Legal Services Corporation President James J. Sandman will keynote the Legal Aid Society's annual Campaign for Equal Justice kickoff luncheon March 5 at the Nashville City Club. The campaign is an annual initiative that raises funds for Legal Aid Society, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm. The kickoff luncheon also will celebrate the efforts of law firms, attorneys and community partners in advancing the work of Legal Aid Society over the last 45 years. For more information, visit www.las.org or call (615)780-7125.

Nashville’s Napier-Looby Bar Foundation on Thursday will honor Tennessee State University (TSU) professor Robert Smith for his efforts to help black students, the Tennessean reports. Smith, who teaches constitutional and criminal law at TSU and has coached the school’s mock trial team since its inception, will receive the Z. Alexander Looby Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization's annual banquet and award ceremony. Three other attorneys also will be recognized during the banquet. They are Sheila Calloway of the Davidson County Juvenile Court, attorney Cynthia Fitzgerald and Jerrilyn Manning of the Nashville public defender’s office.

The University of Memphis School of Law is hosting its annual Law Review Symposium on the topic of “Juvenile Courts in Transition: Where We Have Been and Where We are Going.” The event will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 28 and feature a variety of regional and national experts on the subject of juvenile justice and reform. Topics include special education for juvenile detainees, confidentiality in juvenile proceedings and advocacy for juvenile clients. Speakers, including Sandra Simkins, the Justice Department official monitoring the local court, also will focus on the specific situation in Memphis. Learn more in this press release. Register for the event on the school’s website.

Chattanooga immigration attorney Terrence L. Olsen and ICE Detention and Deportation Officer Scott Lewis will speak on immigration enforcement and removal processes March 26 at the Memphis Bar Association, 145 Court Ave., Suite 301, Memphis, TN 38103. Among the topics that will be covered are VAWA protections for abused parents and spouses, deferred action for those brought to America as children, removal processes and site visits. The program, which will run from noon to 1 p.m., is open to all attorneys interested in learning more. Email Olsen by March 20 to RSVP.

The Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence, in partnership with the Women’s Political Collaborative, will host an advocacy day at the legislature on Feb. 26. The day also will include a breakfast at Waller Law and a luncheon at the Tennessee State Library & Archives honoring state Sen. Charlotte Burks, who is retiring this year. Registration is required. Lunch is $25. Other events are free. See the full schedule and register.

William “Bill” Killian, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee, will be the guest speaker at the next Community Think Tank hosted by the Hamilton County Coalition and the U.S. Department of JusticeThursday at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Coalition office in Chattanooga. Topics will include arrest, prosecution and sentencing at the federal level; prescription drug abuse and designer drugs; victims’ rights; and being proactive citizens in the community. Killian will identify community problems that lead to criminal and drug activity, and provide strategies to reduce drug activity and availability. Seating is limited, RSVP by calling (423) 305-1449 or emailing Hugh Reece. The Hamilton County Herald has more.

The TBA Access to Justice Committee, in partnership with the TBA Corporate Counsel Section and the Association of Corporate Counsel, is hosting the eighth annual Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala on Saturday, March 1, at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville. The 2014 Gala will feature keynote speaker Bruce Ives, vice-president and deputy general counsel at Hewlett-Packard. 

Tennessee law firms and corporations are invited to support the CCPBI by becoming recognized sponsors or purchasing individual tickets to the event. The deadline to confirm sponsorships is Feb. 19. Learn more about sponsorships or individual tickets on TBA.org or contact Liz Todaro.

The University of Tennessee College of Law’s Tennessee Law Review will hold a symposium on the future of the Second Amendment. The event, “New Frontiers in the Second Amendment,” will feature noted legal scholars discussing two Supreme Court cases recognizing a personal right to bear arms, how these and other court cases will affect gun control in the future, and what exactly the Second Amendment protects. The seminar will take place March 1 at 9 a.m. in Room 132 of the law school. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Chattanooga chapter of the Federal Bar Association will hold its annual meeting next Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m at the Convention Center. Attorney Gary L. Henry of Gearhiser, Peters, Elliot & Cannon will be installed as president. The chapter also will welcome former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as guest speaker. The Chattanoogan has more.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will host a Diversity and Pre-Law Day Feb. 21 from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. as part of the university’s ongoing commitment to diversity in the legal profession. Judy Smith, former press aide to President George H.W. Bush and current president of Smith & Co., a leading strategic and crisis communications firm, will give the keynote address. Smith is the inspiration behind the hit television drama “Scandal.” With this year’s theme of “Planning for Success,” participants will receive tips on preparing for law school, submitting a competitive application and applying for financial aid and scholarships. For more information contact Brigitte Boyd.