The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has received five applications for a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District following the retirement of Judge Phillip R. Robinson on Oct. 17. The 20th Judicial District covers Davidson County, and the circuit court seat will be assigned domestic relations cases. Applicants for the vacancy are Audrey L. Anderson, Bethany P. Glandorf, Harold E. Rushton, Morgan E. Smith and John R. Wilks. A public hearing for the position will be held Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Nashville School of Law, 4013 Armory Oaks Drive, Nashville 37204. The commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward nominees to Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. For more information, contact John Jefferson, assistant general counsel at the Administrative Office of the Courts, at john.jefferson@tncourts.gov.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) is seeking attorney volunteers to help commemorate Constitution Day by leading one-hour classroom programs on the U.S. Constitution at three Knoxville elementary schools. The programs will be held Sept. 19 at Fountain City Elementary from 8 to 9 a.m. and South Knox Elementary from 1 to 2 p.m., and Sept. 26 at Dogwood Elementary from 1:45 to 2:45 p.m. All times EDT. Organized by the KBA Barristers School Outreach Committee, the interactive sessions will include videos, activities and Q&A opportunities with students. No prior teaching experience is required, and all materials will be provided. Attorneys interested in volunteering can reach out to co-chairs Grace Ewell or Hannah Clyde.

Democratic candidates for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District pitched their platforms to voters at a Fairview forum on Sept. 7. The four candidates — state Reps. Bo Mitchell, Vincent Dixie and Aftyn Behn, and political strategist Darden Copeland — spoke to about 70 people inside the Fairview Recreation Complex gymnasium. They commented on the Trump administration’s proposals to deploy the National Guard in Democratic-led cities and expressed support for comprehensive immigration reform and immigrant communities. All also pledged to hold regular town halls if elected. The Nashville Post has the story.

The City of Memphis has contracted with a private company to install 30 new traffic cameras to target speeders, primarily in 15 school zones. According to the Daily Memphian, beginning Sept. 30, the cameras will be used to issue warnings to drivers who are speeding in those 15 areas, officials said. On Oct. 30, the grace period will end, and citations will begin with violators being mailed a ticket for $50. The cameras will be installed at 15 different locations. A 2015 state law classifies citations from unmanned cameras as nonmoving violations, meaning they carry no license points, insurance consequences or credit impact. City officials say the goal is to encourage safer driving, particularly in school zones and S curves, despite the limited penalties.

The American Bar Association (ABA) and American University Washington College of Law will host a virtual program, “On the Docket: Looking Ahead at the New Supreme Court Term,” on Sept. 25 from noon to 1:20 p.m. EDT. Panelists will preview major issues before the court when it reconvenes in October, including state bans on transgender athletes in sports, voting rights, campaign finance laws, the death penalty, state regulatory authority, challenges to conversion therapy and redistricting in Louisiana. The event will feature Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law; Gregory G. Garre, partner at Latham & Watkins; William W. Berry III, professor at the University of Mississippi Law School; and Boston Globe columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Stephen Wermiel, a professor at American University Washington College of Law, will moderate. Register here.

A Chattanooga man on Wednesday was sentenced to 24 months in prison for transmitting interstate threats. In 2024, Garry Lebron Hayes, 45, left voicemails that included death threats and violent language directed at two members of Congress. Hayes pleaded guilty earlier this year and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Curtis L. Collier in Chattanooga, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Collier also ordered Hayes to serve one year of supervised release following his prison term. Prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence allowed under the guidelines, stressing the need to protect public officials from threats of violence.

Georgia lawyer Sarah Medley Smith was reinstated to the practice of law on Sept. 4. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Smith has been on inactive status since Dec. 17, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Smith’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory, and she had met all requirements for reinstatement.

Davidson County Lawyer Anne-Marie Moyes was reinstated to the practice of law on Sept. 5. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Moyes has been on inactive status since May 27, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Moyes petition for reinstatement was satisfactory, and she had met all requirements for reinstatement.

The TBA will host its Local Government Forum on Oct. 14 as a live virtual event from 9 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. CDT. The program will cover key issues in government law, including budgetary matters and ongoing PFAS litigation, with additional details to be announced. A discount is available for Local Government Practice Section members. For more information and to register visit the TBA website.

Judge Emily Abbott was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee to serve on the 6th Judicial District Criminal Court on Aug. 15 and was sworn in just three days later. “I wanted to go ahead and get sworn in immediately to be able to start hearing cases because Knox County had been without a judge since March,” Abbott said. She fills a vacancy created by Judge Steven Sword’s appointment to the appellate bench. Reflecting on her first days, Abbott said, “It was overwhelming, the welcome I received. Judge Sword swore me in. Judge Sanchez robed me. Justice Sharon Lee brought me her robe to wear on the bench until I can get mine ordered. She was at my swearing in, and it was amazing.” Abbott is just the second woman to serve in the Knox County Criminal Court. She previously was district attorney for the 7th Judicial District. Read more in a profile by the Administrative Office of the Courts.