Blount County United, an organization dedicated to promoting an appreciation for diversity and advocating for equality and justice throughout the community, will present its second annual Walk Against Racism and Violence on Saturday. The walk will begin at 1 p.m. at New Providence Presbyterian Church, 703 W. Broadway in Maryville. The walk will end at the steps of the Blount County Courthouse. The Daily Times has more details.

Constitution Day is an American federal observance that commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution. It is celebrated each year on Sept. 17. The TBA has a range of resources available for those who want to mark the day on Saturday. The ABA also has identified a theme for this year's Constitution Day. The focus spotlights the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution – known as the “Reconstruction Amendments” – and the role they played in helping to extend the guarantees of freedom to all Americans.

Constitution Day is recognized annually on Sept. 17, though local groups are hosting events over the next several days to mark the occasion. Middle Tennessee State University celebrated today with a public event featuring Nashville civil rights leader Diane Nash. Faculty and staff also read the U.S. Constitution out loud at various sites across the campus and voting rights groups hosted a voter registration drive, the Daily News Journal reports. Tomorrow, Motlow State Community College will host a panel discussion on elections and the Constitution. The forum will take place in Room 105 of the Marcum Technology Center from 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m., the Shelbyville Times-Gazette reports.

The University of Tennessee College of Law will hold a reception Sept. 23 to honor Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee and her just-completed tenure as chief justice. The event will take place in the rotunda of the Howard Baker Center for Public Policy beginning at 5:30 p.m. All are invited to attend. Register online or contact Rynn Dupes, 865-974-6691.

In the next installment of the Tennessee State Library and Archives lecture series, Susan Knowles, a digital humanities fellow at Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation, will discuss how Supreme Court case records helped her research the marble industry in the state and develop her exhibit "Rock of Ages: East Tennessee’s Marble Legacy," which will open Nov. 18. Her presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place Sept. 24 from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the state library. RSVP at courtfilesworkshop.eventbrite.com. The AOC has more on the event.

The Washington County Bar Association is holding its annual picnic Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the lake house of Tom McKee, 159 Will Lane Rd., Johnson City 37615. The evening will feature live music by the Benny Wilson Band, free food and drinks from the Noli Truck and an open bar. Please RSVP to elizabethjoneslaw@gmail.com.

The Memphis Lawyers Chapter and the University of Memphis Student Chapter of the Federalist Society will hold a discussion with constitutional scholar Gordon Lloyd next Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the law school. Lloyd, a senior fellow at the Ashbrook Center and professor of public policy at Pepperdine University, has developed a number of online exhibits on the constitution for TeachingAmericanHistory.org. These exhibits focus on the Constitutional Convention, the Federalist-Antifederalist debate, ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. RSVP to Melanie Busch by this Friday.

Jim Emison will speak at Vanderbilt University Law School this Monday at noon. The event, scheduled to take place in the Renaissance Room, is open to the public. Emison, a former TBA president, has worked tirelessly for justice and recognition for Elbert Williams, a member of the NAACP who organized meetings of African Americans in West Tennessee’s Haywood County. In 1940, Williams was found in a river and buried without an autopsy in an unmarked grave. Emison is the author of Elbert Williams: First to Die, a nod to the fact that Williams was likely the first NAACP leader in the country to be killed.

East Tennessee State University and the Johnson City Family Justice Center are hosting a rape education and prevention conference Sept. 15 at the Millennium Center. Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with the program following from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The conference is designed to eliminate misconceptions about rape and foster better care for victims and survivors. Representatives from the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, First Judicial District Attorney General’s office and the Johnson City Police will educate attendees on prevention, response, advocacy and treatment for assault victims. The Erwin Record has details.

The 2016 Tennessee CASA Annual Meeting will be held Sept. 20 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Nashville Public Library Downtown Branch. The Light of Hope Award will be given to Commissioner Bonnie Hommrick of the state Department of Children’s Services, the Champion for Children Award will be given to Nashville attorney Meagan Frazier with Smith Harris Carr, and the President’s Award will be presented to State Rep. Charles Sargent, R-Franklin. For more information and to register before the Sept. 13 deadline, visit CASA’s event page.