Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, along with attorneys general from 14 other states, has submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, emphasizing the need for fair and unbiased regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in the financial services sector. The letter urges the department to focus solely on risks to financial reliability and consumer protection rather than politicizing AI regulation or blocking state laws. Read the letter or a press release about the effort.

The Nashville office of Buchalter has announced that Talbott Ottinger has joined the firm as a shareholder and will be the new chair of the Real Estate Practice Group. Ottinger will focus on commercial real estate and business transactions, including corporate structure, entity formation, and asset purchases and sales. He regularly advises clients with capital raises, joint ventures, the purchase and sale of real estate, financing and real estate leases. Buchalter is a full-service business law firm based in Los Angeles with offices in California, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Washington. Read more in a release. The Nashville Post reports that Ottinger's previous firm, the Green Hills-based Ottinger Law Group, will cease operations.

The Davidson County state trial court judges have elected Chancellor Anne C. Martin to serve as presiding judge beginning Sept. 1. Martin will succeed Judge Angelita Dalton who served in the role for the past two years. The 20th Judicial District covers Davidson County and includes eight circuit courts, four chancery courts and six criminal courts. Martin was first elected to the Chancery Court to fill an unexpired term in 2018 and then to a full eight-year term in 2022. In 2019, the Tennessee Supreme Court appointed her as the Business Court Docket judge. Judge David Briley will serve as presiding judge pro tempore for the year. Read more in a release from the court.

The Tennessee Attorney General's (AG) office hired Memphis lawyer and former U.S. Attorney Ed Stanton earlier this summer to review Tennessee State University (TSU) financials and corporate governance, the Tennessean reports. The probe was requested by TSU's newly appointed board of trustees "in order for us to continue to move the university forward" said chair Dakasha Winter. Gov. Bill Lee signed off on the appointment and in a letter directed Stanton to review “policies, procedures, protocols, fiscal records, capital expenditures, capital master planning, and corporate governance” from 2021 to present. The letter also suggested that “litigation to protect TSU's interests” may be required. This review comes after the state spent millions of dollars on audits that found leadership issues at TSU but no evidence of fraud or malfeasance. Stanton, an attorney with Butler Snow, previously was appointed by the state to conduct a review of its lethal injection procedures, and was tapped in May by Metro Nashville to review a police oversight complaint.

A newly expanded Hamilton County Jail is set to open this week following $32 million In improvements, Chattanoogan.com reports. County Sheriff Austin Garrett said booking of prisoners would begin Tuesday afternoon after a ceremony with local officials. The jail will feature an “elaborate body scan” to deter drug smuggling and 400 security cameras for surveillance. Garrett said the renovations were kept below the projected cost. The facility in Silverdale opened in 2021 and currently houses 1,100 inmates. In related news, the county recently received a $250,000 grant through the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program to create a treatment pilot program that will offer medications and therapeutic support for incarcerated individuals struggling with opioid use. Mayor Weston Wamp announced that initiative.

The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (NYCE) broke ground last week on a new 14-acre facility, which will replace the current juvenile detention center located on Woodland Street near Nissan Stadium, WSMV reports. NYCE will be the nation's first family-oriented, trauma-informed center, "redefining" how young people and their families are served by the juvenile justice system, according to the Juvenile Court Clerk’s office. In addition to serving as the home of the Davidson County Juvenile Court and a pre-trial housing facility for justice-involved youth, the center will house resources and agencies that can provide immediate service delivery to families in need along with green space, courtyards and spacious meeting rooms. Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway, who proposed the new facility in 2016, adds "this investment will pay off exponentially through improved public safety and positive outcomes for youth in our community.”

Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick, community-outreach coordinator for Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, knows first-hand the many challenges victims of crime and their families face. Her son was shot and killed in her backyard. She later applied for victim reimbursement from the state’s Criminal Injuries Compensation program, which she found to be confusing, discouraging and intimidating, the Daily Memphian reports. Muhammad-McCormick successfully advocated for improvements to the fund this past legislative session, including extending the time frame for reporting a crime, and expanding the list of family members eligible for reimbursement and free mental health services. Muhammad-McCormick also works to expand general awareness about the fund. An upcoming event planned for Aug. 17 in Memphis will provide one such opportunity,. “Healed People Heal People” will take place at Centenary United Methodist Church, 584 E. McLemore Ave., Memphis 38106.

Sessions from the TBA's 2024 Labor & Employment Law Forum now are available on-demand as individual programs or in a convenient 1-Click CLE package. Sessions include an overview of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and the PUMP Act, the latest on wage and hour decisions, an update from the EEOC, a case law update and a dual credit Artificial Intelligence (AI) presentation.

Johnson City Manager Cathy Ball's public statements about a condo purchase from accused serial rapist Sean Williams have been questioned following the release of text messages. According to the Tennessee Lookout, Ball previously stated she was unaware of Williams' identity when entering the contract and withdrew her offer upon learning the truth. However, new evidence suggests she continued pursuing the deal despite knowing Williams was a fugitive and attempted to withhold information about him. These revelations contribute to a growing scandal involving the Johnson City Police Department and its various dealings with Williams, and could impact multiple lawsuits that have been filed against the department and the city.

WPLN News has conducted a year-long investigation into the complexities of navigating Tennessee's justice system for domestic violence victims, and now is offering a comprehensive resource guide with information on available protections and support services. By mapping out resources across the state, including family justice centers and service providers, WPLN says it hopes to empower victims with knowledge about their options. The guide also sheds light on the challenges victims may face, such as inconsistent law enforcement responses and the complexities of the legal process, and seeks to equip victims with the tools they need to seek safety and justice.