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.

The University of Memphis Law Review is seeking papers and presenters for its Spring 2023 Symposium "(How Much) Should We Pay Them? The Shifting Legal Landscape of Collegiate Competition." Proposals would explore the many legal issues surrounding collegiate sports in America such as, frameworks for collegiate sports gambling, the resolution of employment and labor disputes, and regulation of name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation. Learn more about the symposium and how to submit proposals.

The Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims reports there will be no settlement approvals at any of its offices next week from Monday to Wednesday. Judges will be attending the Bureau of Workers' Compensation’s education conference during those days. Attorneys are reminded to check the hours and procedures for settlements before scheduling.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) recently moved into its new offices and celebrated with a ribbon cutting, ABC News 24 reports. The agency says the new location at 200 Jefferson Ave., across from the courthouse, will help it reach more people who need representation. Last year, MALS served half of the people who reached out for services. "That number for me is unacceptable," said Cindy Ettingoff, CEO and general counsel. The agency serves Shelby, Fayette, Tipton and Lauderdale counties.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Monday that it has ended the Trump-era policy requiring asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for hearings in U.S. immigration courts, the Associated Press reports. The move came just hours after a federal judge in Texas lifted an injunction that has kept the Biden administration from eliminating the program. The program will be unwound in a “quick, and orderly manner,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. Questions still remain about whether those whose claims have been denied or dismissed will get a second chance, and if those currently in Mexico under the policy will be allowed to return to the states sooner. Homeland Security said it will provide additional information “in the coming days.”

The Tennessee Supreme Court today named Jonathan Skrmetti as the state’s next attorney general and reporter. Skrmetti most recently served as chief counsel to Gov. Bill Lee. He previously was chief deputy attorney general in the Attorney General’s Office, a partner in the Memphis office of Butler Snow LLP, an assistant U.S. attorney in the Western District of Tennessee, a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division/Criminal Section, and law clerk for Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Steven M. Colloton. Skrmetti earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. He was selected from among an applicant pool of six. The court held two days of interviews with the candidates earlier this week. Read more in a release from the Administrative Office of the Courts. In a statement issued this afternoon, current Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III said the court “made an excellent choice” and “it will be gratifying to pass the baton” to Skrmetti.

The roof of the new Sumner County Courthouse in Gallatin caught fire Sunday night. The local fire department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) are investigating. The cause is still unknown, though Sumner County Mayor Andy Holt speculated that the fire was caused by a lightning strike during Sunday night's storms. It is estimated that 30% of the roof will need to be replaced, likely delaying the 2023 opening of the building. Nashville's NPR station WPLN and Nashville's Fox affiliate have more information.