U.S. District Judge Terry A. Doughty of Louisiana directed the Biden administration on Tuesday to limit contact with social media companies, Bloomberg Law reports. The preliminary injunction affects large swaths of the government, including the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Doughty said the government could not talk to social media companies for “the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression, or reduction of content containing protected free speech.” The case was brought by Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general who claimed the government was trying to silence posts that questioned COVID policies and the validity of the 2020 election.

A conservative nonprofit legal group, American First Legal, is warning law schools that give preferences to minorities and women that it will sue over those policies following last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision on affirmative action at two undergraduate schools. According to Reuters, the group sent letters to 200 U.S. law schools warning them not to give preferences in admissions, hiring or law journal selection. The group also said decisions based on factors in an applicant's biography that could serve as a proxy for race — such as socioeconomic status — also would be challenged. Read the letter.

The University of Tennessee College of Law recently announced on social media that Kristina “KK” Kersey will be joining the school’s clinic as an advocacy clinic professor. Kersey brings more than two decades of practice, teaching and training experience to the clinic. She previously worked at the Washington, D.C., based Gault Center as senior youth defense counsel, where she trained individuals defending youth in transfer proceedings throughout the country. Kersey’s dog, Biggie Smalls, also joins the clinic as the newest “furry” member.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will host a free virtual clinic on July 15 at 10 a.m. EDT to assist adults seeking to change their names, Knox News reports. Participants will receive step-by-step assistance in completing their name change petitions as well as advice on filing pro-se. Interested individuals must pre-register by July 7 by calling 423-402-4765. LAET is partnering with the TBA Young Lawyers Division and Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands to hold this event. To volunteer email tglance@laet.org.

Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands will hold its McHugh Legal Help Clinic this Saturday at the Belmont Ministry Center, 2005 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37204 (former home of Bass Street Baptist Church). The clinic will run from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. CDT. To volunteer contact Kendra Cheek, 615-780-7131.

The Tennessee Bar Association invites you to join an exclusive Law & Culture in Ireland CLE program in May 2024. A four night trip to Dublin and a six night trip to Dublin and Belfast are available. In conjunction with CLEAbroad, travelers will engage with local experts, academics, officials and change makers who will offer in-depth commentary on the EU and UK legal-political systems, economics, environmental justice, history and religion. In Dublin, the group also will explore ancient castles, visit landmarks, museums and notable legal institutions, and sample local cuisine. In Belfast, travelers will learn about the region's unique political history, Good Friday Agreement, ongoing reconciliation efforts and peace process. Add on trips to the West Coast and Cliffs of Moher also are available. Sign up here to receive registration information and updates about the trip.

If you missed the webcast "Building Your Case Through Depositions" this past spring, catch it on replay next Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. You can't win a case in a deposition, but it can be one of the most important (if not the most important) discovery tools in preparing a case for trial. This program will cover tips and techniques on taking depositions, defending them and using them as a case progresses, including preparing clients for depositions. It also will cover tips on how to avoid and recover from common pitfalls.

Memphis lawyer Jim Barry was sworn into office as the 143rd president of the Tennessee Bar Association last month at TBA's annual convention. The oath of office was administered by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins during the TBA’s Annual Lawyers Lunch. Barry, who is retired from International Paper, highlighted his plans for the coming bar year, including a new housing subcommittee of the Access to Justice Committee to focus on evictions and affordable housing, an effort to expand the pool of attorneys in the state willing to do pro bono work, a new initiative to provide safe options for pets of domestic violence victims and an effort to keep lawyers engaged with the bar as they transition to retirement. He also pledged to continue several initiatives started by predecessors, including the Women in the Profession Committee, the Court Square CLE series, legislative advocacy to increase pay for indigent representation and eliminate the professional privilege tax, and the TBA book club, with the first book to be Beale Street Dynasty by Preston Lauterbach. Finally, Barry announced that the TBA would be traveling to Ireland in May 2024. Those interested in learning more about the trip can sign up here for updates. See photos from the event.

The flurry of opinions issued last week included one that bolstered the ability of employees to obtain accommodations at work for their religious practices, SCOTUSblog reports. The justices ruled unanimously in Groff v. Dejoy to revive a lawsuit by a Christian former mail carrier who accused the U.S. Postal Service of discrimination after being disciplined for refusing to work on Sundays. The case now goes back to the lower court for additional proceedings.

Camden lawyer John W. Whitworth has been named chair of the Tennessee Bar Foundation. He was installed as the 42nd chair at the foundation’s annual membership meeting. Whitworth first joined the foundation board in 2017 as a West Tennessee trustee. He previously served a three-year term as a member of the Grant Review Committee. Whitworth, a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, focuses his practice on real estate, probate, estate planning and insurance defense. He also serves as judge of Benton County’s General Sessions and Juvenile Courts, and a member of the executive committee of the Tennessee Council for Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He will serve until June 2024. Read more in a release from the foundation.