The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is hosting a free legal clinic for artists and creatives on Feb. 4 from 6-8 p.m. CST at Belmont University College of Law. The clinic offers one-on-one 30-minute consultations with volunteer attorneys for income-qualified creatives across Tennessee. Volunteer attorneys can expect questions on contracts & licensing, copyright, business formation and nonprofit governance. Email vlpa@abcnashville.org for more information or to volunteer. Those interested in legal services should register online by Jan. 30.

A nearly 100-year-old federal ban on mailing concealable firearms through the U.S. Postal Service infringes on the Second Amendment and cannot be enforced, according to an opinion released Thursday by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The move comes after the gun rights organization Gun Owners of America filed suit against the 1927 law. The postal service ban currently applies to pistols, revolvers and other firearms capable of being concealed on a person — including short-barreled shotguns and rifles. Rifles and shotguns, however, may be mailed between licensed dealers, manufacturers and importers. Non-mailable firearms found in the mail stream currently are “immediately reported to the United States Postal Inspection Service” and then referred to the relevant U.S. attorney’s office for prosecution. The Hill has more on the story.

James Theodore "Jim" Bland Jr. died Nov. 27 in Florida at the age of 75. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accountancy in 1972 from the University of Memphis and a law degree from the university’s Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1974. Bland began his career working at the Internal Revenue Service as an estate and gift tax attorney before joining the law firm of Armstrong, Allen, Prewitt, Gentry, Johnston and Holmes. He later opened his own private practice. Bland was active in the Tennessee legal community serving as president of the Federal Bar Association's Memphis chapter from 1979-1980, as a charter fellow and president of the Memphis Bar Foundation, as president of the TBA Young Lawyers Conference (the precursor organization to the Young Lawyers Division) from 1984-1985, and on the TBA Board of Governors from 1990-1991. On the national level, he served as the youngest president of the Federal Bar Association from 1987-1988. After retiring, Bland moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands but returned to Memphis in 2015 and finally settled in Florida in 2017. Memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Wesleyan Hills United Methodist Church in Memphis.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris held a press conference earlier this week to highlight concerns at the county jail, known as 201 Poplar. The Commercial Appeal reports that he also used the event to call on Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner to "come up with a plan for reform in 2026.” According to Harris, Bonner has not provided a thorough plan for reform for the jail. Harris also called out the number of deaths at the jail, saying the issue is that of management and oversight and that there is a "lack of basic humanity in our jail." Ahead of the press conference, Bonner sent a press release to media outlets saying Harris has routinely underfunded the sheriff's office and refused to engage with Bonner about the need for a new jail.

The state of Florida has become the second U.S. state to reduce its reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) to determine graduates of which law school can become lawyers, Reuters reports. The Supreme Court of Florida said in an order released Jan. 15 that it was replacing the ABA as the “sole accrediting agency” for law schools whose graduates may take the state’s bar exam, a requirement to practice in the state. The Supreme Court of Texas finalized a similar plan earlier this month. The Tennessee Supreme Court is similarly examining whether to "modify, reduce or eliminate its reliance on ABA accreditation" and whether any other practicable alternatives should be considered. Feedback on those questions may be sent to TBA's newly formed Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force at townhall@tnbar.org as well as directly to the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page for more information.

The TBA will be closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. CST. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs and for staff contact information.

It's not too late to join your colleagues in Nashville next Friday for the TBA's 2026 Construction Law Forum. The program, tailored to both new and experienced practitioners, will feature a morning session focused on introductory sessions that build foundational knowledge and an afternoon sessions delving into more advanced issues. The morning session will feature presentations on preserving and enforcing lien rights, reviewing recent case law developments and avoiding common construction law mistakes. The afternoon session will include presentations on payment obligations, statutory compliance under the Prompt Pay Act, the growing role of artificial intelligence in construction projects and legal practice, and ethics considerations unique to construction law practitioners. Register now for the full day program, morning session or afternoon session.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued two orders announcing amendments to the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure and Rules of Criminal Procedure. The appellate package would affect Rules 20B “Public Access To Appellate Court Filings And Privacy Protection” and 27 “Content of Briefs” while the criminal package would impact Rule 41 “Search And Seizure.” Amendments will take effect July 1 subject to approval by the General Assembly.

Republican state lawmakers have announced a wide-ranging immigration package that seeks to make Tennessee a model for immigration crackdowns across the country. According to The Tennessean, leaders announced a package of about 10 bills that include those requiring state and local governments to verify individuals' legal status before distributing food assistance and housing benefits, tracking grade school students' immigration status, offering driver's tests in English only and criminalizing being present in the state after a final deportation order has been entered. The effort is aimed at "preserving legal immigration" while "protecting tax dollars, reducing fraud and ending sanctuary loopholes," said House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. At a press conference announcing the measures, Sexton thanked the White House, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and President Donald Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller for their collaboration of the legislation. In response to the announcement, Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, criticized the federal immigration system and said the legislature should prioritize lowering grocery and child care costs. The paper has a breakdown of the proposals.

A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit filed by the family of Anthony Thompson Jr., who was killed by a Knoxville police officer in 2021. According to Knox News, Thompson was 17 years old when he was shot and killed by an officer inside an Austin-East Magnet High School bathroom. The lawsuit by his family centered on the claim that officers failed to provide sufficient medical care to the dying teenager. Other claims previously were thrown out by the courts. The settlement ends a lengthy court battle weeks before a scheduled federal trial but still must be approved by a judge.