U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. in Brownsville, Texas, last week blocked the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members, according to Bloomberg Law. The move applies only to detainees in the Southern District of Texas. In the opinion, Rodriguez found that the administration exceeded the scope of the act by using it to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members while the U.S. is not being invaded by a foreign force. Read the opinion. In related news, the administration last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to deport 600,000 Venezuelans. That effort seeks to lift a California-based federal judge’s ruling that the administration did not follow proper procedure in ending temporary protected status (TPS) for the group. The Hill has more on that story.

Federal Public Defender Dumaka Shabazz will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) 2025 Claudia Jack Award. Named for the late Claudia Jack, a long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged and a public defender in Maury County, the award is presented to an outstanding public defender or court-appointed private practitioner who serves the legal community and clients in an exemplary fashion. Shabazz, who works in the Middle District of Tennessee, is being honored for his many contributions to the legal profession, both in Tennessee and on the national stage. In announcing the award, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said, “Dumaka Shabazz embodies the unwavering dedication to justice envisioned by the Claudia Jack Award. His work on behalf of clients, his dedication to mentoring the next generation of public defenders, and his commitment to serving the community make him a deserving recipient for this year’s award. His commitment and dedication mirrors Claudia’s.” The award will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention in Franklin on June 13 during the Lawyers’ Luncheon. Read more in the TBA’s press release.

In addition to compelling CLE, social events and networking opportunities, the 2025 TBA Annual Convention will include meetings of TBA's governing bodies. On June 11, the House of Delegates will meet in the afternoon, while new section chairs will meet to make plans for the 2025-2026 bar year. On June 13, the TBA Board of Governors and its Executive Committee will meet after the Lawyers Luncheon. Later that afternoon, the Tennessee Legal Community Foundation (TLCF) and TBA Member Insurance Solutions (TBAMS) will hold their respective board meetings. Wrapping up the day, the Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will hold a Long Range Planning session and its annual membership meeting, capped off by past YLD presidents participating in a gavel pass and champagne toast to honor incoming president Judge Alex McVeagh. On June 14, the YLD Board's Executive Committee will meet, while all board members will participate in committee breakouts and the summer board meeting. Check out the full convention schedule.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to launch a program to use free legal assistance from law firms to help police officers accused of wrongdoing. According to the order, the program will “provide legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers who unjustly incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken during the performance of their official duties to enforce the law.” Bloomberg Law notes that major law firms have committed $940 million in legal services in a series of deals with Trump, seeking to avoid punitive executive orders. The firms pledged to take up a range of issues, including supporting military veterans and law enforcement officers, as well as “ensuring fairness” in the justice system. Bloomberg has more on the order.

Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) leaders recently met with the members of the state’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. TBA participants included President-elect Heidi Barcus, YLD President Sean Aiello, ABA House of Delegates Chair Jonathan Cole and Executive Director Sheree Wright. Nashville attorney John Weber also joined in for some meetings. The group met with Sen. Marsha Blackburn and staff from Sen. Bill Hagerty's office. On the House side, the group met with 3rd District Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, 4th District Rep. Scott DesJarlais, 5th District Rep. Andy Ogles and 8th District Rep. David Kustoff, a TBA member. The group also met with the staff of several other members. TBA members traveled to D.C. to participate in the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill, which brings together state and local bar leaders from across the country to advocate for issues important to the legal profession. See photos from the event.

Knox County lawyer Roger David Hyman received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 28. The court found that Hyman violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2 and 1.4 when he failed to promptly communicate with opposing counsel his client’s desire to withdraw from a divorce settlement. The court found that Hyman also failed to take any other action to protect his client’s interests, causing his client potential injury. Hyman executed a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated the rules.

Davidson County lawyer Luvell Leigh Glanton received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 30. The court found that Glanton violated Rules of Professional Conduct 5.3 and 8.4(d) when he instructed his paralegal to appear in his stead at a case management conference. The paralegal did not disclose that he was not an attorney and was perceived by the Special Master and opposing counsel to be an attorney. The court also found that Glanton failed to supervise his paralegal and allowed the paralegal to hold himself out in an attorney’s capacity. The action was determined to be prejudicial to the administration of justice and required that the case management order later be vacated.

Hamilton County lawyer Zachery Steven Darnell received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on March 10. The court found that Darnell violated Rules of Professional Conduct 3.4 and 8.4(d) when he failed to timely notify the trial court, a custodian appointed to oversee his finances, and opposing counsel of the receipt of an asset subject to court injunction. The Supreme Court also found that Darnell should have asked the court’s permission to deposit the proceeds into his trust account. The Supreme Court released notice of the censure on April 29. A similar censure was imposed on Darnell’s colleague Daniel Olen Barham.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued a public censure for Williamson County lawyer Daniel Olen Barham on March 20. The court found that Barham violated Rules of Professional Conduct 3.4 and 8.4(d) when he failed to timely notify the trial court, a custodian appointed to oversee his finances, and opposing counsel of the receipt of an asset subject to court injunction. The Supreme Court also found that Barham should have asked the court’s permission to deposit the proceeds into his trust account. The Supreme Court released notice of the censure today. A similar censure also was imposed on Braham's colleague Zachery Steven Darnell.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued a request for comments on three rules change proposals. The first, proposed by the CLE Commission, makes a number of changes to the commission’s regulations. The changes are detailed in a red line document attached to the order. The second proposes changes to Rule 21 Section 4.05 to reflect the fact that the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners no longer prepares bar examination questions and replace “Tennessee or any of the sister states” with “any state” in a section dealing with earning CLE credit through service as a bar examiner. The third proposes changes to Rule 21, section 5.01(g)(10) to align it with the current version of section 4.08(a). The deadline for submitting comments for any of these proposals is June 27. Written comments should reference docket No. ADM2025-00453 and be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to James Hivner, Clerk, Re: Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21, 401 Seventh Ave. N., Ste. 321, Nashville, TN 37219-1407.