Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has granted a German family in Morristown a reprieve from deportation for another year. The Romeike family moved to East Tennessee to homeschool their five children for religious reasons after being fined for doing so in Germany, reports the Tennessean. After pushback from the family's attorney Kevin Boden with the Home School Legal Defense Association and public outcry that included a bill being introduced in Congress, ICE in October 2023 delayed the family's deportation until October 2024. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement that the agency determined after a thorough review that the Romeike case "does not meet current enforcement priorities. Accordingly, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) has approved a one-year order of supervision for the Romeike family."

A federal judge in New York has blocked the pending $8.5 billion merger of Tapestry — which owns the brands Coach, Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman — and Capri, owner of the Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors and Versace brands. According to Reuters, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which sued to block the deal in April, argued the merger would eliminate fierce head-to-head competition between the top two U.S. handbag makers and create a massive company with the power to unfairly raise prices. The companies argued that "handbags are nonessential items whose price consumers can control by not buying them if they become too expensive," and that by consolidating the brands, they would have a stronger position in the competitive U.S. handbag industry as well as the European market.

Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, the TBA Young Lawyers Division and the Upper Cumberland Young Lawyers Association are partnering for a pro bono clinic on Nov. 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. CST. This walk-in clinic for general advice will take place during Overton County's Recovery Rally at the Joe L. Evins Community Center, 312 W. Broad St., Livingston 38570. View a flyer for the event. Contact Amber Vargas with any questions or to volunteer.

Shelby County Circuit Court Clerk Jamita Swearengen is requesting a 14% raise for her office staff from the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. Swearengen proposed that 6% of the raise be covered by the raise all county employees get in January while 8% would come from her own budget. The Daily Memphian reports that the commission deferred action on a plan to shift $215,693 in office revenues to pay the raises for 28 full-time employees and one temporary employee, and will discuss the matter further at its Nov. 13 committee sessions.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has transferred the law licenses of Gibson County lawyer Clifford Dwight Hawks and Knox County lawyer William Wright Petty to disability inactive status. Hawks and Petty may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed.

James Thomas “Tommy” Head, age 79 of Henrietta, died Oct. 19. Head was elected to represent District 68 in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1986 and served for nine terms. Current House Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, said, "During his 18 years of service in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Rep. Head was a solid steward of our state tax dollars through his service as vice chair of the Joint Fiscal Review Committee, chair of the House Budget Subcommittee and chair of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee. His exemplary service and dedication helped lay the foundation for Tennessee to be fiscally strong." Services were held Oct. 24. Memorial donations may be made to the Mt. Carmel Cemetery Fund, 425 Mt. Carmel Rd, Clarksville, TN 37043 or the Pat Summitt Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Ste. 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued an order allowing out-of-state lawyers to temporarily offer their services, free of charge, to residents affected by severe flooding in East Tennessee. The order follows a joint request from the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) and Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) asking the court to activate Rule 47 — which was first enacted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — to help those impacted by natural disasters. Lawyers who register may provide legal services in affected areas without seeking pro hac vice admission or paying an admission fee. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts. The state of North Carolina issued a similar order after Hurricane Helene, allowing Tennessee lawyers to provide pro bono services to storm survivors there.

Judge Kimberly Lund was recently appointed to the 19th Judicial District Chancery Court which serves Robertson and Montgomery counties. In this new role, she will work in the county where she lives, which she has not done previously in her legal career. "I’m excited to work in the county where I live. I haven’t had that experience, so I’m looking forward to serving those folks." Prior to the appointment, Lund served as an assistant district attorney for the 19th Judicial District. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Lang Wiseman in November will join Memphis-based First Horizon from Baker Donelson's Memphis office. Law.com reports that Wiseman will come onboard as deputy general counsel and then transition to general counsel in January, on the retirement of current General Counsel Charles Tuggle. Wiseman served as deputy governor and general counsel to Gov. Bill Lee for three years. He previously was a founding partner of Wiseman Bray, counsel to the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and a law clerk for Harry W. Wellford of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. He currently serves as chair of the Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments. Read more in a release from the company.

Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway is urging parents to talk to their children about the seriousness of school threats. WKRN reports that dozens of teens have been arrested for threatening Metro Nashville schools just since school started. “They absolutely don’t understand what they’re doing,” Calloway said in an interview with the news outlet. “They don’t understand how serious that can be. They’re not really thinking about all of the trauma our community has suffered from true school violence.” She said that when teens are in her courtroom, she has heard myriad reasons why students make threats. “It’s anything from ‘I was being bullied and didn’t know how to respond,' to 'I didn’t want to take a test’, ‘I wasn’t ready for my homework’, or ‘I was not wanting to go to school today.'”