The TBA Young Lawyers Division’s special Juneteenth podcast series continues today with the release of its third episode featuring Shelby County Chancellor Will Perry. Incoming YLD President Elect Quinton Thompson talks with Perry about challenges Black attorneys face in the legal profession, his advice for young attorneys getting involved in the community and advice for lawyers who are considering making a move from their firm or in their career. The final episode in the Juneteenth series will premiere Saturday. It will feature a conversation between outgoing TBA YLD President Billy Leslie, YLD Diversity Committee Co-Chair Ariel Anthony, YLD Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Chair Dominique Winfrey and former DLI class member Anthony Adewumi on the DLI program and its many benefits. The Juneteenth series can be found on the TBA YLD’s podcast page or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

The first day of the 2022 Convention got underway today in downtown Nashville. The Tennessee Bar Association House of Delegates met for its quarterly meeting, while law students participated in programming designed specifically for them. Members of the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program board also met and all convention attendees gathered for a Welcome Reception where TBA President Sherie Edwards offered opening remarks. See pictures from the event. Tomorrow, the day begins with law school alumni breakfasts, followed by the Bench Bar Program and Luncheon, Legislative Update CLE and joint social event at the Assembly Food Hall. Online registration has closed but walk-up registration is still available pending space. The TBA registration desk will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow. It is located on the Mezzanine level of the Downtown Nashville Hilton.

U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw yesterday declined to order an upcoming meeting of the Tennessee Judicial Conference to be opened to the public, the Associated Press reports. The decision came during an emergency hearing after the editor of a national news website filed suit Monday seeking access to this week’s Judicial Conference meeting. Tennessee Deputy Attorney General Janet Kleinfelter argued that such meetings are typically confined to educational sessions, with many of the conference’s policy decisions left to the court administrator. Crenshaw did, however, allow The Center Square's Executive Editor Dan McCaleb to proceed with this suit. McCaleb argues the meetings should be public if the group is discussing public policy.

Above the Law (ATL) has released its annual law school rankings for 2022. Two Tennessee schools made the list. Vanderbilt University Law School landed in fifth place, up 10 places since last year. The University of Tennessee College of Law came in at 48th place, down nine places from last year. ATL says it prioritizes outcomes above all other factors. These include employment success, law school cost and debt. Read more from ATL about its methodology or see the full list.

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis has named Ron Snitker as the firm’s first chief diversity officer. In that new role he will be responsible for overseeing and executing the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy in concert with its Diversity Committee. Snitker previously led Waller’s financial services industry team and prior to that spent 15 years at UBS, where he co-chaired Pride Americas, a internal employee network developed to help sustain an LGBT-friendly environment. He is also a former president of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Read more from the firm.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division’s Diversity Committee today premiered a special four-part podcast series honoring the first anniversary of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Today’s episode features Nashville attorney Charles Grant. Interviewed by YLD Diversity Committee Co-chair Cherrelle Hooper and YLD member Darius Walker, Grant discusses his illustrious career as a trial lawyer, the mentors who helped him and the challenges and successes he faced along the way. One episode of the series will premiere each day of the TBA Convention. Listen to each episode on the TBA YLD Presents: War Stories podcast page or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has postponed its Memorial Service scheduled for June 17 due to the current high transmission level of COVID-19 in Davidson County and elevated transmission levels in other counties within the district. The service will be rescheduled at a later date.

TBA President Sherie Edwards last week gave an ethics presentation during the Ninth Annual Mid-South Agriculture and Environmental Law Conference, hosted by the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Edwards’ talk, “Attorney Wellness & Diversity in the Legal Profession: Ethics,” drew heavily from the top priorities she set as TBA president. “…three of my top priorities have been business education, attorney wellness, and diversity,” Edwards said ahead of the talk. She is pictured here with Judge Stephen Vaden, U.S. Supreme Court of International Trade and Harrison Pittman, head of the National Agricultural Law Center.

Lisa Perlen, executive director of the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners, has been elected to serve on the board of trustees of the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). Perlen is a member of NCBE’s Uniform Bar Examination Committee, vice chair of the Council of Bar Admission Administrators’ Accommodations Committee and a previous member of NCBE’s Character and Fitness Committee. NCBE develops the licensing tests used by most states for admission to the bar. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Seven lawyers are among 44 participants chosen for Leadership Nashville’s Class of 2023. Lawyer participants include: Adolpho Birch, Tennessee Titans; Judge Melissa Blackburn, Davidson County General Sessions Court, Division II; Diane Lance, Metro Office of Family Safety; Eleanor McDonald, Ingram Industries; Phylanice Nashe, attorney, philanthropist and community volunteer; Brian Roark, Bass, Berry & Sims; and Matthew Scanlan, senior director, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The program, which aims to strengthen Nashville by forming connections among proven leaders across a variety of professions, industries and identities, will begin courses in September. Read more from the Nashville Business Journal.