For the first time since former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted clemency to sex trafficking victim and convicted murderer Cyntoia Brown Long, the two will sit down together for a discussion on criminal justice reform. The Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy will host the event “Reform for Redemption: Cyntoia Brown Long and Gov. Bill Haslam on Criminal Justice Reform and the Power of Mercy” next Tuesday at 6 p.m. CDT. Law professor Chris Slobogin will moderate the discussion. The in-person event is free and open to the public. The program also will be offered virtually. Learn more and register here.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division is hosting a virtual legal clinic in partnership with Belmont Law and TN Free Legal Answers on March 28 at noon CDT. Attorney volunteers will work with Belmont law students to answer legal questions submitted to the online TN Free Legal Answers platform. Teams of lawyers and students may select which questions they want to answer. The entire clinic will take place via Zoom. Please contact Belmont University College of Law Public Interest Coordinator Alexandra Rogers, 615-460-8250 to volunteer.

Vanderbilt Law School will host a short program featuring Vice Chancellor Joseph Slights III of the Delaware Court of Chancery and Chancellor Anne C. Martin of the Chancery Court of Davidson County, Tennessee, on March 15. They will will discuss the national business court movement, best practices for attorneys with business disputes, and substantive issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic as they have impacted business disputes.

Knoxville Legal Ministry and Administer Justice will hold a legal clinic on March 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. The groups will offer the clinic on the second Saturday of each month. Volunteer attorneys are needed to staff the clinic. If you are interested contact Crystal Schrof. The state’s first Administer Justice Gospel Justice Center — a national non-profit that works with local churches to provide legal services for those in need — was established in West Knoxville at Cokesbury United Methodist Church this past fall.

The American Bar Association will host its Law Day 2022 Launch Program on March 8 at 3 p.m. CST. The virtual program will provide suggestions and guidance for local Law Day celebrations, including a panel discussion on the 2022 Law Day theme, “Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change.” The ABA provides resources for schools, state and local bar associations, civic organizations and others that are planning programs and activities for public audiences. Access the online 2022 planning guide. Envisioned in 1957 by then-ABA President Charles S. Rhyne as a national day to recognize the country’s commitment to the rule of law, Law Day was established by President Dwight Eisenhower the following year. Congress issued a joint resolution in 1961 designating May 1 as the official Law Day.

The Annual Belmont Criminal Law Journal Symposium, "Global Perspectives: Criminal Justice Reform in the United States and Around the World," is March 4. The free, virtual symposium will compare and contrast criminal justice reform in the United States to nations around the world. The topics will include pre-trial rights, appointment of counsel, plea bargaining, trial diversion programs and reentry reform.

The Knox County Juvenile Court Assistance Board will hold its annual Basket Auction & Spring Lunch on April 8 beginning at 11:30 a.m. The event will include a lunch, silent and live auction, and presentation of the Susan D. Kovac Award to Knox County’s most outstanding child welfare attorney. Proceeds will benefit the Volunteer Advisory Board, the Annual Foster Care Appreciation Dinner for foster care parents, and foster care children with emergency needs. The event will take place at Knox County Juvenile Court, 3323 Division St., Knoxville, TN 37919. Learn more in this flyer or call 865-215-6475 with questions.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee – Chattanooga Division is inviting high school and middle school students in 17 area counties to participate in its annual civics essay contest. This year’s topic is Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga, a federal lawsuit that alleged the Chattanooga city government was in violation of the Voting Rights Act. The Hamilton County Herald has the details.

Howard University School of Law will be hosting a free virtual screening and discussion of the documentary “In the Executioner's Shadow” on Wednesday. The event will begin at 4 p.m. EST. All are invited to attend. Email tmcivilrightscenter@gmail.com to RSVP and receive the log in instructions.

The Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic is a joint project of the Knoxville Bar Association/Barristers Access to Justice Committees, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office, the UT College of Law, LMU-Duncan School of Law, and the local Veterans Affairs office. This is a general advice and referral clinic that requires attorney volunteers for its continued operation. The next Veterans Legal Clinic will be held in person at the Knoxville Community Law Office on March 9 from noon until 2 p.m. EST. Attorneys can register online to volunteer at the clinic.