A three-year legal battle over the new Memphis Art Museum was dismissed by Shelby County Chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson last week, with plaintiffs Friends for our Riverfront and heirs of the city's founders arguing the $180 million museum violated restrictions on how riverfront land should be used. The Daily Memphian reports that the lawsuit, filed in 2023, claimed the museum's construction conflicted with terms set by city founders in 1819 and 1820, which designated the land as a public promenade, and violated easement terms for a public Bluff Walk. The plaintiffs plan to appeal the ruling, while defendants — the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the City of Memphis — maintain the museum is consistent with the land's public purpose and that the current administration has the right to determine how the riverfront is used.

The Tennessee Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee passed the FAIR Rx Act (SB2040/HB1959) with bipartisan support on March 24. The bill would bar pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning the pharmacies they manage, targeting vertically integrated companies like CVS, which has threatened to close all 134 stores in the state if the bill becomes law. Relatedly, the Tennessee Journal reports that Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti is threatening to sue CVS for using customers' pharmacy data to run a political text campaign against the bill. Cost estimates are disputed, with state officials suggesting the bill could cost taxpayers up to $53 million annually, though legislative analysts argue pharmacies could restructure rather than close. The controversy is fueled by audits showing CVS's PBM arm, Caremark, routinely underpaid independent pharmacies and overcharged a federal employee health benefits program by more than $615 million. The Tennessean has more on the developments.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah K. Campbell will serve as the keynote speaker for the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law's Spring 2026 commencement ceremony on May 14. Campbell joined the court in February 2022. Prior to her appointment, she served in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office as associate solicitor general and special assistant to the attorney general. “We are honored to welcome Justice Campbell back to Rocky Top for this milestone event in our graduating students’ law school journey,” said Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. Campbell graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2004 and from Duke University School of Law in 2009. Read more in a press release from the law school.

The TBA YLD and Belmont Law need attorney volunteers for a wills clinic on April 11 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. CDT. This clinic will serve Rebuilding Nashville Together clients. Attorneys will assist with drafting simple wills, durable powers of attorney (POAs) and health care POAs for program participants. Belmont Law students will serve as witnesses. Please email ginny.blake@belmont.edu if you are interested in helping or would like more information.

Juvenile Court Magistrate Judge Mitzi H. Pollard has announced her candidacy for Shelby County Circuit Court Division 3. She received her law degree in 2001 from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Pollard was a sole practitioner for more than 12 years, focusing on mediation, juvenile and family law, and advocating for vulnerable children and working families. She was appointed magistrate judge by Judge Dan Michael in 2015 and reappointed in 2022 by Judge Tarik Sugarmon. Pollard says in a statement that throughout her legal career, she has "remained deeply committed to public service, professional excellence and the fair and impartial administration of justice. My candidacy is rooted in a desire to continue that service on the Circuit Court bench — ensuring that every litigant is treated with dignity, that the law is applied faithfully and that our courts remain accessible, efficient and trusted by the community." Learn more at www.pollardforjudge.com.

The inaugural Joint Georgia/Tennessee Construction Law Conference hosted by TBA's Construction Law Section is now available as a 1-Click package. The CLE sessions are for both Georgia and Tennessee construction attorneys, covering topics such as regional differences in construction law, a view from the bench session featuring judges and arbitrators, a case study session and more. The program offers 6.5 total CLE hours, including one dual hour. Access the individual programs or the 1-Click package.

Morristown attorney Aaron Chapman has announced his candidacy for the newly-vacant 3rd Judicial District Circuit Court seat resulting from Gov. Bill Lee’s appointment of William Phillips II to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Election Day is Aug. 6. (Due to timing of the vacancy, there will be no Republican primary this year.) Chapman says his focus will be continuing to ensure that the circuit court is future-ready, stating, “We must think ahead, think about each other and take our task seriously. Our court system plays a vital role in protecting our future. The work we do now will be seen well into the next century and beyond.” A graduate of the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law, Chapman is a member of the TBA's Board of Governors and a longtime delegate to TBA's House of Delegates. He is the founder of Lakeway Family Law in Morristown. Read more in a press release.

University of Tennessee (UT) Chancellor Donde Plowman fired Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology Tamar Shirinian in February over a Facebook post celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination. The action, just being reported now, cites reputational harm to the university and potential safety risks as justification for the termination. Shirinian had been suspended in October 2025 while the university pursued termination. She subsequently filed a lawsuit arguing the action amounted to viewpoint discrimination and political retaliation. In February, Shirinian expanded the suit to include top UT officials and board members in the complaint. She has requested an administrative appeal and is awaiting trial, which is scheduled for early 2027. Knox News has more on the story.

Williamson County leaders broke ground last week on a new juvenile justice center. WKRN reports that the new center will include six courtrooms, space to meet staff and filing demands, a secure juvenile detention center and an alternative learning center that will provide resources and programs for all county schools. According to Williamson County Juvenile Court, in 2019, juvenile services had an annual caseload of around 5,100 cases. They are projected to see 28,000 cases by 2044. The county anticipates opening the new center in 2028.

New Orleans-based law firm McGlinchey Stafford has filed for bankruptcy after announcing in January that it would close its Nashville office. According to the Nashville Post, the firm's statement of financial affairs reported $83.4 million in gross revenue in 2025, up slightly from $82.3 million in 2024. Relatedly, the firm had $15.5 million in assets and $13 million in total liabilities, which includes multiple individual wage claims. The 52-year-old firm also is involved in several ongoing legal cases nationwide, including two in which it is a named defendant.