The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in providing free legal services for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits at a clinic next Thursday. Issues to be covered include questions about business formation, corporate governance, contract review and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible businesses may receive up to one hour of assistance but must register by June 13. Clients may sign up online. To volunteer, email vlpa@abcnashville.org.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has announced that an investiture ceremony and reception for Judge Katherine Crytzer will be held Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. EDT at the Howard H. Baker Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville. The ceremony was originally scheduled for last November but was postponed. Crytzer was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2020. She was previously the principal deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy.

The next Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic — a joint project of Knoxville area legal organizations — will take place Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m. EDT at the Knoxville Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St. This general advice and referral clinic is supported by the Knoxville Bar Association Barristers and Young Lawyers Division, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, University of Tennessee  College of Law, Lincoln Memorial University-Duncan School of Law, and the local Veterans Affairs office. Sign up here to volunteer.

The Knoxville Bar Association will host a Bench-Bar Celebration on Sept. 8 at the Park Concourse of the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St. The event, which replaces the Annual Supreme Court dinner this year, will honor Supreme Court justices and celebrate the judiciary at all levels. Brief remarks will begin at 6:45 p.m. The cost is $20 per person if purchased before 5 p.m. EDT on Aug. 19. Prices increase to $30 per person after that. Register by 5 p.m. EDT on Sept. 2. No walk-in registrations will be permitted. Tickets can be purchased on the KBA website.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar to discuss sales tax issues for contractors on May 31 at 9 a.m. CDT. Participants will learn when contractors are subject to sales tax and exemptions for certain special situations. Register for the webinar here. The program is part of a series offered by the department each month. The Department of Revenue has more on upcoming webinars.

The Nashville YWCA will hold the next installment in its “Stand Against Racism” series on Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The virtual program will focus on activism and advocacy in collegiate and professional sports. Speakers include Vanderbilt University Vice Chancellor and Athletics Director Candice Lee, Vanderbilt University Special Projects Coordinator Andrew Maraniss, Nashville Superspeedway President Erik Moses, and Reggie Williams, former Major League Baseball player and head baseball coach at Alcorn State University. Register here for this free event.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has announced that a portrait unveiling and reception will be held for former judge Harry S. Mattice on Aug. 5. Mattice retired from the bench in March 2020 after serving the Eastern District for more than 20 years — first as U. S. attorney and later as district judge. He was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2005. Before entering federal service, Mattice was a shareholder with Baker Donelson and a partner at Miller & Martin in Chattanooga. He also served as a senior counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs during a special investigation. Additional information about the ceremony will be provided closer to the event. 

Several Shelby County groups are hosting an event Saturday to help people with expungement of eligible criminal offenses, job opportunities, child support and drivers’ license issues. The event is free and open to the public, and will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT at Mt. Moriah-East Baptist Church at 1248 Haynes Rd. Sponsors are the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, the Shelby County General Sessions Clerk’s Office and the District 21 Prince Hall Masons.

Officials with the Tennessee Democratic Party say they will host three gubernatorial debates ahead of the upcoming August primary election, the Associated Press reports. According to a news release, Democratic candidates Jason Martin, Carnita Atwater and JB Smiley Jr. will participate in all three of the debates which will take place on May 26 in Knoxville, June 21 in Nashville and July 12 in Memphis. Whoever wins the August primary will face off against Republican incumbent Gov. Bill Lee, who is running for a second term. WBBJ TV.com has the story.

In addition to compelling CLE, social events and networking opportunities, the TBA's governing bodies will meet throughout the 2022 TBA Annual Convention. On June 15, the House of Delegates will meet from 2 to 5 p.m., while new Board of Governors members will attend an orientation session. On June 16, section and committee leaders will meet to recap their work over the past year and begin making plans for the 2022-2023 bar year. On June 17, the Young Lawyers Division will hold committee meetings and the division’s annual meeting, which is open to all YLD members. Finally, on June 18, the TBA Board of Governors and the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation Board of Trustees will meet, as will the YLD Executive Committee and full YLD Board. Check out the full convention schedule and make plans to be in Nashville June 15-18!