A new book on the life of the late Judge Gilbert S. Merritt is set to be released next month in Nashville. A Sense of Justice: Judge Gilbert S. Merritt and His Times was written by author and columnist for The Tennessean, Keel Hunt. It is a social biography of Merritt, who was one of the nation’s youngest U.S. attorneys, a congressional candidate, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and almost a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. According to the book’s summary, it “depicts a much deeper weave of the power of friendship and loyalty, the influence of history upon individuals and generations, and of how communities of interest formed and evolved over time in our nation—and of how it is all connected.” A free book launch will take place on Jan. 17, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. CST at Parnassus Books in Nashville. Register for the event here.  

Attorney volunteers are needed for a legal clinic and resource fair being hosted Saturday by Davidson County General Sessions Judge Rachel Bell and the Music City Community Court. The event will include an expungement clinic, legal clinic, indigency docket and resource fair. It will take place in person from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST at the Andrew Jackson Boys & Girls Club, 916 16th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37208. View a flyer or sign up to volunteer.

The judges of the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Tennessee will hold a memorial service next month to honor the judges who have recently passed away. The event will pay tribute to District Judges Todd J. Campbell, Thomas A. Higgins, John T. Nixon and Thomas A. Wiseman Jr., Magistrate Judges E. Clifton Knowles and Kent Sandidge III and Circuit Judge Gilbert S. Merritt. The memorial will take place on Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. CST in the rotunda of the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse & Federal Building, 719 Church St., Nashville. A reception will follow. Read the invitation.

Parnassus Books in Nashville is hosting the launch of former Tennessee Bar Journal editor Suzanne Craig Robertson's book, He Called Me Sister: A True Story of Finding Humanity on Death Row. The event will be on Feb. 21 at 6:30 p.m. CST. The event is free, but seating is limited and registration is required. With a foreword by Sister Helen Prejean and preface by Bill Moyers, the memoir recounts the Robertson family's 15-year friendship with Cecil Johnson, who was on Tennessee's death row and was executed in 2009. Drawing from Johnson's own memoir, news accounts and court documents, the book also features interviews with many lawyers involved in the case. Preorders are available from Parnassus and other online retailers.

The Washington County Bar Association will hold its annual social event at the Johnson City Country Club on Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. EST. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be provided. Drinks will be available at a cash bar. Tickets are $40 per person and may be purchased via Venmo @WashingtonCounty-BarAssoc or by check sent to Washington County Bar Association, P.O. Box 3272, Johnson City, TN 37602.

The TBA Book Club will hold its second discussion event on Jan. 11, 2023, from 4 to 5 p.m. CST via Zoom. Members chose Jodi Picoult’s “Small Great Things” as the group’s second quarter book selection. The novel focuses on a Black labor and delivery nurse who is assigned to a child of white supremacists. The TBA will welcome author, poet and African American literature and cultural history expert Darius Stewart to the meeting as a special guest who will provide context and insight into the book. Former TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson will lead the discussion. Register for the event here.

The Memphis Bar Association has announced it will host a portrait unveiling for retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Janice M. Holder on Jan. 13. The event will take place at 2 p.m. CST at the Judge D’Army Bailey Courthouse, Second Floor, South Corridor, 140 Adams Avenue, Memphis. A reception will follow. Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP by Jan. 6 to info@memphisbar.org or 901-527-3573.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will hold three clinics next week. On Wednesday, a clinic will be held from 4-6 p.m. at the downtown Nashville Public Library. On Thursday, the group will hold its Greenhouse Ministries clinic in Murfreesboro from 3-4:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, it will hold the McHugh Clinic at Belmont from 8:30-10:30 a.m. All times are central. To volunteer for a clinic, contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131. Get more details and see all December clinics.

The Memphis Bar Association will hold its Annual Meeting Thursday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. CST at the Memphis Botanic Garden. During the meeting, President Tannera Gibson will pass the gavel to incoming president Jennifer Sink and the incoming secretary/treasurer and the 2023 board of directors will be announced. The evening also will feature the presentation of three awards. Terrence Reed will receive the Judge Jerome Turner Lawyer’s Lawyer Award. Amber Floyd will receive the Sam A. Myar Jr. Memorial Award and the W.J. Michael Cody Access to Justice Award. Download a flyer for the event or register online.

Join the Construction Law section in person in Nashville on Jan. 27 for the Construction Law Forum. Details for this annual staple coming soon!