The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar today to discuss sales tax issues for headquarters, data centers and call centers. Participants will learn about credits and other tax advantages for headquartering a business in Tennessee or establishing a data center or call center in our state. Register here. Participants will learn when contractors are subject to sales tax and exemptions for certain special situations. The program is part of a series offered by the department each month. The Department of Revenue has more on upcoming webinars.

Knoxville lawyer Tasha Blakney was sworn in as the 142nd president of the Tennessee Bar Association on Friday at the TBA Annual Convention. Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page administered the oath of office during the Lawyers Luncheon. Blakney, an attorney with Eldridge & Blakney Attorneys at Law, highlighted her plans for the coming bar year. She announced the relaunching of the Public Service Academy to help prepare lawyers who want to run for office and the popular CLE Ski program, set for January in Snowmass, Colorado. She announced the largest Court Square CLE series to date, with programs planned in 12 cities between September and May. She also announced the first ever TBA book club and a cultural and CLE trip to Cuba in March 2023. On the advocacy front, Blakney said the TBA would redouble its efforts to seek complete elimination of the Professional Privilege Tax and fair and prompt reimbursement for lawyers taking on indigent representation cases. Watch the full Lawyers Luncheon on the TBA Facebook page. Part 1 is available here and Part 2 is available here. See photos from the ceremony.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host three clinics next week. On Wednesday, a Family Law Clinic will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Johnson City Family Justice Center. Attorney volunteers should contact Simeon Huff to sign up. On Friday, LAET will hold a Driver’s License Reinstatement Clinic at the Bradley County Justice Center from 2 to 4 p.m. Attorneys interested in volunteering should email Mary Frances DeVoe. On Saturday, the group will hold a Debt Relief Clinic at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office from 9 a.m. and noon. Attorneys who would like to volunteer for that clinic should email Caitlin Torney. Additional information is posted online.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has postponed its Memorial Service scheduled for June 17 due to the current high transmission level of COVID-19 in Davidson County and elevated transmission levels in other counties within the district. The service will be rescheduled at a later date.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission has rescheduled the launch of the Tennessee Justice Bus due to tomorrow’s excessive heat advisory. The launch will now take place on June 20 at 9:15 a.m. CDT at the Nashville Supreme Court Building at 401 Seventh Ave. N. The Tennessee Justice Bus is a mobile law office that brings technology to rural and disadvantaged communities. The project addresses the technology gap many rural and disadvantaged citizens face. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Memphis Area Legal Services has relaunched its Attorney of the Day Legal Advice Clinic to be held the first and third Thursdays of the month. The clinics will be held in the Probate Room at the Shelby County General Sessions Civil Courthouse beginning at 1 p.m. CDT. Clients should have an active or post-judgment General Sessions case to receive assistance. For more information or to volunteer email Constance Brown, or call 901-523-8822.

Pre-registration for the 2022 TBA Convention will close Monday at noon CDT. After that point, attendees will have to register at the door. This year’s event is taking place in-person June 15-18 at the downtown Nashville Hilton. The week will offer nine hours of CLE, including Bench/Bar, Better Right Now and diversity programs. Opportunities to network with colleagues include the Opening Reception, Bench/Bar Luncheon, Joint Reception with the Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women (TLAW) and Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL), the Thursday night social event at Fifth & Broadway and the annual Lawyers Luncheon. Sign up now for the full registration package or purchase individual tickets.

The Nashville YWCA will hold the next installment in its “Stand Against Racism” series on June 21 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The virtual program will focus on "Constitutional Liberties & Justice in Our Day." Speakers include James Blumstein, professor of law at Vanderbilt University Law School; Charles Grant with Baker Donelson; and Abby Rubenfeld with the Rubenfeld Law Firm. Download a flyer or register here for the free event.

Individual tickets to a number of TBA’s 2022 Convention events are now available for purchase. Tickets for events taking place next Thursday include law school alumni breakfasts, the Bench Bar Luncheon and the joint evening social event with judges at Fifth and Broadway. Tickets for next Friday’s Lawyers Luncheon also are available. Full convention registration, which includes all of the events above plus nine hours of CLE credit, also remains available.

Following this year’s Bench Bar program, which focuses in part on judges as leaders, the Bench Bar Luncheon will feature a judge who has been a leader throughout her career: U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Bernice Donald. In 1982, Donald was elected to the General Sessions Criminal Court, where she became the first African American woman to serve as a judge in the history of the State of Tennessee. When she was later appointed as a judge on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Tennessee, she became the first African American woman in the history of the United States to serve as a bankruptcy judge. From there she went on to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, becoming the first Black female judge on each of those courts. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from Judge Donald, who is set to take senior status on the court as soon as her replacement is confirmed. Admission to next Thursday's luncheon is included in the full 2022 Convention registration or individual tickets can now be purchased.