The Chattanooga Bar Association held its annual Law Day event last week. Belmont University College of Law Dean Alberto R. Gonzales gave the keynote address. Gonzales previously served on the Texas Supreme Court, as White House as counsel to the president and as U.S. attorney general. The group also presented its 2023 Liberty Bell Award to Allen Branum, a former sheriff of Hamilton County. He previously served as an officer and then chief of police with the Soddy-Daisy Police, as a member of the Soddy-Daisy Board of Commissioners and as mayor of the city. He was honored for his long service to the community. See a photo from the event.

Two University of Tennessee College of Law professors received honors this month from the school for accomplishments in academic work. Professor Wendy Bach received the Jefferson Prize, which is awarded annually to a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in research and creative activity. Bach focuses her work on clinical legal education and poverty law. Associate Professor Joy Radice received the Excellence in Academic Outreach Award, which honors those who exemplify the school’s mission by using intellectual capital to benefit the citizens of Tennessee. Her focus is on the intersection of criminal law and the administrative state, and the gap in access to civil counsel.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk said Tuesday that his office will not pursue charges against Metro Nashville Police Officer Kendall Coon in the fatal police shooting of music producer Mark Capps and is asking the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to close the review, the Tennessean reports. In a letter obtained by the Tennessean, Funk wrote TBI agent James Scarbro that Coon's actions were reasonably necessary considering the facts and circumstances in the case. Coon was one of three Nashville SWAT officers who were attempting to serve aggravated assault and kidnapping warrants to Capps at his home after Capps had allegedly held his wife and stepdaughter at gunpoint the previous night.

Attorneys for Kingston area coal workers and Jacobs Solutions have settled lawsuits related to the clean up of a coal ash spill in 2008 that released 5.4 million cubic yards of waste, reported KnoxNews. The spill engulfed area homes and surged into the Emory River Channel in Roane County. Jacobs Solutions, formerly known as Jacobs Engineering, had been contracted by TVA to manage sitewide safety and health. Former workers or their family members filed more than 300 lawsuits claiming health problems as a result of their work for Jacobs. The settlement came while both parties were waiting on a judgment from the Tennessee Supreme Court on whether workers could proceed to a second trial.

Judge Camille R. McMullen has been reappointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to another term as a member of the Board of Judicial Conduct, commencing on July 1 and expiring on June 30, 2026.

AccessLex Institute has released its 2022 Legal Education Data Deck showing that the law school admission rate increased for the first time in seven years. But the data also shows “dismal” rates for enrollment, admittance and graduation rates for minorities. The ABA Journal has more on the findings.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is currently accepting applications for three newly established state court judicial positions: a criminal court judge in the 13th Judicial District, a circuit court judge in the 19th District and a circuit court judge in the 22nd District. The new positions, created by the Tennessee General Assembly during the recent session, will be effective Sept. 1. Public hearings on candidates will take place July 18, July 12 and July 13, respectively. The deadline to apply is June 12 at noon CDT. Applicants must be attorneys licensed in Tennessee who are at least 30 years of age, residents of the state for five years, and residents of the relevant judicial district. The application and instructions are available online. For questions, contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed former Judge W. Mark Ward as a senior judge for a term of four years. He will take senior status on June 1. Ward previously served as a criminal court judge in the 30th Judicial District from 2004-2022. He is the author of “Tennessee Criminal Trial Practice,” which is used by judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys and is known as the authoritative treatise on criminal trial practice in Tennessee. In making the announcement, Chief Justice Roger A. Page said the new appointment will help reduce docket backlogs in the state and fill openings when conflicts of interest require a judge to recuse from a case. The Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the appointment.

Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Champion Montgomery Bell Academy competed this past weekend in the National High School Mock Trial Competition, placing third among 47 teams. The team defeated competitors from Florida, Alabama, Washington and Georgia. The event took place in Little Rock. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports on the competition. See a team photo from the event.

U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz, along with federal and local law enforcement partners, on Tuesday announced the prosecution of 26 individuals for crimes involving machine gun conversion devices known as “switches” or auto sears, which transform semiautomatic firearms into machine guns. Ritz also released a 60-second public service announcement about the danger posed by switches and the heavy penalties associated with possessing these devices. The moves come after the Memphis-based office made prosecution of crimes involving switches a top priority. Read more in a release from the U.S. attorney’s office