The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance is accepting public comments regarding the licensure of court reporters and the sunsetting of the Board of Court Reporting. Written comments will be accepted through Jan. 19 via this form or in person at a Jan. 11 meeting starting at 1 p.m. CST in Nashville. That event will take place at 500 James Robertson Pkwy., Davy Crockett Tower, Conference Room 1-B, Nashville 37243. Read more about the comment process and access a link to watch a livestream of the meeting. The department says that all comments will be shared in full with members of the Tennessee legislature's Government Operations Joint Subcommittee on Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture.

Tennessee law firm Baker Donelson announced that Lang Wiseman, head of the firm’s public policy practice, and Jacob Baggett will lead the firm’s new emphasis on government relations, the Nashville Post reports. Wiseman returned to Baker Donelson in 2022 after working as deputy governor and chief counsel to Gov. Bill Lee. Baggett was hired as a public policy adviser after working as a senior public policy attorney at Bass, Berry & Sims. Wiseman announced that Baggett will serve as the firm’s "boots on the ground" at the Tennessee legislature. The Memphis-based firm, which has 22 offices in mostly southern states, plans to replicate its new emphasis on lobbying in other states.

Barry Neil Shrum and Dennis Disney have formed the law firm of Shrum Disney & Associates, located at 54 Music Square East, Nashville 37203, reports the Nashville Post. Shrum, who will serve as CEO and managing partner, is a longtime Music Row attorney who also has taught entertainment law at Belmont University. Disney, who will serve as senior associate, has nearly four decades of experience in the music industry, having held positions in artist management, book publishing and at record labels. He also has taught at Belmont's Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. The boutique firm's practice includes intellectual property matters, endorsements, licensing and start-up work. According to the firm's website, clients include SESAC and GRAMMY winning songwriter Dan Penn.

The Shelby County Commission met this week and voted to send a proposal to recodify the Citizen Law Enforcement Review Committee (CLERC) to a fourth reading. The commission also approved a study to address low wage and retention rates among county employees, reports the Commercial Appeal. The study proposal was sponsored by Commissioner Erika Sugarmon, who said it will help the county stay competitive with other employers in the area. The last comprehensive wage study was conducted in 2017 according to the paper.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division Mock Trial Committee is seeking sitting judges and attorneys to volunteer for the 2024 State High School Mock Trial Competition. High school students across the state will present their best arguments at district competitions in February. Teams prevailing at district will advance to the state competition, set for March 22-23 in Nashville. The problem — a criminal scenario centered around an evening of pranks and alleged revenge that goes terribly wrong — competition rules and other information is online. Those interested in helping should indicate their availability on this online form.

Four more women have joined a lawsuit challenging Tennessee's restrictive abortion law, which first was filed in September 2023, bringing the total number of plaintiffs to nine, including two doctors. The Associated Press reports that three of the women were denied abortions while experiencing severe pregnancy complications, forcing them to travel out of state for the procedure. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates pregnant patients’ right to life as guaranteed by the state’s constitution and are asking a three-judge panel to clarify the circumstances that qualify patients to legally receive an abortion. Among the circumstances they want included are fatal diagnoses. The Center for Reproductive Rights, which is representing the plaintiffs, also recently requested a temporary injunction on enforcing the law as the court case proceeds.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, along with the attorneys general of Montana and Kansas, on Friday led a coalition of 19 states in submitting a public comment letter challenging the legality of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Businesses Diversity Principles” proposal. The proposal would push businesses to “strive to meet diversity targets in their long-term workforce plans” and assess DEIA performance using “demographic data across all levels and departments.” The attorneys general argue that the policy violates the law and promotes racial discrimination. Read the press release and the letter.

A new program in Nashville aims to guide currently jailed potential voters through the voting process. The Tennessee Lookout reports that voter registration, navigating the absentee ballot request process, voting rights restoration support and civics education will be a part of the new program, which started in late December. Some people with felony convictions are permanently barred from voting under Tennessee law. Others with felony convictions may have voting rights restored. People with misdemeanor records alone or no criminal record at all can continue to vote, including from jail using absentee ballots.

Tadarrius Bean, one of the former Memphis police officers accused in the beating death of Tyre Nichols, is requesting that his federal criminal trial be moved outside Memphis. According to the Daily Memphian, Bean's attorney John Keith Perry wrote in his request and separate memorandum of support that he was requesting the move due to the amount of media coverage in the case and comments from city officials. He acknowledged that prosecutors would likely oppose a venue change given coverage of the case has been so widespread that moving the trial likely would not impact the outcome. The federal trial is currently set to begin May 6.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the Memphis Bar Association (MBA), which began as the Memphis Bar & Library Association in 1874. The association will celebrate with an event on Oct. 19 at The Museum of Science & History (formerly the Pink Palace Museum). The group also is planning a community service project to mark the milestone. Watch for details throughout the year from the association.