The University of Memphis Cecil C Humphreys School of Law is hosting the American Moot Court Association (AMCA) National Tournament this weekend and is seeking volunteers to serve as judges on Saturday. Volunteer judges will ask questions, evaluate arguments and provide feedback to college student participants. Two-hour time slots available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST and from 1-3 p.m. CST. Sign up to volunteer here. Questions? Contact Derrick Shawver at dwshwyer@memphis.edu.

President-elect Donald Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records. Justice Juan Merchan today sentenced Trump to an "unconditional discharge," in the case, making Trump the first U.S. president to take office with a felony criminal conviction, Reuters reports. Merchan said he was imposing the sentence sparing Trump jail, a fine or probation because the U.S. Constitution shields presidents from criminal prosecution. But he said the protections afforded to the office "do not reduce the seriousness of a crime or justify its commission in any way." The sentencing took place after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, SCOTUSblog reports. Trump has pledged to appeal the conviction.

State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, has revealed nine allegations that he says are grounds for the removal of Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy. According to the Daily Memphian, Taylor laid out his case at the Memphis Police Association headquarters this week. Among his allegations, Taylor says that Mulroy unethically colludes with judges and circumvents the authority of the Tennessee legislature, and that his office no longer opposes parole for first-degree murder convictions, no longer opposes waivers for court costs and fines, and engages in race-based prosecution. Mulroy has mounted a public defense campaign, recently posting videos that push back on calls for his removal and demonstrating his compliance with Taylor’s record requests.

Defendant, Luke Jackson, appeals the denial of his motion to withdraw his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter, for which he is serving a fifteen-year sentence as a Range III offender. On appeal, Defendant contends that the trial court erred in denying his motion to withdraw his guilty plea because (1) he did not fully understand the details of his plea agreement and (2) he received the ineffective assistance of counsel. He asserts that he was unaware that he would be sentenced outside of his range and that he entered the plea out of fear and lack of medical treatment while incarcerated. Following our review of the entire record and the briefs of the parties, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Defendant, Keion Hayes, pleaded guilty in the Sumner County Criminal Court to voluntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery. See T.C.A. §§ 39-13-211 (2018) (subsequently amended) (voluntary manslaughter); 39-13-402 (2018) (aggravated robbery). The Defendant received an agreed-upon, eighteen-year sentence. The Defendant filed a motion to withdraw his guilty pleas, which the trial court denied. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court erred by denying his motion. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

Following their divorce, a mother informed her children’s father of her desire to move to Germany with the children. The father filed a petition opposing the move. The court found that the relocation was in the children’s best interest and modified the permanent parenting plan accordingly. On appeal, Father contends the evidence preponderates against some of the factual findings and that the court erred in weighing the statutory best-interest factors. Because the evidence does not preponderate against the court’s finding that relocation was in the children’s best interest, we affirm.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has released Formal Opinion 514 to provide guidance on a lawyer’s obligations when advising an organization about conduct that may create legal risks for the organization’s constituents. According to the opinion, lawyers should advise organizations’ constituents — employees, officers or board members — about the lawyer’s role early and often during the relationship. “When an organization’s lawyer provides advice to the organization about proposed conduct that may have legal implications for individual constituents, the constituents through whom the lawyer conveys advice may misperceive the lawyer’s role and mistakenly believe that they can rely personally on the lawyer’s advice,” according to the opinion. It cites Rules 4.1, 4.3 and 1.13(f) that require an organization’s lawyer to take reasonable measures to avoid or dispel constituents’ misunderstandings about the lawyer’s role. Read more in a release from the association.

The Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection met recently to consider claims from clients alleging financial loss due to the illegal actions of their lawyers. The fund approved one claim against Knox County attorney Christopher Shawn Roberts in the amount of $2,405.50. It also directed Roberts to reimburse the fund for the expense. The Fund for Client Protection was established by the Tennessee Supreme Court to reimburse individuals for losses caused by dishonest conduct by attorneys. The fund is operated by a board, which meets quarterly to consider claims. In September 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court amended Rule 25 to require the fund to notify the Tennessee Bar Association of claims paid. News releases also are posted online.