As Russia began its attack on Ukraine in late February, the Ukrainian Bar Association (UBA) sprang into action, issuing statements condemning the violence, calling on international leaders to impose sanctions on the Russian government and mobilizing its members to assist refugees fleeing to nearby countries. The group also has launched a hotline providing legal advice to Ukrainians on issues such as property damage, injuries, migration and mobilization, and is working to gather evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity. UBA CEO Inna Liniova and President Anna Ogrenchuk spoke with the ABA Journal about these ongoing efforts.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk is arguing that death row inmate Byron Black is intellectually disabled under the definitions of a new state law, and therefore, his death sentence should be commuted to life in prison. Funk filed a petition with Senior Judge Walter Kurtz agreeing with Black’s defense team that he should be removed from death row, the Tennessean reports. Federal public defenders representing Black also filed a brief this week asking the judge to reset the conviction. Black, 65, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend Angela Clay, 29, and her daughters Latoya, 9, and Lakesha, 6, at their home in April 1988.

District Attorney General Ray Crouch Jr. of the 23rd Judicial District recently talked with students in Lipscomb University’s Law, Justice, and Society program about the district’s successful recovery court program. Crouch shared the cost savings generated by placing non-violent defendants in the recovery program compared to the cost of incarceration. He explained that much of his caseload involves repeat drug offenders and how recovery court is one method for getting at the root of the problem. Lipscomb University’s Recovery Court class is the first college course in Tennessee, second in the nation, devoted entirely to training students about the recovery court model. The course is taught by adjunct professor Kevin Batts, who also serves as a director of the 23rd District Recovery Court.

The Knox County Board of Education yesterday voted 5-3 to hire private attorneys to help fight two lawsuits over masks in schools, the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Knox County Law Director David Buuck must now find candidates experienced with the Americans with Disabilities Act and/or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to bring before the board for approval. Buuck estimated a private attorney would be a "substantial" cost to the school board, with hourly rates around $500. The board's financial advisor said the district has healthy reserves. Buuck last month told two board members he would not hire outside counsel because it wouldn’t be helpful. The school board's representatives and the families that brought the suit have entered mediation and asked a federal judge to suspend his mask rule while they deliberate.

Two advocacy teams from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law are headed to nationals after recent wins at their respective regional competitions. The Memphis Law Black Law Student Association (BLSA) Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition team came in first place at the 2022 Southern Regional Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition. Coached by Andre Mathis, Aurelia McBride and Chancellor Will Perry, the team is made up of Briana Butler Bridgeforth and Alexxas Johnson, who will advance to nationals in March. The ABA National Appellate Advocacy Competition team of Hailey Townsend and Win Duncan, with Kylie Ronnow on brief, was a champion in the virtual Chicago region and will compete in nationals in early April. Read more about the teams and both competitions on Memphis Law’s website.

TBA Director of Public Policy & Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorneys and TBA lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin, tackle this week’s news from the General Assembly on the latest episode of the TBA’s Legislative Updates. This week the trio gives a progress report on TBA-backed legislation and much more. To see a list of all of TBA’s bills, visit our online bill tracker. Legislative Updates airs every Thursday on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has named shareholder Stephen Adams the new section chair of its intellectual property service group. A longtime member of the Chambliss Startup Group, Adams works with early innovators on a variety of matters related to protecting their business as it grows and matures. He is a member of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association, the Chattanooga Technology Council (ChaTech) board of directors, the ChaTech Early Innovators Award selection committee and the Tennessee PATENTS Pro Bono Assistance Program. Read more from the Hamilton County Herald.

President Joe Biden today signed an executive order on government oversight of cryptocurrency, which urges the Federal Reserve to explore whether the central bank should jump in and create its own digital currency. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the effort would "promote a fairer, more inclusive and more efficient financial system" while countering illicit finance and preventing risks to financial stability and national security. The order also directs the Treasury Department and other federal agencies to study the impact of cryptocurrency on financial stability and national security. Earlier in the week, the Treasury Department also said its financial literacy arm would work to develop consumer-friendly materials to help people "make informed choices about digital assets." The Tennessee Ledger has the story.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Board of Governors is seeking nominations for the 2022 recipient of the ABA Medal, which honors a member of the bench or bar who has "rendered conspicuous service in the cause of American jurisprudence." The award is given by the board’s Profession, Public Service and Diversity Committee. Guidelines for awarding the medal and a list of past recipients are available online. Nominations should be submitted by email to Cecilia Boyd or by mail to Boyd at 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654. Nominations are due by May 20.

Rachel Harmon has been appointed deputy director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, the agency reports. Harmon first joined the AOC in 2015 and has served as general counsel and director of legal services and judicial development. For the last two years, she also has served as the court’s main point of contact for pandemic-related operations and orders. Prior to joining the AOC, Harmon spent nine years with the state attorney general’s office and two years in private practice with Puryear, Newman & Morton in Franklin. She is a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law.