Legal Aid of East Tennessee will hold a number of clinics and a special pro bono recognition event in October as part of Celebrate Pro Bono Month. Clinics include a virtual name change clinic on Oct. 5, an expungement clinic on Oct. 11 and a child support clinic on Oct. 19. The annual Pro Bono Night will take place Oct. 26 at Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall beginning at 5 p.m. EDT. Retired Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee will serve as the master of ceremonies and the guest of honor. LAET will present several awards. The Alexander Hamilton Award will go to three organizations helping with a resource fair at the Hamilton County Courthouse on Sept. 28 from 1-4 p.m. They are: Tennessee Department of Corrections Community Resource Center, the American Job Center and the city of Chattanooga’s Office of Community Health. The Bruce C. Bailey Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award will be presented to Laura Higbee of Husch Blackwell and Brad Harvey of Miller Martin. The Pro Bono Firm of the Year Award will go to the Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel. And the Chief Justice William M. Barker Equal Access to Justice Award will be presented to Court of Appeals Judge John McClarty. Read more about the award recipients in the Hamilton County Herald.

New Jersey is the latest state to limit its mental health and substance abuse disclosure requirement for those applying to join the bar, Reuters reports. The move comes amid pressure from mental health advocates who say the disclosures discourage law students from seeking help. Beginning Oct. 1, the Supreme Court of New Jersey will revise a question on the state’s mandatory "character and fitness" questionnaire about mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment to ask applicants whether they currently have a substance abuse or mental health issue that affects their ability to practice law in a competent and ethical manner. New York, Ohio and Virginia are among the states that recently eliminated mental health questions from their character and fitness reviews.

A General Assembly subcommittee this week recommended extending the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth for another four years, just months after an effort to dissolve the commission failed, the Tennessean reports. The Joint Government Operations Subcommittee voted on the recommendation on Tuesday, opting to extend the commission, which focuses on child welfare and oversight of the Department of Children's Services. Republican leaders backed off of a bill to dissolve the commission after pushback from stakeholders in the child advocacy community, according to the paper.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti recently sat down for an interview with David Plazas, director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. The two talked about a range of issues, including Skrmetti’s legal career, philosophy, and how he views his role. Skrmetti also explains why he supports legal challenges to federal authority and that one time (so far) that he could not "in good faith" defend a particular Tennessee law. Read an edited version of the interview or watch for the full video to be posted online.

The Richmond-based Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments yesterday in cases out of North Carolina and West Virginia that could have significant implications on whether individual states are required to cover health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance, according to the Associated Press. The cases involve provision of care by North Carolina’s state employee health plan and West Virginia’s Medicaid program. Both states are appealing separate lower court rulings that found denial of care to be discriminatory and unconstitutional.

Three Tennessee lawmakers were set to be on hand today for President Biden's official announcement about forming a new federal office focusing on gun violence prevention, Axios Nashville reports. State Sen. Raumesh Akbari and state Reps. Karen Camper and Harold Love planned to attend the announcement, according to Senate Democrats. The Biden administration says the new White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention will "coordinate efforts across the federal government and will offer help and guidance to states struggling with increasing gun violence." Biden announced yesterday that Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the office. Politico reports on that news.

Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) honored two Nashvillians as “Community Heroes” during its 6th annual Mediation Matters breakfast at Hillwood Country Club. Heather Howell Wright and Bill Norton, attorneys at Bradley, served as co-chairs of the fundraiser. Norton is a founder of NCRC and was one of 2022’s community hero honorees. Judge Lynda Jones was the keynote speaker. Community heroes who were honored include Bette Christofersen, longtime community volunteer and mediator and Kim Wolfe, court clerk at Metro Nashville General Sessions Civil Court. Founded in 2000, NCRC provides free mediation to low-income individuals and groups throughout Nashville and surrounding counties. Mediation empowers people to resolve conflict quickly and effectively, which keeps kids in school, adults employed and families safely housed. See photos from the event.

Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk this week issued nine indictments against deputies of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office in connection with the death of Gershun Freeman, the Commercial Appeal reports. Two of the officers were charged with aggravated assault and second-degree murder. Seven officers were charged with aggravated assault resulting in death. Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, who has questioned Funk’s investigation, criticized the indictments saying, “…no actions by any Shelby County Sheriff’s Office employee caused Mr. Freeman’s death." The Nashville DA's office was chosen by a panel of district attorneys to run the investigation after Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy recused himself from the case. Freeman was arrested in October 2022 after being accused of attacking, threatening and kidnapping his girlfriend. Memphis attorney Jake Brown and civil rights attorney Ben Crump filed a wrongful death suit against the county in April.

Memphis lawyer Roy Keathley died Sept. 16. He was 90. From an early age, Keathley worked for his family’s pie company, helping grow the business from door-to-door sales into a multi-factory enterprise with national distribution. He graduated from Vanderbilt University and served in both the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. He attended Vanderbilt University Law School and graduated in 1957. In 1961, Keathley joined Donelson & Adams (now Baker Donelson), where he handled complex corporate transactions. He was active in the community, serving as president of the Memphis University Club and as a member of the Rotary Club. Memorial donations may be made to Grace St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 1720 Peabody Ave., Memphis, TN 38104 or Church Health, 1350 Concourse Ave., Ste. 142, Memphis, TN 38104.

Charles Fentress, a Nashville native and one of the city’s longest-serving Metro Council members, died Monday at 93. Fentress was first elected to the council in 1975 and served as the District 34 council member until 1999. After graduating from Vanderbilt University in 1952, Fentress worked as an educator, as vice president of personnel at Cain-Sloan Company and president of the Argus Foundation, a Nashville political consulting firm. While at Cain-Sloan, he attended the Nashville School of Law and was admitted to the bar in 1969. Fentress was active in the community, serving on the boards of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement and The Children's Museum, and as president of the Nashville Boosters and Nashville Exchange Club. In addition, he served as Nashville director of the National Federation of Independent Business from 1991 to 1998.