The Belmont University College of Law Student Bar Association will hold its annual Barristers Ball on March 4 but already has started raising funds for AWAKE Tennessee, a grassroots nonprofit organization that advocates for female and child advancement through education and policy change. Donations may be made online or mailed to Belmont University College of Law, C/O Grace Benitone, SBA Vice President, 1901 15th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212. Checks should be made out to AWAKE Tennessee. All funds raised will be presented to the organization at the Barristers Ball.

The University of Memphis School of Law, the Center for Excellence in Decision-Making and the Memphis Bar Association are hosting a free virtual symposium on Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST on a number of issues related to critical race theory (CRT). A keynote speaker and three panels of legal experts will explore using CRT to evaluate the promises of reconstruction; the intersection of property law and critical race theory and how they relate to decisions about urban development and gentrification; rights and obligations in the areas of education, technology and healthcare; and how the CRT battle is being fought in Memphis and more broadly in Tennessee. Register for the free event here. For questions, email Lauren Gooch.

Tennessee Free Legal Answers (TFLA) Virtual Clinic and Vanderbilt University Law School will host a virtual legal clinic this Friday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. CST. Volunteers will work with law students to review and answer client questions posted on the Free Legal Answers website. Learn more about TFLA and sign up to help. For more information, email law student coordinator Karalyn Berman.

The Arts + Business Council of Greater Nashville will host a free legal clinic for artists, musicians and other creatives on Feb. 9 from 6-7 p.m. CST. Clients will spend 30 minutes with a legal or business professional to get advice related to their creative practice. To attend the February "Ask the Experts" clinic, clients should register by noon CST on Feb. 4.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division will host an expungement clinic on Feb. 23 in partnership with Belmont University College of Law and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands. The event, which will begin at 4 p.m. CST, will take place in Murfreesboro at Doors of Hope, a nonprofit that provides transitional housing and other reentry help to women released from incarceration. Volunteer attorneys and law students are needed to assist clients complete expungement paperwork. No prior experience is required. Organizers will provide a training video in advance of the clinic. To volunteer, contact YLD Pro Bono Coordinator Alix Rogers, 615-460-8250.

The American Bar Association kicks off its virtual Midyear Meeting on Feb. 9. Topics to be covered at legal programs include racial inequity, implicit bias, redistricting, land use and zoning and law enforcement-assisted diversion programs. The ABA House of Delegates also will meet online Feb. 14. It’s agenda is available here. Finally, the association will recognize five legal professionals with its 2022 Spirit of Excellence Award for commitment to racial and ethnic diversity in the profession. Among those being honored is Carlos E. Moore with the Ridgeland, Mississippi, office of The Cochran Firm, which also has offices in Memphis and Nashville.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Reporters Workshop. Sponsored jointly by the Tennessee Bar Association’s Communication Law Section, the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation, the program will be held in person April 22-23 in Nashville. Print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting should apply before 5 p.m. CST on March 1. The 15 journalists selected to participate will receive a stipend to defray the cost of travel.

The next Tennessee Faith & Justice Alliance Advice Clinic will be held Feb. 12 at Cokesbury Church North Campus, 9919 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922. Masks are required for all volunteers and attendees. Volunteers from all areas of practice are needed for the event, which is sponsored by the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, Knoxville Bar Association and its Access to Justice Committee, Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the University of Tennessee College of Law. Sign up here to volunteer.

The Knoxville YWCA and the University of Tennessee College of Law are sponsoring a virtual “Great Race Against Racism” now through Feb. 28. Those who would like to participate should download the interactive “GooseChase” app on their mobile device either as a guest or a registered user. Participants also can create a team or join an existing team. Points can then be collected by visiting more than 20 sites of cultural and historical significance in Knox and Anderson counties. Participation is free. Learn more here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission and Her Song are sponsoring a hybrid CLE on Jan. 31 on the law surrounding human trafficking and the resources available to victims. The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. EST. The in-person component, which will be limited to 25 attendees, will be held at 317 Oak St., Room 108, Chattanooga 37403, and include lunch. The virtual component will be live streamed via Zoom. Learn more about the speakers and register here. UPDATE: Read the court's wrap up of the event.