Gov. Bill Lee has named Erin Merrick as his chief legal counsel. She has served as deputy legal counsel and succeeds Jonathan Skrmetti, who last week was named the state's new attorney general. In announcing the move, Lee said that “Erin is a dedicated public servant who will lead with integrity and bring significant expertise as chief legal counsel, and I appreciate her continued service to Tennessee.” Merrick has been in the deputy role since 2019 after working as an assistant attorney general. She holds master’s and law degrees from Vanderbilt University. The Nashville Post has more from the governor's release.

WPLN reports that the city of Murfreesboro is suing Middle Point Landfill's owners in federal court over a range of environmental concerns, notably gas odors and contaminated liquids. The landfill's owners want to add 99 adjacent acres to the site, but the regional solid waste board has denied the expansion request. Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland says, "The sources of the odor are simply not trash at the landfill. Landfill-related odors are connected to the way a site is operated, including how the gases and millions of gallons of leachate produced by the landfill are collected and managed." The county and city mayors, as well as residents of Murfreesboro, have been vocal in their opposition to the proposed expansion. 

At its 97th Annual Convention in Memphis, the National Bar Association (NBA) recognized five TBA members in its 2022 class of 40 Under 40 Nation’s Best Advocates: Miska L. Shaw, Lillian M. Blackshear, LaQuita R. Stokes, Quinton E. Thompson (TBA YLD president-elect) and Jennifer L. Sneed (TBA YLD West Tennessee governor). The convention was hosted by the Ben F. Jones Memphis Chapter of the NBA, which also received the NBA’s Outstanding Affiliate award. Additionally, Blackshear also received the 40 Under 40 Excellence in Leadership Award for outstanding leadership in her law firm and community, and Stokes received both the President's Award and the Outstanding Woman Lawyer in a Solo/Small Firm Award from the Women’s Law Division of the NBA. See photos from the event.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has announced that after a nationwide search, Nashville attorney Kathy Sinback has been selected to lead the organization as its new executive director, beginning Sept. 6. “From her work seeking clemency for Cyntoia Brown Long to her role in the remarkable transformation of the Davidson County Juvenile Court, Kathy is a proven leader and well-respected advocate in our state,” said ACLU-TN Board Chair Paula Williams. Sinback has served as the Davidson County Juvenile Court administrator since 2014. She will replace Hedy Weinberg, who led the organization for more than 37 years. Read the full press release.

Former Federal Judge and Prosecutor Harry S. "Sandy" Mattice, Jr., who recently stepped down from the federal bench in East Tennessee, has announced the opening of The Mattice Group, a law firm with offices in Chattanooga. The opening marks Mattice’s return to the private practice of law after 20 years of service in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the federal government. The firm will focus its practice in the areas of investigations, complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense, crisis management and communications, governmental affairs advocacy and mediation. Read the full press release.

U.S District Judge Travis McDonough has agreed to grant class-action status to a lawsuit regarding the April 2018 raid of Southeastern Provision slaughterhouse in Grainger County, the Tennessee Lookout reports. According to the ruling, there is "ample evidence" to show that agents targeted the workers in what turned out to be "the largest immigration raid in recent Tennessee history." Jamie Satterfield reports that "court records show agents and federal prosecutors had been meeting for months prior to the search warrant request to plan a round-up of Latinos working at the plant." 

Vanderbilt University Law School has added two new faculty members for the upcoming academic year. Sean Seymore joins the school as Centennial Professor of Law. Seymore is an expert in patent law whose research focuses on how patent law and policy should evolve in response to advances in science and technology. He previously taught at the school from 2010 to 2021. In addition, Francesca L. Procaccini joins the faculty as assistant professor of law. She will teach constitutional law and federal courts. Procaccini most recently was with Harvard Law School, where she focused on political rights and the courts. She previously oversaw the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School, worked in the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and was a legal fellow in the White House Counsel’s Office.

Hamilton County’s next sheriff, Austin Garrett, has named Brian Bush to be the department’s general counsel. He will replace Coty Wamp, who was elected Hamilton County district attorney last week, the Times Free Press reports. Bush ran for Chattanooga city court judge but lost to incumbent Sherry Paty. Bush is a Chattanooga native who earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He currently handles civil litigation cases at Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams. He previously served as an assistant district attorney in the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office.

A University of Tennessee professor falsely accused of being a spy is criticizing the nomination of Casey Arrowood for U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee. In an interview with Tennessee Lookout this week, Dr. Anming Hu said the president should rescind the nomination and, if not, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee should reject Arrowood, who headed up the prosecution of Hu under the Trump administration’s “China Initiative.” That effort focused on rooting out spies from American universities. The Biden Justice Department has since halted the program and Hu has been reinstated to this former job.

The Memphis Bar Foundation is accepting grant applications for projects and programs that further its mission. Applications for up to $2,500 per project should be submitted by 5 p.m. CDT on Aug. 31. To be eligible for a grant, an organization must be a 501(c)(3) and must provide a copy of its IRS determination letter. The foundation is a nonprofit organization that promotes philanthropy among members of the Memphis Bar Association (MBA), promotes social justice and legal education, and advocates for and supports public awareness of the legal system. For more information contact the MBA Executive Director Mary Ann Upchurch.