U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and key Republican senators are deflecting calls to impeach judges who have temporarily sided with challenges to halt White House initiatives. “That will not happen now,” Bondi said at a Justice Department news conference on Wednesday. “We’re going to follow the law right now. We’re going to follow the process. These are federal judges with lifetime appointments.” Bloomberg Law also reports that key Senate Republicans defended the power of the courts to rule against the president. “We’ve got a system of checks and balances, and that’s what I see working. I learned in 8th grade civics about checks and balances and I expect the process to work its way out,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley told reporters. The response comes as some legislators and members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have called on Congress to impeach judges who rule against the president.

The YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee will hold its first in-person Lunch & Learn since the pandemic on Feb. 27 with a focus on the intersection of faith, spirituality and social justice. From the Civil Rights Movement to present-day activism, faith and spirituality have long been pillars of resilience, resistance and radical change in the Black community. Panelists will discuss how these traditions evolved and the role they play in the fight for justice. The event will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. CST at 1608 Woodmont Blvd., Nashville TN 37215. Register to attend the event in-person or virtually.

U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty announced his reelection bid this week, ending speculation about a potential gubernatorial bid, The Hill reports. A former businessman and U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Hagerty was elected as Tennessee’s junior senator in 2020, beating Democrat Marquita Bradshaw with 62% of the vote. The decision leaves the state’s senior U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn as the highest profile Republican to express interest in a gubernatorial run. Other Republicans who have indicated interest in succeeding Gov. Bill Lee, who is term limited, include U.S. Rep. John Rose, state Sen. Page Walley of Savannah and CoreCivic President Damon Hininger, Tennessee Journal reports.

U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson today blocked parts of two presidential executive orders that sought to restrict federal funding for transgender activities, The Hill reports. The orders banned federal funds from being used to “promote gender ideology” or provide gender-transition treatments for minors. The Hill reports that the Maryland-based judge found that a group of transgender teens and LGBTQ organizations represented by the ACLU were likely to prevail on their claims. The groups argued that the orders amounted to illegal and unconstitutional discrimination. The government argued that the challenge was premature because regulations have not yet been written to implement the executive orders. A second suit challenging the orders is expected to be heard by a judge in Seattle tomorrow.

The Daily Memphian reports that 15 people have applied to fill the General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Division 7 position being vacated by Bill Anderson, who will retire at the end of the month. They are: Mischelle Alexander-Best, Taylor Bachelor, Zach Bair, Reagan Taylor Fondren, Lora Fowler, Serena Gray, Rhonda Harris, Loyce Lambert-Ryan, Omar Malik, John Marshall, Brian Mounce, Kathryn Mozingo, Caleb Sanders, Dewun Settle and Ryan Wiley. The Shelby County Commission will interview all applicants on Feb. 19 and make an appointment on Feb. 24. The successful candidate will serve through a special election in 2026, which will fill the remainder of Anderson’s eight-year term. Anderson last won reelection in 2022.

In its annual report, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is touting new initiatives that have led to a drop in crime. In an interview with The Commercial Appeal, DA Steve Mulroy described new crime-fighting initiatives, including the V11 program, which aims to expedite the prosecution of violent crimes, a 60% increase in trials, and a focus on shuttering or remediating nuisance properties. According to statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, crime in Memphis was significantly lower than 2023's near-record highs. "The decreases are pretty significant," Mulroy said. "It's coming down from an unacceptably high level, and it's still too high, and we all have to acknowledge that, but five consecutive quarters of downward trends is a positive sign." Looking ahead, Mulroy says his office needs more paralegals as well as prosecutors in the Domestic Violence Unit, the Special Victims Unit and the Crime Strategies and Narcotics Prosecution Unit.

Florida lawyer Darian Boos Taylor was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Feb. 7. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Taylor was placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on March 5, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Taylor’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory. The court issued the reinstatement order on Feb. 11.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Law Review’s 2025 symposium, "The Ripple Effect: Examining the Supreme Court's Impact on the Public's Confidence in the Judicial Branch," will take place next week. The event will explore public trust in state and federal courts with discussions focused on judicial transparency, stare decisis and religious liberty jurisprudence. This year’s keynote presentation includes a panel of federal and state judges and justices to provide a unique "view from the bench." The event will be Feb. 21 at the law school. Register here.

The University of Tennessee College of Law’s Journal of Race, Gender & Social Justice will hold its 2025 symposium on Feb. 20. This year’s program will focus on the topic "Ballots & Barriers: New & Historic Challenges to Voting in Tennessee and Beyond.” The event will feature three panels on topics such as redistricting, disenfranchisement and voter restoration. A keynote address will be given by Case Western Reserve University law professor Atiba Ellis. Attorneys interested in attending can register here. Questions should be directed to Jeremiah McCauley or Emily Seguin. View a schedule for the day.

Mary Frances Rudy, Nashville School of Law (NSL) alumna and founder of Rudy Title & Escrow in Nashville, has been elected as the first woman to serve on the NSL Board of Trust. A native of Nashville, Rudy spent several years teaching before pursuing and completing her law degree in 1988. Early in her career, she practiced family law at Bradley & Van Sant and then Bruce, Weathers, Corley, Dughman & Lyle. In 1999, she founded her own title company and then co-founded the law firms Rudy, Wood and Winstead and Rudy & Partners in 2006. In 2017, she was honored at the school’s outstanding alumni of the year. NSL Dean William C. Koch Jr. said Rudy has enthusiastically supported the school’s historic mission for many years. “She has been an effective recruiter, and she has mentored many of our students and graduates." Read more about Rudy in a release from the school.