Gov. Bill Lee has announced the selection of three new appellate court judges. For the Tennessee Court of Appeals in the Middle District he named Belmont University law professor Jeffrey Usman. Lee also announced the appointments of 11th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Thomas Greenholtz and 6th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Kyle Hixon to Eastern Division seats on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. Each appointment is effective Sept. 1 and subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. “Each of these qualified Tennesseans will bring valuable experience to their respective roles,” Lee said in a release. “I am confident they will serve our state with the highest integrity, and I look forward to their service.” The Nashville Post also has the story.

The American Inns of Court on Saturday posthumously awarded the Lewis F. Powell Award for Professionalism and Ethics to former Memphis attorney Leo Bearman Jr. Former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice William C. Koch Jr. — now dean of the Nashville School of Law — presented the award at the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence at the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Bearman’s son Edward Bearman, who practices at the Law Office of Edward M. Bearman, received the award on behalf of his father. He was joined at the event by his brother David Bearman, a shareholder at Baker, Donelson; his father’s long-time secretary Judy Birchler; firm shareholder Kristine Roberts; and Judge Thomas Parker of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The award recognizes exemplary service to the legal profession in the areas of professionalism, civility and ethics. Bearman practiced law for 60 years in Tennessee primarily with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz. He was a past president of the Memphis and Shelby County Bar Association and recipient of that group’s Lawyers Lawyer Award for professionalism.

The Nashville Bar Association (NBA) held a reception at Spencer Fane Bone McAllester Thursday to honor 2022 President Martesha L. Johnson, who serves as the Nashville Metropolitan Chief Public Defender. Those in attendance included TBA President Sherie Edwards and TBA Executive Director and former NBA president Joycelyn Stevenson.

Hedy Weinberg, the longtime executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, announced on Friday that she is stepping down at the end of June. Weinberg has led the civil rights organization for nearly four decades, having been named to the post in 1984, according to the Nashville Post. The organization moved its headquarters to Nashville early in Weinberg’s tenure in an effort to focus on state legislation and, under her watch, the staff has grown from two to 12. According to a release from the group, the board of directors will conduct a nationwide search for Weinberg’s successor.

The Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition wrapped up Saturday night with Montgomery Bell Academy of Nashville prevailing over Agathos Classical School of Columbia to become the 2022 state champion. New Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell presided over the round while members of the YLD Executive Committee and TBA Board of Governors — including President Sherie Edwards and President-elect Tasha Blakney — served as jurors. At an awards ceremony earlier in the day, Unicoi County High School received the competition’s Sportsmanship Award, the top eight teams were announced, and the top advocates and witnesses were recognized with individual awards. MBA will now represent Tennessee at the National High School Mock Trial Competition, which will be held virtually on May 5-7. The team is coached by attorneys Wade Cowan — who has coached mock trial teams for 38 years — and Tracy Hancock.

The Davidson County Election Commission suffered another legal defeat in its dispute with the city over a proposed charter referendum, the Nashville Post reports. A Nashville judge had earlier agreed with the city's argument that the proposal was not proper under the metro statutes. The commission's Republican majority appealed and now an appeals court also has found in favor of the city. The paper reports that the commission has spent more than $700,000 on the legal battle to put a referendum on the ballot that would roll back the city’s 2020 property tax increase and require voter approval of future increases.

A new Memphis Suffrage Monument, "Equality Trail Blazers,” was dedicated Saturday, the Commercial Appeal reports. Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire created the monument to honor a number of individuals instrumental in the woman suffrage movement. Six are recognized with busts while seven are honored with etched portraits and narratives in glass. Among those included is journalist and anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells, Mary Church Terrell, Marion Griffin, Rep. Joe Hanover, Charl Ormond Williams and Lois DeBerry, the second Black woman elected to the state legislature and the first to be named speaker pro-tempore. The monument sits on the promenade behind the University of Memphis School of Law, facing the Mississippi River. The city also this week renamed a section of Fourth Street in the downtown in honor of Ida B. Wells. The Commercial Appeal has more on that story.

The 2022 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition kicked off today in Nashville. Hosted by the TBA’s Young Lawyers Division, 14 teams from across the state will compete for the title of champion. This year’s qualifying teams are Unicoi County High School, Farragut High School, Knoxville Catholic High School, two teams from Girls Prepatory School, Signal Mountain High School, Warren County High School, Clarksville High School, two teams from Montgomery Bell Academy, two teams from Agathos Classical School, Memphis University School and St. Mary’s Episcopal School. The final round will take place tomorrow afternoon, with new Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell presiding. Winners of the competition will qualify for the National High School Mock Trial Championship.

Legal tech company Clio announced this week it is offering three months of free legal practice management software to legal professionals, firms, non-profits and legal clinics financially impacted or displaced by the conflict in Ukraine, as well as lawyers offering pro bono assistance to Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers. You do not need to be a Clio customer to take advantage of this offer. If you are a legal professional who could benefit from this offer please complete the Assistance Application. If you have any issues accessing or completing the form, please contact affinity.partners@clio.com.

Washington and Lee University School of Law has named Melanie D. Wilson as its next dean. She will also hold the Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Professorship in Law. Wilson served as dean of the University of Tennessee College of Law for five years, stepping down in 2020 to return to teaching. She is currently UT Law’s dean emerita and Lindsay Young Distinguished Professor. Before entering academia, she clerked for a federal district court judge and practiced for 13 years in both the private and public sectors, including six years as an assistant United States attorney and four years as an assistant attorney general for the state of Georgia. She later joined the faculty of the University of Kansas School of Law where she went on to serve as professor of law, associate dean for academic affairs, and director of diversity and inclusion. “I am deeply honored and excited to join the Washington and Lee University community at a time of great promise,” Wilson said. Read more from Washington and Lee.