Linda Ruth Sloan Fizer died Feb. 7 after a brief illness. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Austin Peay State University and her law degree from Nashville School of Law. In 1980, Fizer opened her own law practice and became the first woman to open a private practice law firm in Cheatham County. In 1998, she moved her law office from Ashland City to Springfield. She initiated and served on the first governing board of Leadership Cheatham County and initiated and served on the first board of the Cheatham County Education Foundation. A visitation with the family was held Feb. 12. Memorial contributions may be sent to either Hospice Promise Foundation or Walden’s Puddle. Donations also may be sent in care of the Robertson County Funeral Home, 2201 Memorial Blvd., Springfield, TN 37172 for distribution.

Join the TBA and President Ed Lanquist Jr. in traveling north to Louisville, Kentucky, for a unique CLE experience! Urban Bourbon includes four hours of dynamic CLE programming with special guest speakers Brian Haara (author of "Bourbon Justice: How Whiskey Law Shaped America"), Davidson County Chancellor Anne Martin and Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge W. Neal McBrayer, a welcome dinner at PROOF on Main and a tour and tastings at some of the most popular bourbon distilleries in the city. Urban Bourbon will take place April 4-5 in downtown Louisville. Programming will be held at the offices of the Louisville Bar Association, which is within walking distance of the host hotel. Get more information and register here.

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) says that nearly 100 children in state custody spent the night in DCS offices in 2024, despite the agency's two-year effort to shift kids into transitional homes. According to the Tennessean, DCS says the issue stems from a growing number of children with severe behavioral or medical needs who cannot safely be placed in temporary, transitional homes. The state's most severe DCS cases are largely concentrated in the Tennessee Valley region, which includes Hamilton, Bradley and Rhea counties, though it is not clear what is driving the influx, officials say.

Judge Jeremy Ball was appointed 4th Judicial District Circuit Court judge by Gov. Bill Lee on Jan. 17. The court covers Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. He was sworn into office on Jan. 21, with his daughter, Dana, leading the Pledge of Allegiance. By day two on the bench, Ball was presiding over the drug recovery court where he spent many years prosecuting cases as an assistant district attorney (ADA). “I was primarily based in Jefferson County, so really getting more knowledge about the other people in those districts, particularly on the civil side, because I had always been an ADA. It’s been fun to meet people that I haven’t dealt with on a day-to-day basis yet.” Read more in a profile of Ball from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Four inmates at the Shelby County Jail died in a seven day span from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7. The Commercial Appeal reports that two of the deaths were from suicide and an apparent fentanyl overdose, though how the fentanyl got into the jail is unclear. The other two deaths are being investigated. According to the Daily Memphian, State Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, and state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, have proposed a bill allowing Shelby County to ask voters if they want to raise the local-option sales tax from 2.75% to 3.75% to help fund a new jail. If the bill clears the Tennessee General Assembly, voters would still have to pass the sales tax hike through a referendum. The jail has faced much criticism over the past several years regarding conditions ranging from broken doors and inadequate living conditions in intake to lack of beds and overcrowded holding cells. Commissioners approved $10 million in emergency repairs funding in September.

Federal agents on Monday removed a group of workers from Memphis taco truck TacoNGanas. Video footage shows four men in hoodies enter the food truck and usher employees outside. In a social media post, TacoNGanas wrote that it was not aware of what prompted the incident. “We have heard from the employees. They’ve been told they’re being detained by ICE,” the post reads. “We don’t know if the men you see in the video work for ICE or for someone else. You’ll see they have no uniforms, do not show any badge or ID, and did not leave any identifying information or paperwork.” The city of Memphis released a statement, saying, "Although these matters don’t fall under our jurisdiction, we reached out to federal authorities out of concern. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) confirmed that this action was carried out by federal agents." The Daily Memphian has the story.

In his seventh State of the State Address, Gov. Bill Lee unveiled a $59.5 billion budget proposal Monday that focuses on core government services including education, public safety, infrastructure upgrades, farmland grants, nuclear energy and increased investments in trade schools. Axios reports the breakdown includes $37.9 million for the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which would cover 100 new state troopers; $3.4 million in funding for 22 new positions at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; $1 billion to the Tennessee Department of Transportation; and $275 million for a newly created emergency operations center. According to the Nashville Banner, in addition to the $145 million for his private school voucher program, Lee’s budget proposal includes more than $580 million in public school investments, including both one-time teacher bonuses and teacher pay increases promised during the special session. See a detailed breakdown of the proposed budget.

Members of the 2025 TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) class gathered last weekend in Nashville for the program's opening retreat. The event featured sessions providing an introduction to the program and the chance to hear from some of Tennessee’s top leaders. Speakers included TBA President-elect Heidi Barcus, Abby Rubenfeld, Byron Trauger, DarKenya W. Waller, Deb Varallo, Donna Yurdin, Emily Heird, Emily Landry and Maureen Holland. The class also heard from a range of judicial leaders including U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Kevin Ritz, Tennessee Court of Appeals Judges Kristi Davis and Jeffrey Usman, Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Joel Wallace, General Sessions Court Judge Danielle Mitchell and Judicial Commissioner Christopher Ingram. View pictures from the event. TBALL strives to equip participants with the vision, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leaders. Learn more about the program.

Several Black History Month programs will take place in Nashville in the coming weeks. On Feb. 14, join Tennessee State University’s College of Liberal Arts and the Metropolitan Historical Commission for the 44th Annual Nashville Conference on African American History and Culture (NCAAHC), a dynamic celebration of African Americans' contributions to Nashville and Tennessee history. On Feb. 19, Vanderbilt University will present The History of Communities from North Africa: Sudanese, Egyptians, Tunisians, Moroccans, Libyans and Algerians. Speakers include Vanderbilt Law School professor Samar Ali. The Nashville Public Library also is hosting a number of programs, including the National African-American Read-In on Feb. 18, the Black Lift Poetry Festival; Write with Pride on Feb. 22, and on demand programs about the legacy of civil rights lawyer Z. Alexander Looby and the history of black Nashville. Finally, the Tennessee State Museum has a number of events planned.

Belmont University College of Law has been named one of 10 finalists in Bloomberg Law’s third annual Law School Innovation Program, exemplifying a holistic approach to legal education. Belmont Law’s Extended Enneagram Training was selected from more than 30 program applications and was the only program chosen in Tennessee. Bloomberg Law focused on career resilience for its 2024-2025 program, asking law schools what they are doing to counteract burnout and build fortitude for a fulfilling, long-term legal career. Intentionally designed by Deborah Farringer, associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of law, and Kristi Arth, assistant dean for experiential learning and assistant professor of law, the Extended Enneagram Training falls into the well-being finalist category. Read more in a release from the law school.