The law firm of Baker Donelson has received the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation's 2023 John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award. This national award is presented in recognition of outstanding contributions to the quality of justice in legal communities, ensuring that the legal system is open and available to all. Baker Donelson was recognized for its global pro bono work and role creating the online pro bono site Free Legal Answers. The award was presented during the section’s conference in Atlanta this week. Read more from the firm and see a photo of the firm lawyers who were in attendance to accept the award.

The American Bar Association (ABA) today told 1.5 million lawyers and others who had accounts on its website that their login information may have been stolen, Reuters reports. ABA said in an update on its website and email notices that an unauthorized third party penetrated its network last month and took usernames and passwords for online accounts used to access an old ABA website and its career center before 2018. A spokesperson said that no other information was taken, and there is "no indication" the information has been misused.

Three transgender children and their parents sued the state yesterday over a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, the Associated Press reports. The lawsuit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee and other groups in federal court in Nashville. It claims the Tennessee law, which is scheduled to go into effect July 1, violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause because it allows the banned medical treatments when they are used to treat conditions other than gender dysphoria. The law prohibits health care providers from providing hormone treatments or surgeries for transgender youth where the purpose is to allow the child to express a gender identity “inconsistent with the immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that define the minor as male or female.”

Key members of the newly appointed 2023-2024 Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Board are meeting in Memphis this weekend for a spring retreat to make plans for next year's programs and projects. President-elect Quinton Thompson, who will take over as YLD president at the TBA Convention in June, welcomed the group to the downtown office of Morgan & Morgan this afternoon. He provided an overview of the upcoming bar year and introduced his new initiative "Diversity Law Week." Board members also heard a presentation on leading with purpose with attorneys Amber Floyd, Nicole Grida, Charlotte Knight Griffin and Terrence Reed and Memphis Councilman J.B. Smiley Jr. Committee members will continue to meet through tomorrow.

Joseph Byrd has joined the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts as the lead attorney for the newly created Indigent Services Team. In his new role, Byrd will manage the team that oversees the indigent representation program, which provides court-appointed attorneys in certain types of legal cases. He most recently was an assistant attorney general in the civil law division at the state attorney general’s office. He previously was disciplinary counsel for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility and attorney for Bradley County. In private practice, he served as a court-appointed defense counsel in criminal and post-conviction cases and as a guardian ad litem in dependency, neglect and abuse cases. Read more from the AOC.

A grand jury in Hamilton County has issued a report calling for updates to the juvenile detention center, more resources for officers and updated cameras in school classrooms. With regard to the detention center, the group writes that it is “essential that the county/city budget find the money to immediately update the current facility, as it is in much needed repair.” They also say it needs to be expanded, noting the facility currently does not offer space for any outdoor recreation. Read the full report from Chattanoogan.com.

Following a one-week delay in the release of its new law school rankings, U.S. News now says it will delay the results indefinitely. The rankings based on new criteria were supposed to have been unveiled this week but the magazine delayed the release until April 25. Yesterday afternoon, it said it would further delay release with no new date announced. Above the Law reports that law schools have challenged pre-release data as full of errors. It has a copy of the message sent to deans about the postponement. A Yale Law spokesperson told Law.com, “Many scholars and deans have expressed serious concerns about the company’s inability to produce accurate, error-free rankings.”

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti will be the keynote speaker for the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association and West Tennessee Legal Services Law Day celebration on May 12. The event will take place at noon at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 309 E. Baltimore St., Jackson 38301. Tickets are $25 for attorneys and $15 for non-attorneys and can be purchased online. Lunch will be provided. For questions contact Andy Cole, president of the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association, at JMCBarAssociation@gmail.com.

A new episode from Nashville Public Radio’s “This is Nashville” podcast reflects on the life and legacy of Nashville lawyer Z. Alexander Looby, who played a pivotal role in the civil rights movement in Middle Tennessee. The episode looks at his involvement in the legal aftermath of the 1946 Columbia race riot and the night a bomb exploded his home. While he and his wife escaped unscathed, the bomber behind the assassination attempt was never identified. Learn more about his story.

Gov. Bill Lee yesterday appointed Jamie Brooks as chancellor for the Seventh Judicial District. The appointment is effective immediately. Brooks fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Chancellor Nichole Cantrell. Brooks is currently a solo practitioner at Wilson & Brooks. He brings more than 37 years of varied legal expertise to the bench, including in real property law, family law, wills and estates and criminal defense. Brooks earned his law degree at the University of Tennessee College of Law. The judicial district covers Anderson County. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.