. The firm, which currently employs nearly 200 attorneys, also announced that David “DC” Roberts joins the practice as a partner in Nashville. “The addition of DC to t|e General Counsel is a continuation of our expansion across the country,” said co-founder Allen W. Nelson. Prior to joining t|e General Counsel, Roberts was corporate/in-house counsel and chief medical compliance officer for The Providence Groups LLC and corporate/in-house counsel for Providence Consulting and Design.

The ABA Task Force for American Democracy, a nonpartisan task force formed to bolster voter confidence in elections, recently announced its roadmap for the 2024 election season. The group says it will work to mobilize the legal profession to uphold its duty to support and defend the Constitution and the rule of law, educate lawyers regarding their professional obligations, and leverage the legal profession to educate the public on importance of democracy and the rule of law. The task force also announced a listening tour across the country. Stops are scheduled in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Arizona. Each session will feature local election officials and community leaders discussing ways to enhance public confidence in the election process. Read more about the Task Force's work.