Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti is leading a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general in urging the U.S. Congress to take immediate action to address funding shortfalls that threaten the World Trade Center Health Program. In a letter to congressional leadership, the group calls on lawmakers to ensure the long-term financial stability of the program. The health program funds care for 135,000 first responders, survivors and families impacted by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Read more about the effort or read the letter to leaders.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Georgia lawyer James Darren McWilliams to disability inactive status on May 21. McWilliams may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the court to return to the practice of law by showing the disability has been removed.

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel ruled this week that the Trump administration erred when it paused the distribution of millions of dollars in grants — including $14 million awarded to Metro Nashville for transit projects — and must distribute the funds immediately. Gergel gave the administration seven days to comply. Nashville had joined with a group of five major cities and nearly a dozen nonprofits to sue over the cuts in March. The funding will be used to upgrade and expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure and help fund a transit connection project, including protected bike lanes and pedestrian improvements. The Tennessean has more on the decision.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that three tornadoes touched down during Tuesday’s severe weather event across the mid-state. According to WKRN, the first tornado hit in northern Clarksville while a second one touched down in southern Clarksville and a third touched down in southern Cumberland County. NWS says the reports are preliminary and may change based on a final review. Teams from the service are continuing to conduct damage assessments in Bedford, Coffee, Lewis, Marshall, Rutherford, Stewart and Warren counties as well as other parts of southwest Middle Tennessee.

The April 28 fire that destroyed the Clayborn Temple was set intentionally, the Memphis Fire Department said this week. Officials are looking for a person of interest in the case, the Daily Memphian reports. The church had served as a base of operations for the 1968 strike of 1,300 city sanitation workers and then, once the protest grew, it became the starting point for daily marches to City Hall. Each year, supporters had gathered at the church on April 4 to mark the anniversary of the strike and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., who had come to Memphis to lend his support to the cause. A nonprofit group, Historic Clayborn Temple, has committed to restoring the church. In a separate article, the paper reports that the Memphis home of the temple’s director caught fire about two weeks before church fire.

The Shelby County government is directing the City of Memphis to move 11 of its offices out of the county criminal justice center by Dec. 31, 2026, The Commercial Appeal reports. The county says increasing operational demands and the need for more space for law enforcement and judicial functions is driving the decision. Offices impacted include city court judges, court clerks, court coordinators, city prosecutors, bailiff holding and city police dispatch. One city office, the Memphis Police Department's property and evidence room, will remain at 201 Poplar.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has changed its local rules to clarify that attorneys may speak on social media and to news media about their cases without fear, The Tennessean reports. In a filing signed by all four judges, the local rules were revised on May 15 to address concerns over a “gag order” that was placed on attorney Daniel Horwitz during litigation against private prison company CoreCivic. Now, the rule simply states that attorneys are bound by Tennessee’s rules of professional conduct. Institute for Justice attorney Jared McClain, who represented Horwitz in challenging the rule, said, “This is a huge win for the First Amendment in Middle Tennessee. Attorneys have a right to discuss their cases, and the public has a right to know what the government and its contractors are doing wrong.” Horwitz had challenged the order and while his appeal is still pending, the court's action resolves the matter according to the paper.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases on May 28 before a group of rising high school seniors at the Tennessee American Legion Boys State in Cookeville. The event is part of the Court’s SCALES program, which educates students about the Tennessee legal system and the functions of the judicial branch. The court will hear arguments in State v. Ginny Parker and State v. Antonio Demetrius Adkisson. Then on May 29, beginning at 9 a.m. CDT, the court will hear three cases at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville. Those cases include Tinsley Properties LLC et al. v. Grundy County, Jo Carol Edwards v. Peoplease LLC et al., and Berkeley Research Group LLC v. Southern Advanced Materials LLC. A fourth case, Connie Reguli v. Board of Professional Responsibility, will be submitted to the court on the briefs. All oral arguments will be livestreamed to the court’s YouTube page.

This year’s Bench Bar program “Lawyers Making History” offers a unique opportunity to hear from Tennessee judges, practicing lawyers and those who were there when history was made! The first of three sessions will look at famous Tennessee trials as Chattanooga lawyer Russell Fowler explores landmark cases that shaped our state’s legal landscape. The second session will feature trailblazing women as they reflect on their experiences breaking judicial barriers. Speakers include retired U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Martha Craig "Cissy" Daughtrey, U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger from the Middle District of Tennessee, and Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Camille McMullen. Nashville lawyer Margaret Behm will moderate the discussion. The final session will take a deep dive into one of Tennessee’s most controversial political and legal events: the Blanton pardon scandal. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear from Nashville lawyer Hal Hardin, author and columnist Keel Hunt, and former Tennessee Gov. and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander. Make plans to join your colleagues for this program — taking place June 12 from 9-11:45 a.m. CDT at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs — as well as other educational programs being planned. Still need to register for convention? Get started here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected the Board of Professional Responsibility’s (BPR) proposed discipline for Shelby County lawyer Sheila L. Robinson-Beasley. The court issued an order on May 15 directing the BPR to reconsider its April 11th order recommending approval of a conditional guilty plea. The court said it had concerns that the proposed punishment of suspension, and particularly the period of active suspension, was too lenient.