The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an effort to overturn its landmark 2015 ruling guaranteeing same-sex marriage nationwide, The Hill reports. Former Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis asked the justices to overrule the decision after a jury awarded damages to a couple she refused to marry. In a brief order, the court declined to hear Davis’s appeal. No dissents were noted. Davis drew national attention for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples on religious grounds, and she was jailed for five days before the couple obtained their license. Kentucky later passed a law allowing clerks to omit their signatures from marriage certificates. The couple she refused to serve filed suit for emotional damages and attorneys fees. After a jury found for the couple, Davis challenged the award, arguing she had a private First Amendment religious defense. Her appeal to the Supreme Court also included an outright challenge to the Obergefell decision.

On Friday, Chancellor Russell T. Perkins partly granted and partly denied a petition filed by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) against the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. TIRRC is seeking access to public records, including video footage, from an operation in May that involved more than 600 cars and nearly 200 arrests. The lawsuit alleges that the state has delayed providing video footage and should not have redacted badge numbers, officers’ names and other information in dispatch reports. The state argued that the disclosure would reveal “operational vulnerabilities." Perkins found that the state did not meet its burden of proof to withhold or redact documents, but he also said that identifying information not already disclosed should not be publicly revealed. Per his order, another hearing will be necessary to address disputes around the scope of the redactions.

Shelby County Juvenile Court has appointed Qur’an Folsom as its new chief administrative officer (CAO), the court announced Nov. 5, according to the Commercial Appeal. Folsom previously served in the same role for the Shelby County Commission, and worked with the Tennessee Department of Human Services, former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and the Memphis City Schools Board of Commissioners. “I am profoundly grateful to Judge Sugarmon for the trust and confidence he has shown in appointing me as the next chief administrative officer,” Folsom said in a news release. She replaces Stephanie Hill, who joined the PURE Academy — a nonprofit residential school working with at-risk youth — in September.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Republican of Brentwood, and four other senators introduced the Violent Juvenile Offender Accountability Act on Friday. According to WSMV, the bill would make it easier to bring federal criminal charges against certain juvenile offenders who are age 16 or older. Blackburn said violence must be met with accountability and that offenders should not be excused because of their age. “The Violent Juvenile Offender Accountability Act would build upon my work to combat juvenile crime by empowering prosecutors to bring federal criminal charges against offenders aged 16 and older,” she said.

TBA's "Raising the Bar" program will be held next Wednesday at Baker Donelson in Nashville. Breakfast will begin at 9:15 a.m. CST with programming running from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 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. Register now for this annual favorite from the TBA Women in the Profession Committee.

A new bill that would increase penalties for animal cruelty charges in Tennessee, SB1475, was introduced Tuesday. The bill would raise the penalty for aggravated cruelty to animals from a Class E felony to a Class D felony, WSMV reports. The proposal also adds that juveniles who commit aggravated animal cruelty could be classified as “serious youthful offenders.” The bill is sponsored by Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, while the House version, HB1444, is sponsored by Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis.

Enrollment is now open for the Tennessee Bar Association’s BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee group health insurance plan, available exclusively to TBA members. The plan offers guaranteed issue coverage with no health questions or pre-existing condition exclusions and may deliver savings compared to your current health plan. Don’t wait! Enroll today and give your firm the benefits it deserves. Watch this Q&A with Buck Orrison with TBA Member Insurance Solutions to get answers to your questions about coverage in the coming year. Not part of a group? TBA also offers a dedicated health plan for solo attorneys.

The Trump administration on Friday asked an appeals court to immediately block an order requiring full November Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be paid to states by the end of the day. According to The Hill, the emergency request to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals calls the lower court’s order “unprecedented.” On Thursday, U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled the administration’s plan to provide partial SNAP benefits for November during the shutdown was insufficient and that it was obligated to use other funds to issue full payments. “Courts are charged with enforcing the law, but the law is explicit that SNAP benefits are subject to available appropriations,” the Justice Department’s new filing reads.

New lawyers recently were welcomed to the legal profession at swearing in ceremonies in Knoxville, Nashville, Jackson and Memphis. Representatives from the TBA and local bar associations were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. See photos from the events.

A national group that seeks to end affirmative action is threatening to sue Knox County. According to Knox News, the American Alliance for Equal Rights emailed each member of the county commission on Nov. 4 saying the county’s “supplier-diversity program” violates the U.S. Constitution. The county program helps develop small businesses and minority, women-owned and disadvantaged businesses. The alliance cited contract language encouraging vendors to include minority-owned businesses and argued such provisions amount to “race- and sex-based preferences.” County officials note the program’s language is largely drawn from federal policies established under Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. The group's founder Edward Blum, who also founded Students for Fair Admissions, has previously led successful legal challenges to race-based programs.