The Stonewall Bar Association, a statewide organization for LGBTQ+ attorneys and allies, will host a spring reception on April 12 from 5-7 p.m. CDT at the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims. The deadline to RSVP to Greg Maczko at Bass Berry is Thursday. The association also recently announced two new social media accounts: stonewallbar.tennessee on Instagram and Stonewall Bar Association of Tennessee on LinkedIn. For general information about the group email stonewallbar.nashville@gmail.com.

The TBA will hold its annual Public Service Awards Ceremony as a brunch this year. The event will take place April 15 from 10 a.m. to noon CDT at the Margaritaville Hotel, 425 John Lewis Way, in downtown Nashville. The event is free, but please RSVP. That evening, the Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative Gala will be held at the Nashville Public Library’s Main Branch at 615 Church St. in downtown Nashville. The event will run from 6-8:30 p.m. with a program at 7:15 p.m., and include a cocktail supper, live music and award recognitions. See details for the day or RSVP for the Public Service Awards Ceremony or get tickets for the Corporate Counsel Gala.

The University of Memphis School of Law recently announced that retired judge Bernice B. Donald, now a senior judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, will serve as the school’s 2023 commencement speaker. The graduation will be held on May 13 at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Memphis beginning at 3 p.m. CDT. Memphis Law Dean Katharine T. Schaffzin praised Donald for being a trailblazer throughout her career saying, “The example she has set in the legal profession and in her community is one that our students can learn from and aspire to throughout their legal careers.”

A swearing in ceremony for Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, originally planned for Monday, has been canceled. Skrmetti’s office issued a statement saying, “In the wake of the unfathomable tragedy at The Covenant School on Monday, General Skrmetti and his family have decided to cancel the ceremonial swearing in scheduled for [April 3]. He is thankful and overwhelmed by the encouragement from family and friends who planned to attend in support.”

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission has kicked off its annual Help4TNMonth celebration, which will feature expungement and general civil legal advice clinics throughout April. Help4TNMonth, celebrated each April, highlights the need for free and reduced fee legal services in Tennessee and spotlights organizations that provide these services throughout the year. Check out next month’s calendar of events, submit an event to be added or sign up to volunteer at clinic.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis will commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. next week on the 55th anniversary of his death, the Commercial Appeal reports. Special events planned for Tuesday, the anniversary of when he was shot at the Lorraine Motel, will include a mid-day virtual symposium and an afternoon hybrid event with speakers, performances and fraternal tributes. The museum is normally closed on Tuesdays but will be open regular hours on April 4 for the commemoration. Get the full line up of activities.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberland recently launched a new free monthly legal clinic in Antioch, Main Street Media reports. The clinic will be held on the first Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT at the southeast branch of the Nashville Public Library, 5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway, Ste. 202, Antioch 37013. It is scheduled to run through June. The clinic will assist clients with civil legal matters, such as landlord/tenant disputes, family law, estate planning and debt collection. Those in need of assistance should register online. Contact Kendra Cheek at 800-238-1443 or kcheek@las.org to volunteer.

Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) will hold three legal clinics in April. The “Attorney of the Day Clinic” will take place April 6 and 20 from 1-3 p.m. CDT at the Shelby County Courthouse, 140 Adams Ave., Room 134, Memphis 38103. The monthly clinic at the Benjamin Hooks Library will take place April 8 beginning at 10 a.m. The library is located at 3030 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38111. For both clinics, clients will be served on a first come, first served basis. For questions or to volunteer contact Heather Staggs or Walter Casey. See all clinics planned through the end of the year.

Popular legal thriller writer John Grisham continues the story of Mitch McDeere in "The Exchange," the sequel to his breakout novel from 32 years ago, "The Firm." According to the Associated Press, Doubleday announced Wednesday that Grisham’s newest book will be published Oct. 17. The new novel takes place 15 years after McDeere and his wife, Abby, helped expose underworld ties at a Memphis firm and fled for their lives.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is seeking session proposals for this year's Equal Justice University (EJU), set for Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Topics of interest include employment, family, health and benefits, housing, consumer, special education, juvenile justice and immigration law as well as professionalism. See all topics and submit proposals online by April 17.