U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges can no longer avoid disclosing the value of travel-related gifts they receive by classifying such free trips as "reimbursements" on their financial disclosure forms under new regulations now in effect, reports Reuters. The new policy, approved by the federal judiciary's Financial Disclosure Committee in January and announced last Friday, took effect on March 13. Officials said the disclosure policies were updated "to reflect past statutory changes more clearly and help ensure complete reporting of gifts and reimbursements consistent with statutory requirements."

Williamson County resident Kiran Sreepada recently confirmed he will run for the Democratic nomination to challenge 5th District U.S. Rep. and Republican Andy Ogles, reports the Tennessee Lookout. Sreepada, a political and public policy professional who ran against U.S. Rep. Mark Green in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in 2020, is the first Democrat to announce a challenge to Ogles. According to the Tennessean, two other Democrats are considering a primary run. They are Nashville advocate and Metro Human Relations Commission Chair Maryam Abolfazli and Metro Council member Courtney Johnson. Two others have filed paperwork to run in the Republican primary. They are singer-songwriter Stokes Nielson and Brentwood cybersecurity expert Thomas “Tom” Guarente.

The Tennessee House of Representatives last week advanced HB2124/SB2576, which would require law enforcement agencies in the state to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the the country without documentation. It also would broadly mandate cooperation in the process of identifying, catching, detaining and deporting these individuals, the Associated Press reports. The bill is now pending in the Senate, where the State and Local Government Committee advanced it to the Calendar Committee. Opponents of the bill say that the "way it’s written, the bill could raise legal confusion and worsen tensions between law enforcement and immigrant communities by making local officers de-facto immigration agents."

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims announced that beginning March 25, all mediations in cases pending before the court will conclude with the issuance of a dispute certification notice. The court explains that issuance of a dispute certification notice will allow for entry of the case into TNComp, the court's electronic court management system, and ensure that a judge shepherds every case to conclusion. Read more about the change in a post from Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer on the court's blog.

The Chattanooga chapter of the Federalist Society will host a discussion with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on April 18 at 11:30 a.m. EDT. The free event will take place at the offices of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC, 605 Chestnut St., Ste. 1700, Chattanooga 37450. View the flier for more information.

Join your colleagues on April 5 for this year's TBA Intellectual Property Law Forum! Evolving technology, trends and other disrupters, like artificial intelligence (AI), continuously blur lines between long-standing intellectual property (IP) doctrines and future applications of the law. Attorneys are challenged to stay on top of the incessant cycle of new problems, issues and strategies for IP protection and enforcement that result from these disruptors. Forum attendees will learn about the latest on AI and copyright, AI and patent law and practice, IP issues within the alcohol world, and the intersection between IP and street art. Read about the presenters and register.

The second annual Raising the Bar series, produced by TBA's Women in the Profession Committee, centered on the theme of "Advocating for Each Other and Ourselves." All eight sessions are now available online as webcasts. Learn from attorneys across the state as they discuss the roadblocks that diverse women lawyers face, how to effectively advocate for raises and project assignments, how to maintain a solid work-life balance, recent rule changes and new laws affecting women attorneys.

Frederick Agee, district attorney for Tennessee’s 28th Judicial District and who is prosecuting Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9 Judge Melissa Boyd’s criminal case, said Thursday he would file an amended motion to revoke Boyd’s bond after she tested positive for cocaine and alcohol on March 12. According to the Daily Memphian, Boyd has been out of custody on a $5,000 bond since Dec. 13, 2023. If her bond were revoked, she would be held in custody until trial, which is set to start on April 24. Agee’s office had previously moved to revoke Boyd’s bond after she tested positive for marijuana on Jan. 3.

The U.S. Supreme Court today set a new standard for determining if public officials acted in a governmental capacity when blocking critics on social media — a test to be applied in lawsuits accusing them of violating the Constitution's First Amendment. Reuters reports that the justices, in a pair of unanimous rulings, threw out decisions by lower courts in cases from California and Michigan involving lawsuits brought by people who were blocked after posting criticisms on the social media accounts of local officials. The justices directed the lower courts to revisit the cases based on the new standard. First Amendment protections for free speech generally constrain government actors, not private individuals. Under the new test, officials are considered engaging in governmental action if they had "actual authority to speak on behalf of the state on a particular matter" and "purported to exercise that authority in the relevant posts."

Diversity Law Week high school students in Memphis today observed a motion docket in Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Gina C. Higgins' courtroom. Afterwards, they were able to discuss what they observed with the judge and ask questions about her life and career. Thanks to Judge Higgins and YLD President Quinton Thompson for leading today's activities.