The Knoxville Bar Association and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), will hold a Debt Relief Clinic on June 27 to provide pro bono legal services to income-eligible consumer debtors. The clinic will begin at 9 a.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne Bauknight will present a short overview of the bankruptcy system and then volunteer lawyers will conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Those interested in helping should register online. Clients seeking advice should call 865-637-0484.

Anthropic PBC is angling to be a major direct provider of legal technology with its latest rollout, extending beyond its original role as a maker of large language models, Bloomberg Law reports. This week, the company unveiled 12 new AI tools for specific legal practice areas including corporate, regulatory and employment law. The plugins are bundles of various skills for the company’s AI model Claude and connections to other legal software. According to legal technology consultants, Claude was already the favored AI tool for lawyers and these new products could change Anthropic’s role in the legal industry. “This represents a major transition for Claude from backroom to front room,” says Rudy DeFelice, who consults with corporate legal teams at Harbor.

State officials will officially take the reins of metropolitan and regional airports across Tennessee this week. According to the Tennessean, by July, the boards running Tennessee's top four airports will be replaced with a majority of state-selected commissioners. During the legislative session, lawmakers argued they should have more oversight since the state contributes to airport operations. The bill passed on April 23, and automatically will become law on May 21, unless Gov. Bill Lee vetoes it. The law gives the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the speaker of the Senate two appointees each. Local officials have opposed the law. The Metro Nashville Council recently passed a resolution opposing the measure, and Chattanooga airport officials are considering legal action.

The 12th annual Justice Innovation Awards ceremony will be held during the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) 89th Annual Conference July 19-22 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville. Two awards will be presented recognizing individuals and organizations that rethink and advance justice for children and families. The Impact of the Year Award honors a Tennessee individual, court, law firm, advocacy group or service provider that has led significant improvements supporting the organization’s mission. The Innovator of the Year Award recognizes an active NCJFCJ member who has led or promoted nationally significant innovation in juvenile justice, family law, domestic violence or child abuse and neglect. Nominations for both awards close June 5. Read more in a release. 

An investiture ceremony and reception for Kyle A. Hixson, who will be the newest justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, will take place July 7 at noon EDT. The ceremony will be held at the Tennessee Theatre, 604 South Gay St., Knoxville 37902. Gov. Bill Lee will administer the oath of office, and a reception will follow. View the invitation. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by June 26 to TSCRSVP@TNcourts.gov. Gov. Bill Lee appointed Hixson to the high court in January. The General Assembly approved the nomination in March. He will replace retiring Justice Holly Kirby when she steps down at the end of June.

Circuit Court Judge Franklin Murchison Sr. died at age 94. Murchison earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University and served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps until 1960, attaining the rank of captain. During his military service, he held positions including defense counsel, prosecuting counsel, chief of appellate review and chief of military justice. After his military service, Murchison returned to Jackson and practiced with the firm Murchison & Murchison alongside his father, Carmack Murchison, focusing on civil and criminal litigation. He later practiced with Spragins & Murchison. In 1985, Murchison was elected judge of the 26th Judicial District Circuit Court, Division III, serving Madison, Henderson and Chester counties. He was admitted to practice before all courts of Tennessee, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Court of Military Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. A memorial service will be held at a later date.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), Metro Councilmember Terry Vo and several Tennessee taxpayers filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Davidson County Chancery Court seeking to block the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) from participating in joint immigration enforcement operations with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). According to the Nashville Banner, the lawsuit alleges THP troopers unlawfully stopped motorists suspected of being noncitizens so ICE agents could investigate immigration status. The group argues the practice violates the Fourth and 14th amendments through warrantless arrests and racial profiling. Plaintiffs also claim the operations divert state resources away from traffic safety enforcement. The suit seeks to bar THP from coordinating with federal immigration agents on such operations and from making traffic stops based on race or ethnicity.

Three federal lawsuits challenging Tennessee's redrawn congressional map have been consolidated before Chief U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr., who has denied one request to temporarily block the map and has yet to rule on two others. The Tennessee Lookout reports on the latest developments. The three suits were brought separately by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of Memphis voters, clergy and nonprofits; the NAACP Tennessee State Conference and League of Women Voters; and Democratic congressional candidates and voters. All three challenge a map enacted by the General Assembly that splits Memphis and Shelby County into three districts. The groups argue the map violates the 14th and 15th Amendments, disenfranchises voters, and set a dangerous precedent for mid-election redistricting. In related news, the Daily Memphian reports that the ACLU has filed a request with the court to allow a team of five national attorneys to argue the case. The state also has retained out-of-state lawyers, signing with the Virginia law firm Consovoy McCarthy. Two other cases will proceed separately: a state court case filed by the Tennessee NAACP and a federal suit filed in the Eastern District of Tennessee by a Chattanooga non-profit.

On May 19, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Williamson County lawyer Jason Scott Mangrum from the practice of law for four years, with five months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to conditions. Two complaints were filed against Mangrum alleging that he failed to adequately represent clients, abide by client wishes, act diligently, return client property, respond to discovery, respond to dispositive motions and communicate. He also was accused of making frivolous claims and dismissing a party and claim without authorization from the client. He agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.15(d), 1.16, 3.1, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 19 transferred the law license of Bedford County lawyer Richard Lamar Dugger to disability inactive status. Dugger may not practice law while on disability inactive status and shall comply with the requirements of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 28, regarding the obligations and responsibilities of attorneys transferred to disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after an order from the reinstating his license.