The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation (TJCF) set up a legacy scholarship to honor the late Judge James Curwood Witt Jr. over ths summer. The foundation will match funds up to $12,500, which will yield a $1,500 annual scholarship to the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. Knoxville attorneys Ann Short and Eric Butler serve as scholarship chairs and are continuing to work diligently to raise funds. Donations may be made online or by check, payable to the TJCF, with a notation to fund the Judge Curwood Witt Scholarship. Checks should be mailed to the Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation, c/o Suzanne Keith, 629 Woodland St., Nashville, TN 37206. Questions may be directed to Ann Short, 865-637-2142 or Eric Butler, 865-546-4646.

TBA's "Raising the Bar" program will be held Nov. 19 at Baker Donelson in Nashville. Breakfast will begin at 9:15 a.m. with programming from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This CLE will address the age-old concept of "the grass is greener on the other side," challenging attendees to think instead that "the grass is greener where you water it." The program will encourage participants to live their best life as a lawyer by re-focusing their energy. Adriana Linares — founder of LawTech Partners, nationally recognized legal tech consultant and host of the New Solo podcast — will lead a session on “Tech Tips to Optimize Efficiency and Reduce Stress for Lawyers.” Other speakers will include Meera Ballal, Heidi Barcus, Julie Bennett, Rebecca Blair, Dixie Cooper, Jackie Dixon, Sherie Edwards, Psonya Hackett, Rachel Lawson, Sarah Beth Myers and Laquita Stokes. A networking reception will follow from 4:30 to 6 p.m. All times CST. Click here to register for this annual favorite produced by the Women in the Profession Committee.

The Lawyers' Association for Women (LAW) will hold its annual New Admittee Breakfast on Nov. 4 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. CST at the Grand Hyatt, 1000 Broadway, Nashville 37203. This year’s keynote speaker will be Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Stephanie Williams. For almost 50 years, the breakfast has been recognized as a signature event in the Middle Tennessee legal community. It is attended by new admittees, judges, local bar dignitaries and attorneys. The event is free to new admittees. General admission tickets are $75. The plated breakfast includes avocado toast, breakfast entrée, pastries, juice, water and coffee. View a flyer for the event or register here.

In a court filing on Friday, U.S. District Judge Mark Norris provided an explanation for his recusal from the criminal case involving the former Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers who beat Tyré Nichols. “… I did not recuse because of any personal bias against anyone or anything. I recused because of the apparent bias of others against the Court,” Norris wrote. “It had become clear to me that certain individuals in the U.S. Attorney’s Office were personally adverse to me. They instructed the U.S. Marshals not to investigate the attempted murder of my law clerk. They instructed the FBI not to return my calls.” He continued: “I do not harbor any bias toward MPD. It has never been my theory or belief that the Martin (et al vs. U.S.) defendants or any other MPD officers have gang affiliations.” According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, Norris last year said he believed MPD had been “infiltrated to the top with gang members” and at least one of the defendants in the Nichols case was in a gang. Norris’ explanation came in a separate federal case monitoring MPD’s compliance with a 1978 consent decree that limits how it can use information on residents exercising First Amendment rights. Two of the parties in that case had asked Norris to recuse himself, which he declined to do. The Daily Memphian reports on the story.

Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier this week made his first comments about a proposed “compact” with the Trump administration that would provide preferred access to federal grants in exchange for the school implementing a series of government mandates. "Our North Star has always been that academic freedom, free expression and independence are essential for universities to make their vital and singular contributions to society," Diermeier wrote in a campus-wide message according to the Nashville Business Journal. "We also believe that research awards should be made based on merit alone." He went on to explain that the university was not asked to accept or reject the compact but rather to provide feedback on it. A number of campus groups had called for an outright rejection of the proposal. The campus paper has more on the story. The leaders of seven of the nine schools to receive similar offers have rejected it so far.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 17 denied a motion for reconsideration and the Board of Professional Responsibility’s response in the case of Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman. On Oct. 9, the court revoked probation and suspended Freeman for three years, less 112 days previously served on suspension. In 2021, Freeman was suspended for three years, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court found that censures imposed on Jan. 10 and July 31 violated the terms of probation.

White County lawyer John Edward Hutson was reinstated to the active practice of law with conditions on Oct. 20. He had been suspended on Jan. 14 for two years, with six months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. Hutson filed a petition for reinstatement on Oct. 13. The Board of Professional Responsibility found it to be satisfactory. Reinstatement is conditioned on Hutson engaging a practice monitor during the first six months of the probationary period and meeting with the monitor monthly to review and assess his caseload, case management, timeliness of performing tasks, adequacy of communication with clients and accounting procedures.

Hardin County Lawyer Nicholas Lee Surratt received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 20 after the court determined that he violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 3.2, 3.4(c), 8.4(d) and (g). Surratt was hired to represent a criminal defendant in appealing a conviction but failed to timely file the trial court transcript and failed to respond to the Court of Criminal Appeals about the transcript. The court then held him in willful contempt. Surratt also failed to comply with subsequent orders entered by the court establishing deadlines for filing the client’s principal brief.

The federal public defender’s office in Memphis is being overwhelmed by cases stemming from the Memphis Safe Task Force, The Daily Memphian reports. The situation has prompted a federal judge to warn that private attorneys on the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) panel will need to take on more indigent defense work. The strain also comes as CJA attorneys nationwide have not been paid since July due to funding lapses and the federal shutdown, leaving them to work without compensation for now. Despite these challenges, local CJA attorneys say they remain committed to providing legal representation according to the paper. In related news, the surge in arrests from the task force also has pushed the Shelby County Jail beyond capacity, forcing officials to find alternate housing for inmates. Action News 5 reports on new data tracking arrests since the task force's implementation.

Tennessee has shelved plans to purchase and demolish the Capitol Towers residential high-rise in downtown Nashville, The Tennessee Journal reports. The state had considered using about $32 million in bonds and reserves to buy the property and convert the site into green space near the Capitol and Cordell Hull buildings. Officials now say there have been no discussions with the property’s majority owner, and the acquisition will not proceed.