The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has launched an initial search for sites within the Chattanooga city limits for a new federal courthouse, Chattanoogan.com reports. Documents filed by the GSA indicate it is looking for a site between two to five acres to accommodate a building of approximately 186,000 gross square feet. Federal officials say the current courthouse no longer meets the judiciary’s requirements but the process will take time and is subject to congressional authorization and availability of funds. Site proposals should be sent to Sheri DeMartino by Jan. 31. The GSA also said it would be determining the best use and reuse opportunities for the current courthouse.

The TBA has created a new committee, Women in the Profession, to assess the progress that has been made for women in law since the association’s first Glass Ceiling Task Force report was completed in 2012. The 14-member committee, chaired by Nashville lawyers Rebecca Blair and Lynne Ingram, also will develop programming and resources to address the unique challenges faced by women in the legal profession, including opportunities for mentoring. The group's first initiative will be a survey of all Tennessee lawyers in the spring. The 2012 Glass Ceiling Report called for practical suggestions and best practices to increase the number of female partners and women in leadership in firms and corporate legal departments, and improve the economic performance of female solo and small firm attorneys. The committee is one of TBA President Sherie Edwards’ initiatives for 2022.

In the days following the Jan. 6, 2020, attack on the U.S. Capitol, a major theme emerged in discussions among law school deans: "Without lawyers we have no democracy.” Now 14 deans have collaborated on a book breaking down the day’s events and illustrating the role lawyers play in protecting the rule of law. Beyond Imagination? The January 6 Insurrection is being released this week (pre-order on Amazon) and includes chapters on leadership, electoral politics, racism and the role of law schools in educating attorneys committed to upholding the rule of law. The deans say they hope the book will become the foundation for new law school classes, as well as continuing legal education sessions for lawyers, Reuters reports.

Nashville Post’s parent company, FW Publishing, and reporter Stephen Elliott have filed a public records lawsuit against the state seeking access to reports by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., which was awarded a $3 million no-bid contract to assess the state’s COVID-19 recovery. The reports were completed in 2020 but the Lee administration has claimed “deliberative process privilege” to keep from releasing them, the paper reports. The suit argues the public has significant interest “in knowing the entirety of the information provided to Governor Lee.” It is the second suit of its kind. Last month, state employee Thomas Wesley sued in an attempt to gain access to efficiency reports that were part of McKinsey’s work.

Gov. Bill Lee will deny Shelby County’s request to issue a mask mandate, Action News 5 reports. Last week, the county health department said it would ask the state for permission to issue a countywide mask mandate given that the county is reporting the highest case numbers since the pandemic began. In response to the request, the governor’s office said, “Shelby County has reached out to our office. Per Tennessee state law, government mask mandates are not permitted, unless there is a statewide emergency declaration and COVID-19 numbers exceed a specified threshold.” The governor’s spokesperson went on to say Lee has no plans at this time to declare another state emergency based on the fact that while case numbers are high there is no equal increase in the number of hospitalizations.

The Jackson, Nashville and Knoxville Supreme Court Buildings were closed today due to inclement weather. Closures also included the Appellate Court Clerk's Offices, though e-filing remained available. Oral arguments for the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Appeals were canceled and will be rescheduled. The Administrative Office of the Courts was working virtually, and the Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims said it would proceed with all scheduled telephone settlement approvals today and tomorrow. Other courts closed early today, including the Sumner County Juvenile Court; Campbell County General Sessions Court, courthouse and annexes; and Knox County Criminal and General Sessions courts. Gov. Bill Lee also closed state office buildings across the state. Tomorrow, all state trial courts and the Juvenile Justice Center in Davidson County will be closed for in-person proceedings though some will proceed with remote technologies.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland today defended the Justice Department’s (DOJ) approach to prosecuting those involved in the Jan. 6, 2020, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and signaled the potential for new charges, The Hill reports. “The actions we have taken thus far will not be our last,” he said. “The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6 perpetrators at any level, accountable under law, whether they were present that day, or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.” Garland’s remarks come on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the attack and amid calls from some congressional leaders that the department should target elected leaders who may have helped fuel the attack. DOJ reports it has charged more than 725 defendants to date.

Ann Pruitt will leave her role as executive director of Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) at the end of March after nearly nine years of service. "Ann has been the driving force in statewide collaboration since beginning her tenure at TALS," Board Chair DarKenya Waller said. Under Pruitt's leadership, TALS developed and expanded innovations to support low-income and elderly Tennesseans, including Tennessee Free Legal Answers, HELP4TN.org, the Legal Wellness Checkup and chatbots to help those in crisis understand their civil legal options and connect them with resources. In addition to leading TALS, Pruitt served on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission from 2013 to 2020, is a co-founder of the TBA Corporate Counsel Section and is a long-time member of the TBA Access to Justice Committee, which she currently chairs. 

The Tennessee Bar Foundation has awarded $750,000 from the Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program to 23 law-related organizations across the state. The grant amount for 2022 exceeds that of 2021 by $250,000, the foundation reports. The projects provide a wide array of services, including individual legal representation, dispute mediation, assistance for survivors of domestic violence, immigration counseling and housing advocacy. The complete list of organizations and awards is available here.

Deborah Enix-Ross, president-elect of the American Bar Association, is accepting nominations from those who are interested in filling positions on ABA standing and special committees, commissions and other entities. An ABA presidential appointment requires membership in the association and a desire to contribute to the group’s work. The online application portal is now live. Nominations must be received by Feb. 18 for consideration. For more information or to discuss the process please contact Appointments Committee Chair Michelle Behnke, 608-233-9024 or Vice-Chair Stephen Younger, 646-927-5565. For questions regarding the online application, contact Katy Englehart with the ABA.