Nashville law firm Neal & Harwell has named John Southwood as its director of financial operations. Southwood previously served as director of financing and accounting at Waller Lansden for 14 years. He also was chief financial officer at Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry for 13 years before it merged with Bradley Arant Rose & White. Southwood holds an MBA degree in accounting from Vanderbilt University and an undergraduate degree from the University of the South. The Nashville Post has more on the story.

Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp says that the county's opioid epidemic is her top priority, and she will hire a chief opioid prosecutor, a new item specified in the county’s budget effective July 1. The chief opioid prosecutor is the newest category of chief prosecutors since Wamp took office last September. The Chattanoogan reports that a Tennessee statute allows a person who sells or delivers illegal drugs to be charged with second-degree murder if the drugs result in death. But Wamp said the connection is very difficult to prove, usually requiring an eyewitness or cell phone records. A dedicated prosecutor with experience can follow that thread, she said.

Tennessee Bar Association staff and leaders are in Denver this week joining colleagues from across the country for a series of bar leadership meetings. Senior staff members, led by Executive Director Sheree Wright, are taking part in National Association of Bar Professionals seminars on current trends, wellness, cybersecurity, technology and other topics. TBA President Jim Barry and other leaders will take part in National and Southern Conference of Bar Presidents meetings later in the week and delegates to the ABA House of Delegates will also join in at a Sunday night reception honoring TBA Immediate Past President Tasha Blakney.

Metro Nashville is seeking permission to repurpose unused COVID quarantine housing pods, including as temporary housing for those transitioning out of homelessness. Twenty-five pods were installed in the parking lot of Nashville Rescue Mission but unused from October 2021 until May 2022, and 83 more units are in storage in an undisclosed location. The pods remained unoccupied as the state fire marshal’s office never gave clearance to the Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety. The pods were bought for $1.2 million via funding from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They can hold two people and connect to electricity, heat and air conditioning. If approved, officials plan to have the codes department, health department, local fire marshal and office of homeless services convene to make a plan for use of the pods. The Nashville Post has the story.

The University of Memphis Law Review, in planning its Spring 2024 Symposium, seeks papers and presenters exploring proposals that would resolve one or more of the remaining legal issues surrounding environmental issues impacting marginalized communities. Papers will be edited and published in Volume 54, Book 4 of The University of Memphis Law Review, and authors will be invited to present at the hybrid in person and digital Symposium in February of 2024. If you are interested in participating, please submit a manuscript or abstract to Symposium Editor Ashlie Gozikowski. The deadline for submitting a manuscript or abstract is Oct. 1.

Three former dancers for Grammy-winning singer Lizzo accused her of creating a hostile work environment, including weight shaming and sexually denigrating behavior, in a lawsuit released on Tuesday. Reuters reports that the plaintiffs claim they were coerced into touching nude performers at an Amsterdam strip club in late February and that one was pressured to participate in a nude photo shoot to stay in a dance competition despite her discomfort. The lawsuit also alleges that Lizzo’s dance team captain harassed the dancers by subjecting them to her religious beliefs against their will.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against Nashville-based HCA Healthcare over claims the company broke the law by refusing to promote an employee because of his race, age and national origin. According to the Tennessean, the suit alleges that HCA denied a promotion to a 58-year-old Asian employee, who was hired in 2019 at the company's Osceola, Florida location, in favor of a 37-year-old white woman who did not meet the listed qualifications for the position. The Asian employee did, however, meet the qualifications, according to the EEOC. The lawsuit further claims that the Asian employee was subject to retaliation, including disciplinary write-ups and verbal berating, after he complained about being discriminated against, and he was later fired.

Gov. Bill Lee confirmed that he will make an official call for a special legislative session and will sponsor several bills, including one dealing with extreme risk orders of protection, despite opposition from some Republican lawmakers. The Tennessee Lookout reports that Lee said recently he also plans to push legislation on juvenile justice, mental health and violent crime, but declined to give more details. “Tennessee will be a safer state as a result of the efforts of the legislation and the legislators who are engaged in the process of this special session on public safety,” Lee said.

Former President Donald Trump was indicted on felony charges in connection with his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election, AP reports. The four-count indictment alleges Trump conspired to defraud the U.S. by preventing Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's victory and to deprive voters of their right to a fair election. In the 45-page court document, prosecutors allege a coordinated conspiracy across multiple states, in which Trump and his allies advanced claims of fraud they knew to be untrue but repeated them to "create an intense national atmosphere of mistrust and anger and erode public faith in the administration of the election." Trump was ordered to make an initial appearance in federal court on Thursday.

The Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) has officially moved into its new building, located at 155 Lafayette St. in Nashville. TJC's new home is the organization's first permanent location in its 27-year history. An open house celebration will be announced in the coming weeks and TJC's annual Hall of Fame Gala will be held Oct. 26.