The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold it annual memorial service Nov. 22 at 3 p.m. The events honors area lawyers who have died in the preceeding year. This year’s service will be held in the Tennessee Supreme Court Courtroom on the second floor of the federal courthouse. A reception will follow. Colleagues being remembered are Willard N. Albert, Leonard J. Gajewski, Ralph E. Harwell, Geoffrey D. Kressin, Robert H. Leonard, Edward C. Miller Jr., Thomas A. Monceret, Don W. Ownby, Claude O. Ramer II, John B. Rayson and Harold B. Stone.

The Memphis Lawyers’ Chapter of the Federalist Society will host a debate between John L. Ryder of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh and Gary K. Smith of Apperson Crump on the merits of a constitutional amendment to change Tennessee’s method of judicial selection. U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr. will moderate the discussion. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Madison Hotel, 79 Madison Ave., Memphis 38103. To register, email Greg Grisham or call him at (901) 462-2616.

Lipscomb University's HumanDocs series is hosting the Tennessee premiere of the documentary Gideon's Army on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. in the campus' Shamblin Theater. A 2013 Sundance selection, Gideon's Army documents the lives and courageous work of three public defenders in the South, with the young attorneys mentored by Jonathan "Rap" Rapping of the Southern Public Defender Training Center, or Gideon's Promise. A brief discussion will follow the screening. Panelists include Dawn Deener, public defender for Nashville and Davidson County; Charles Bone, Bone, McCallister, Norton PLLC; and Randy Spivey, academic director, Lipscomb's Institute for Law, Justice and Society.  Screenings are free and open to the public. For more information, email Ted Parks or call 615-417-9382.

Assistant U.S Attorney Stephen Parker of the Civil Rights Division in the Eastern District of Louisiana will speak to at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Oct. 17 in the Roland Hayes Auditorium. Parker’s presentation “The Tarnished Badge” will focus on the nature and dynamics of public corruption, including professional codes of conduct, temptations surrounding the public trust, investigative strategies, the legal environment and challenges in the 21st century, the Chattanoogan reports. Sponsored by the university’s Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Assistant Studies, the event is free and open to the public.

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch will be the featured speaker at a Chattanooga program called The Sixth Circuit: A Year in Review. “The Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association has put forth a lot of effort in coming up with a challenging and exciting program,” District Judge Curtis L. Collier. said. “It ought to benefit not only our local lawyers but any lawyer who would like to practice before the Sixth Circuit.” The program will be held Oct. 11 at the Chattanoogan Hotel. The Hamilton County Herald has more information.

The Bristol Tennessee Bar Association (BTBA) will begin offering monthly free legal advice clinics every second Saturday of each month to assist low-income individuals, WJHL reports. The first clinic will be held Oct. 12 at 9 a.m. at Bristol Faith In Action, 1534 Euclid Avenue Bristol, Va. "Many people have difficulty obtaining legal services due to the cost. So often, I hear from pro se litigants – those who are representing themselves – that they don't know where to turn, they don't know what to do next, and they don't feel as if they are even heard when they go to court,” BTBA Pro Bono Coordinator Suzanne Shackelford Queen said. “This is our opportunity, as volunteer attorneys, to help them navigate the legal waters and to give them a stronger voice so that they will be heard." The TBA has more about upcoming Celebrate Pro Bono clinics.

The annual Red Mass for the Knoxville area legal community will be celebrated Oct. 18 at 7 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, located at 414 West Vine Ave. Breakfast will follow immediately downstairs in the parish hall. Bishop Richard Stika will celebrate the Red Mass to invoke divine guidance and blessings on those involved in the legal profession. Members of the legal community are invited to join Bishop Stika in this ancient tradition that honors the work for justice and service to society. For more information, contact Joe Stackhouse at Immaculate Conception at (865) 524-8514.

Every year, the U.S. government proclaims the third week in October as “Character Counts Week.” This year, the dates are Oct. 20-26. Events around the country focus on the universal values shared by Americans. During the same time, the nation will observe Free Speech Week Oct. 21-27. This commemoration celebrates the Constitution’s First Amendment and the significance of effective and free communication.

The Black Law Student Association at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law will host “Pushing Progress through the Pipeline” an academic retreat Oct. 18-19 at the DSOL Campus in Knoxville. Pre-law students, current and graduating students, as well as recent graduates are encouraged to attend. For more information, download the retreat schedule or contact Aisha DeBerry.

With just one percent of all federal cases reaching the Supreme Court of the United States, the decisions of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit “by and large” govern those within its domain, District Judge Curtis L. Collier tells the Hamilton County Herald. For this reason, Judge Collier believes every attorney practicing in the Greater Chattanooga area should consider attending “The Sixth Circuit: A Year in Review,” a conference the Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association is hosting next Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Chattanoogan Hotel. The cost is $200 for FBA members and $250 for non-members. Lunch and the reception are included. For registration information, email Crews Townsend. The conference is limited to 100 participants.