The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on June 10 approved more than $50 million in funding to support 39 recovery projects in Tennessee communities affected by Tropical Storm Helene and past disasters. Notable recovery projects FEMA will fund include $20.2 million to Tennessee Emergency Management Agency for emergency protective measures and debris removal efforts following Helene and April 2025 severe storms, and $8.9 million to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for the removal of more than 107,000 cubic yards of construction and demolition debris and 17,000 cubic yards of vegetative debris generated by Helene. Read more in a press release.

Memphis attorney Charlotte Knight Griffin was sworn in today as the 146th president of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA). The oath of office was administered by former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page during the TBA’s Annual Lawyers Luncheon. Knight Griffin began her career in private practice in Memphis after earning her law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law. She joined Memphis Light, Gas and Water as a staff attorney in 1978 and was named the manager of legal services in 2000. She retired in April 2023 after 45 years of service. Knight Griffin has been active in the TBA for many years, most recently serving as president-elect, vice president, speaker of the House of Delegates and a member of the Board of Governors. She has been involved in legal organizations at the local, state and national levels and is a fellow in the Tennessee, Memphis and American bar foundations. Read more about her career in this press release.

During remarks following the swearing in, Knight Griffin spoke of her Memphis roots and pride in a profession that opens the doors of justice for all. During her year in office, Knight Griffin said she will focus on public education and access to justice initiatives, specifically increasing the involvement of senior and retired lawyers in pro bono representation. She also encouraged local bar associations, legal aid groups and courts to work with TBA to expand the state’s existing Pro Bono Emeritus Attorney Program. Finally, she announced a CLE Abroad trip to Sicily in April 2027. Several awards also were presented during the luncheon, and multiple lawyers were honored for their service to the TBA and the legal profession. Missed the luncheon? Watch it on TBA's YouTube channel.

Other events held today included the TBA Board of Governor's first meeting of the 2026-2027 bar year, the 2026 Leadership Law class' final program, the Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Annual Meeting and two final CLE programs on wellness and time management. The Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (TLAW) also held its Annual Meeting and the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) concluded its meetings of the week. The YLD will continue its meetings tomorrow, beginning with a wellness walk open to all at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

Members of the Tennessee legal community met for the second day of the TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville today. The morning began with a Public Service Awards Breakfast featuring presentation of the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award to Nashville attorney Garrah Carter-Mason, the Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year to Jennifer Egelston with Legal Aid of East Tennessee, the Law Student of the Year Award to recent Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law graduate Sierra Sidoti, and the 2026 CASA Volunteer of the Year to Tracy Farmer with CASA of Williamson County. Tech-focused CLEs filled the programming portions of the morning followed by three Lunch & Learn sessions and the first-ever Tech Showcase. TBA's Leadership Law program kicked off its final programming of the bar year with class members hearing from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight Tarwater and Memphis lawyer and former TBA President Buck Lewis. The afternoon wrapped up with two favorite programs: the 2026 Legislative Update and a joint program with Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL). The day concluded with a reception at the new Smokies Stadium in downtown Knoxville. See pictures from today's events.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Exploration CLEs received rave reviews last year — including, "it was the single greatest CLE I've ever been to," "insightful" and "very original idea." Now make plans to join colleagues for the fourth Exploration CLE at Long Hunter State Park in Nashville on Sept. 25. Take the day to experience the magnificence of one of Tennessee's state parks while earning three hours of CLE credit. The day will include lunch and a ranger-led hike. More information and speakers will be announced soon.

The 2026 TBA Annual Convention kicked off today at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Knoxville with a meeting of the TBA House of Delegates, followed by a welcome reception and group dinners for attendees. On-site registrations are still available — including tickets for tomorrow's Tech Showcase — at the TBA Registration Desk on the Mezzanine level of the hotel. A full schedule of convention events and CLE programming is available on the TBA website.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law (Winston Law) has selected the inaugural Frank Winston Public Interest and Business Law Fellows. Winston Law’s signature scholarship program is designed to attract exceptional students committed to serving the public good in the areas of public interest law and business law. Made possible through a transformational gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, fellows receive full tuition and fees, a generous annual stipend, summer internship funding, faculty mentorship, research opportunities, personalized career advising and access to a variety of academic professional development programming. “The Winston Fellows program is modeled after other notable, longstanding scholarship programs such as Emory’s Robert W. Woodruff Scholars and Fellows Program and NYU’s Root-Tilden-Kern Scholars Program,” noted Winston Law Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. Read more in a press release from the law school.

New lawyers were welcomed to the legal profession at swearing ceremonies in Knoxville, Nashville, Memphis and Jackson. Representatives from the TBA and local bar associations were on hand to congratulate the new admittees, who passed the February bar exam. See photos from the events.

Cosby resident Sheila Grooms McMahan has announced her candidacy for Tennessee state representative in District 11. Newport Plain Talk reports that her campaign will focus on preserving the traditions and way of life that define East Tennessee while addressing the pressures facing rural families. McMahan has voiced strong opposition to private school voucher programs, arguing they divert critical funding from public schools and fail to benefit average families. She also said she will focus on property tax reform, the rising costs of utilities and everyday essentials, economic development, and reducing unnecessary government spending while prioritizing core services such as infrastructure, education and health care.

Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County General Sessions Court has announced the hiring of its first court social worker, Laura Frazier, a move court leaders say will help connect individuals with critical services while navigating legal proceedings. Fox17 reports that Frazier's responsibilities include helping connect individuals with resources such as housing assistance, food programs, health care, mental health services, employment support and other community-based services. Presiding Judge Robin Kimbrough Hayes said in a statement, "Social workers bring vital human context to the adversarial court system. ... By bridging the gap between legal proceedings and human needs, they advocate for clients, provide holistic assessments, and guide vulnerable individuals through the complexities of the justice system." Frazier previously worked with Nashville's Shelter Court, where she helped people experiencing homelessness access services and community programs.

OpenAI has hired Ironclad co-founder and former CEO Jason Boehmig to lead a new legal vertical, marking the AI company's direct entry into the market for legal-specific tools. Boehmig, a former corporate attorney who co-founded contract management platform Ironclad in 2014 and recently transitioned to executive chairman there, said he sees the legal industry as more dynamic than ever as firms, in-house teams and law schools all grapple with generative AI. The move follows similar pushes into legal tech by Anthropic, which launched a suite of legal plug-ins for Claude earlier this year, and Microsoft, which released an AI legal agent within Word in April. Law.com has more on the story.