The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has released a formal opinion that provides guidance to lawyers on how they might share an office and staff resources with an unaffiliated attorney. Formal Opinion 507 notes that while office-sharing is permissible under the model rules, attorneys should appreciate that such arrangements require “appropriate measures to comply with their ethical duties concerning the confidentiality of information, conflicts of interest, supervision of nonlawyers and communications about their services.” The opinion also directs lawyers in these arrangements to clearly communicate the nature of their relationship with other lawyers in the shared space to the public and their clients.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has voted to forward the names of three individuals to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration in filling a new circuit court judge position in the 19th Judicial District. They are: Gregory D. Smith of Clarksville, Ashleigh L. Travis of Clarksville and Jeff K. Walker of Springfield. The new position was created by the Tennessee General Assembly and will be active on Sept. 1. The district covers Montgomery and Robertson counties. Read more about the nominees on the Administrative Office of the Court’s website.

Three Black employees of the Nashville Electric Service (NES) have filed separate lawsuits in federal court alleging that the utility's promotion process was discriminatory, that they were subject to a hostile work environment and that NES was negligent in failing to take corrective action, the Tennessean reports. NES President and CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said the utility is aware of the suits but does not comment on pending litigation.

Comedian Sarah Silverman and authors Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey today sued OpenAI Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. for copyright infringement claiming OpenAI’s artificial intelligence generators used their copyrighted works as training material. According to BloombergLaw, the authors seek a permanent injunction, damages and profits. OpenAI and other generative AI companies have faced a number of intellectual property lawsuits as well as increased scrutiny from Congress and government regulators.

The Federal Public Defender's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is now accepting applications for the district's Criminal Justice Act Panel. Members of the panel are private practice attorneys who are appointed to represent individuals accused of violating federal law and are unable to afford private counsel. Applicants for the panel must be members in good standing with the federal bar of the district and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Attorneys who lack experience may apply to participate in the CJA Fellows mentoring and training program. Applications for either program may be obtained from and returned to Panel Administrator Ann Card, Office of the Federal Public Defender, 810 Broadway, Ste. 200, Nashville, TN 37203, by emailing Card or by calling 615-695-6904. Completed applications must be received by Aug. 7.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office confirmed that former attorney general Herbert Slatery continues to do legal work for the state after leaving office last fall, reports the Tennessean. In January, Slatery was tapped by Skrmetti to assist the AG's office with "active and continuing oversight" of cooperation agreements under Tennessee's Hospital Cooperation at a pay rate of $400 per hour. Records of external legal appointments obtained by the Tennessean from January 2022 to the present show the state has hired over 20 lawyers and their firms to assist with a range of legal cases and issues.

Memphis lawyer Ben Crump yesterday called for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) to release video footage of the shooting of 21-year old Jarveon Hudspeth, who was killed during a traffic stop in Memphis on June 24, reports the Commercial Appeal. Crump is representing Hudspeth’s family. "Don't play games with this family," said Crump. "Release the video.” Hudspeth was shot by a SCSO officer during a traffic stop. The sheriff's office says that the officer was injured after being dragged over 100 feet during the incident. Hudspeth's mother, Charlotte Haggett, said she has received no information from the SCSO office other than a phone call that Hudspeth was in an accident and “didn’t make it.” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the investigation remains active.

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz today announced the creation of a National Security and Civil Rights Unit within the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This move permanently positions a supervisory attorney and several prosecutors to respond to and prevent hate crimes and civil rights violations, as well as threats to national security. According to a press release from Ritz' office, the new unit prioritizes cases consistent with Attorney General Merrick Garland’s May 27, 2021, directive to U.S. attorneys to combat hate crimes and incidents, address them when they occur, support those victimized by them and reduce the pernicious effects these incidents have on our society.

More than 31,000 Tennesseans have lost their health care coverage as TennCare coverage due to the COVID-19 pandemic tapers off. The Tennessee Lookout reports that an “unwinding report” details that, as of April, slightly more than 80,000 people were eligible to have TennCare coverage renewed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government temporarily prohibited Tennessee from requiring annual renewals and removing program participants, allowing TennCare participants to continue to receive coverage. The agency said the policy bumped up membership by 25%.

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily reinstated Tennessee’s law banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, allowing a ban on treatments that include hormone blockers and surgery to take immediate effect. The Associated Press reports that a three-judge panel voted 2-1 to reverse a Nashville federal judge’s order that prevented the law from taking effect July 1. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti praised the ruling in a statement, saying “The case is far from over, but this is a big win.”