Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold two phone clinics next week for members of the public with questions about housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, SNAP benefits and unemployment benefits. Clinics will take place Monday from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All times central. LAS is looking for attorneys to help answer questions. To volunteer contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or call 615-780-7131. See all clinics for the month.

TBA LGBT Section member Maureen Truax Holland will be a virtual panelist on the third episode of Lawyers as Peacemakers, a webinar series from Law Essentials India. Tomorrow’s episode will cover LGBTQ issues and will begin at 8:30 a.m. CDT. The panel is free, but you must register beforehand. The live event can be found on the Law Essentials YouTube page.

The Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance will kick off its fourth annual Pro Bono & Faith Days this month with virtual training programs for each of the state’s grand divisions. The programs will feature a panel discussion around the intersection of faith, pro bono and racial justice, legal resource trainings from Tennessee Access to Justice Partners and free virtual legal clinic information. These free programs are designed for faith and community leaders, but all are welcome. Registration is required for each event. The schedule is as follows: West Tennessee on Oct. 26, Middle Tennessee on Oct. 28 and East Tennessee on Oct. 30.

The TBA’s Young Lawyers Division will continue its virtual law school visits this week, with calls scheduled with students at the Nashville School of Law tomorrow and Vanderbilt University Law School on Wednesday. This year's program will focus on the “Road to Success” for 3L and 4L students. YLD members will share their experiences on topics including how they chose their practice area, bar exam study tips and habits, how to network as a law student and young professional, mental health wellness and more. For more information, contact YLD Coordinator Stephanie Vonhamme.

Police use of force has long been a polarizing topic, but this year the issue has taken on new relevance. To help TBA members better understand all sides of the debate, the TBA Local Government Section will host a roundtable discussion on Oct. 26 from 2 to 3 p.m. CDT with Jeff Hughes, police chief for the city of Brentwood; Maggi Duncan, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police; and John Buntin, Metro Nashville director of policy and community safety. The panel will examine use of force policies, tactics, training and community oversight. The event is free and open to all members but registration is required.

The Nashville School of Law Habitat for Humanity Wills Clinic works directly with NSL students and licensed attorney volunteers to produce wills for new Habitat homeowners each month using an approved will form. Attorney volunteers are needed for approximately two hours via Zoom to oversee upper-level law students as they go through the intake process with clients. No further time commitment is needed and an attorney-client relationship will not be established. Volunteer for just one session or sign up for as many as you’d like. The next three clinics will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. CDT on Oct. 20, Nov. 17 and Dec. 15. If you are able to help, email Ryan Harris or call at 615-942-1262.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold three phone clinics next week for members of the public with questions about housing and renters’ rights, bankruptcy, medical bills, debt collection, domestic violence, SNAP benefits and unemployment benefits. Clinics will take place Tuesday from 3 to 4 p.m., Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. All times central. LAS is looking for attorneys to help answer questions. To volunteer contact Andrae Crismon or Kendra Cheek or call 615-780-7131. See all clinics for the month.

The National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts will host its 2020 Symposium on Racial Equity over the course of two-days, beginning tomorrow from noon until 4 p.m. EDT. The program is free and open to the public and will look at critically important issues in the context of advancing racial equity and equal justice under the law. Tomorrow’s program will include a session on examining barriers to civic engagement for people with a felony, followed by a roundtable on ensuring equal access to justice through the courts. The program will continue on Nov. 13 with sessions on reimagining policing and removing confederate statues from public squares. The program is free, but attendees must register in advance.

The Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments will hold a hearing to fill the Court of Criminal Appeals Middle Section vacancy on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. CDT on both days. This hearing will be held virtually and will be livestreamed for public viewing on the Administrative Office of the Court’s YouTube page. Interested individuals may also attend the virtual hearing at AOC headquarters, 511 Union St., Ste. 600, Nashville 37219, to watch and/or speak in opposition to any applicant. Anyone who wishes to address the Council via video conferencing should contact Ceesha Lofton or call 615-741-2687.  

The University of Memphis School of Law has announced the date and topic for its 2021 law review symposium. The event “Diagnosing America's Healthcare System: Addressing Costs and Access NOW” will take place March 5, 2021. It will focus on solutions to reduce the rising cost of healthcare, capitalize on solutions offered by AI and other technologies, address disparities and chronic discrimination, expand the role of non-physician healthcare workers, and promote community education and access initiatives. Registration information will be available soon. For details contact symposium editor John Taylor. In other news from the school, professor Alena Allen has been named the next faculty advisor for the law review. She replaces professor Andrew Jay McClurg.