U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles' campaign finance reports have been under scrutiny and were the basis of an ethics complaint filed against him in January by the Campaign Legal Center, a campaign finance watchdog group. According to the Nashville Banner, Ogles amended nearly a dozen past campaign finance reports this week, acknowledging that a reported $320,000 personal loan he made to his campaign never happened and was a "pledge if needed." Axios Nashville reports that in April, Ogles filed a disclosure showing he had about $449,000 cash on hand, including the $320,000. On his amended form, the outstanding obligation was reduced to $20,000.

Nashville Metro Council on Tuesday voted 30-3 not to allow TC Restaurant Group to install signage for country singer Morgan Wallen's bar over a Metro right-of-way. The council cited Wallen’s reputation, past use of racial slurs and recent arrest for throwing a chair off a six-story building, nearly hitting police officers, as the reason for not approving the sign. The decision was not based on code violations or safety of the sign, which has sparked some First Amendment concerns among local experts. Ronald G. Harris, chief administrator at Neal & Harwell PLC, told the Nashville Business Journal, “When you get into the regulation of commercial speech, the government has a burden to show that there’s some substantial government interest in the regulation of commercial speech ... It’s not about the sign size or location, it’s regulating what’s on the sign itself. That’s always problematic for the government — you’re objecting to who the speaker is and what’s on the sign.”

May is Asian and Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month, recognizing the achievements of the Asian, Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian communities. On May 30 from 5-7 p.m. CDT, the Nashville Bar Association's (NBA) Diversity Committee will host a reception at Bass, Berry & Sims to celebrate the people, culture and businesses of Nashville’s API community. For more information, visit the NBA's website.

Join the TBA Government Affairs team of Berkley Schwarz, attorney and TBA lobbyist with Pier Strategies, and Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin, Adams and Reese attorneys and TBA lobbyists, as they walk you through the latest updates on legislation affecting Tennessee lawyers from the most recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly. The program will take place on June 13 from 2-3:30 p.m. CDT in the Venetian Room of the Peabody Hotel. Attendees can earn 1.5 general hours of CLE credit. Learn more about this and other CLE being offered at the annual Convention.

Two recent stories in TBA Today — one on May 7 and one on May 21 — incorrectly stated that the Shelby County Jail had failed two inspections over the last six years. The original source has now updated its reporting to note that the inspections found "deficiencies" not "failures" in the jail's operations. We have updated our reporting accordingly.

Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Duncan School of Law hosted its second annual moot court competition in honor of LMU Law alumnus Matthew B. Long last month. The annual competition serves as the tryout for rising second-year law students to become a member of the school's moot court team. Moot court accepts no more than 15 students each year based on their oral advocacy and legal writing skills. This year, 30 students participated in the competition. The winners were Halie Higgins of Erwin and Carly Ebersberger of Mount Juliet. Read more in a release.

A Knoxville woman arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of the University of Tennessee College of Law says her religious freedoms were violated by the Knox County Sheriff's Department, Knox News reports. According to Layla Soliz, officers forced her to remove her hijab for a booking photo and then posted a photo of her without the head covering, despite assurances that it would not be publicly viewable.

University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law third year student Ashlie Gozikowski recently won first place in the National Crime Victim Law Institute's 2024 Law Student Victims' Rights Writing Competition for her paper, "Scrutinizing Feres After Spletstoser: Military Sexual Assault Victims’ Continued Need for a Civil Remedy."

Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Camille R. McMullen gave the commencement address at her alma mater, the University of Tennessee Law School, on May 16, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). McMullen said her goal was to emphasize to graduates that the legal profession is one of the most important and impactful in the world. She told graduates, "You have the power to make a real difference in your client’s lives and — by extension — society. But to do so, you must remain genuinely engaged, passionate and committed to your work. When you feel apathy begin to set in, fight it. Your law degree has given you immense power to change the world, don’t waste it." McMullen says she believes it is important for judges to share their experience and wisdom with the next generation of lawyers. She was appointed to the court in 2008 by then-Gov. Phil Bredesen and elected presiding judge in 2023.

The Shelby County Commission on Monday approved emergency funding for repairs to cell doors at the Shelby County Jail. The Daily Memphian reports that more than 100 cell-door motors on the fourth floor of the jail are broken and 340 other cell doors on the third floor operate only manually. The jail was found to have "deficiencies" in two inspections over the last six years, with the broken locks being just one concern. Estimates indicate that a new facility would cost around $1 billion and take 10 years to complete.