The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments has sent the names of three attorneys to Gov. Bill Lee to be considered for the Court of Appeals Middle Section vacancy. Alexander Stuart Rieger, Joycelyn A. Stevenson and Jeffrey Usman were selected from five candidates following public interviews with the council. Read more on each applicant from the Administrative Office of the Courts or watch a recording of the interviews on the AOC’s YouTube page.

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance yesterday voted to send its investigation of former House Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and former Casada chief of staff Cade Cothren to Williamson County prosecutors, the Tennessee Journal reports. The vote comes after former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud for her role in a political consulting kickback scheme in which Casada and Cothren are also implicated. The vote will also send the registry’s probe of the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC to prosecutors. The PAC’s treasurer, a former girlfriend of Cothren, testified in January that she had created the group at Cothren’s behest, but had no further role in its activities. The PAC then lobbed attacks at former Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, during his unsuccessful re-election bid in 2020. According to the Associated Press, Cothren has told the registry he’ll invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and won’t abide by a subpoena. Casada told the registry he was not involved with the PAC.  

The Chattanooga branch of the NAACP is calling on Hamilton County district attorney candidate Coty Wamp to apologize for comments she made during a women’s group meeting, the Chattanoogan reports. Speaking to the Tennessee Valley Republican women on Tuesday, Wamp remarked that she does not support the NAACP, saying that, in addition to listing how many Black people are shot by police each year, it should list “how many African Americans are shot by African Americans” or “how many police officers are shot by anybody…” to its website. Local Branch President Rev. Ann Jones Pierre on Friday said Wamp "does not understand the purpose of the NAACP and should apologize for misleading the public.”

The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) is testing a program that allows prospective law school applicants to take undergraduate courses in lieu of the LSAT exam, the ABA Journal reports. LSAC says it will offer the option this fall with partner institutions Cornell College, Northeastern University and the University of Maryland at Eastern Shore. The group says it will study the results, consult with an advisory committee established to review the program, and work closely with the council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. LSAC CEO Kellye Testy said the program will “focus on helping students develop and demonstrate mastery of the skills necessary for success in law school.”

Former Gov. Bill Haslam and criminal justice reform advocate Cyntoia Brown-Long have forged an unlikely friendship in the years since he granted her clemency. This week, they both expressed support for criminal justice reform, particularly for juvenile offenders, while speaking at “Reform for Redemption” hosted by the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. Brown-Long, who as a teenage was convicted of killing her trafficker, has become a national figure. During the event Haslam said, “My viewpoint [after] peering into the judicial system is we have too many people serving too long. We have too many juveniles serving too long.” He also said he waited too long to consider clemency cases as governor and ultimately ran out of time. "It was a big mistake ... a lot more cases" deserved review. Axios Nashville has more from the event or watch a recording of the program.

The United Nations' top court for disputes between states ordered Russia yesterday to immediately halt its military operations in Ukraine, saying it was “profoundly concerned” by Moscow’s use of force. Two weeks ago, Ukraine asked the International Court of Justice to intervene, arguing Russia violated the 1948 Genocide Convention by falsely accusing Ukraine of committing genocide and using that as a pretext for the ongoing invasion. Countries who refuse to abide by court orders can be referred to the U.N. Security Council, though Russia holds veto power there, the Associated Press reports.

The 41st Annual Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition will take place March 25-26 at the Historic Davidson County Courthouse in downtown Nashville — the first in-person competition in two years. The roster of competitors is now set with 14 teams: two teams from Agathos Classical School in Columbia; Clarksville High School; Farragut High School; two teams from Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga; Knoxville Catholic High School, Memphis University School; two teams from Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville; St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis; Signal Mountain High School; Unicoi County High School; and Warren County High School. The state competition is sponsored by the TBA Young Lawyers Division and will involve 150 students and 100 attorneys, sitting judges and law student volunteers. Thank you to Belmont College of Law and University of Memphis School of Law for sponsoring this year’s competition. Learn more about the competition.

The federal judiciary this week took action on two issues that have raised red flags for Congress. First, a group of judges and officials tasked with reviewing the judiciary's approach to workplace sexual harassment and other misconduct has recommended several reforms to improve how allegations are addressed. The report comes out as Congress is set to hold hearings on the issue. Read more from the courts. Second, the Judicial Conference yesterday approved automating the release of judges' financial disclosure reports and amending its conflict screening policy. That move comes as Congress is considering whether more stringent requirements are needed. Read a release from the courts. Reuters has more on both stories.

U.S. President Joe Biden today delivered remarks on the Violence Against Women Act as an alarming spike in domestic violence has coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reports. Biden signed legislation into law yesterday to extend and expand the provisions of the act. The new law expands protections for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, broadens access to legal services for survivors, and provides more resources and training programs for law enforcement. The new law also will do more for survivors in rural areas and underserved communities, the president said. Get full details here. The Violence Against Women Act was first written by Biden in 1994 when he was a U.S. senator. It expired under then-President Donald Trump in 2019.

The battle over the bust continues, Tennessee Lookout reports. Collierville resident Lee Miller, who claims family kinship to Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, says the bust should be moved from the Tennessee State Museum to a Maury County site where the remains of Forrest and his wife are now located (they recently were moved from a Memphis park). State Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, is sponsoring three bills dealing with relocation of the bust from the museum. She has postponed consideration of the measures due to opposition from the museum.