Members of the 2026 TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) class gathered last weekend at Montgomery Bell State Park for an opening retreat. Programming included a TBALL Experiences panel with program alumni Cameron Hoffmeyer, Chris Ingram, Courtney Leyes and Martin Trimiew; a presentation on the history of TBALL and the Wilks Award with John Wilks and John Tarpley; and presentations by TBA President Heidi Barcus, Donna Yurdin with Credo Management Consulting, Nashville School of Law Dean Bill Koch, Deb Varallo with Varallo Public Relations, Brandon Gibson with Gov. Bill Lee's Office, Deputy Mayor & Director of HR for Madison County Terica Smith, and Nashville lawyer Randy Kinnard. The class also completed a leadership activity with Adventure Works and attended a session with PR expert Beth Wilson, which focused on building and maintaining an executive presence through confidence, communication, credibility, connection and composure. TBALL strives to equip participants with the vision, knowledge and skills necessary to serve as leaders. See photos from the event.

Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea Myles on Friday granted a temporary injunction in a lawsuit seeking greater access and transparency to executions in Tennessee. The Nashville Banner, which is one of the plaintiffs in the suit, reports that Myles ordered the following two changes in the state's lethal injection protocol. First, one hour prior to the entry of witnesses, all members of the execution team will put on PPE suits covering their identification badges and hair. They will also be offered a mask to further conceal their identities if they want. Second, official witnesses shall be moved to the witness room no later than 9:45 a.m., and the curtains to the execution chamber will be opened no later than 10 a.m. and remain open until the pronouncement of death. Myles ordered similar changes to the electrocution protocol. The decision comes after the state executed Byron Black on Aug. 5, 2025, and his lawyers said he had been "tortured." Attorneys for Christa Pike, scheduled to be executed on Sept. 30, also have challenged the protocol. A hearing on the state’s motion to dismiss that suit is set for Feb. 13.

Shelby County District Attorney (DA) Steve Mulroy last week said that Andrew Hayes, who was found guilty of murder in 2010, was wrongfully convicted. The Daily Memphian reports that Hayes was convicted partly because he confessed to the killing, but Mulroy's office now believes that confession to be false. "If the wrong person is behind bars, then the right person is out there somewhere, and we need to hold them accountable," Mulroy said. "This case I believe is a good example of that third reason for having a unit like the Justice Review Unit. Thanks to their work, we are both assisting and righting a wrong against Mr. Hayes but also bringing the right person to justice." The review unit has closed 533 cases, five of which have led to overturned convictions. It has 110 open cases, two of which are awaiting judicial decisions.

Nashville attorney John Randolph "Randy" Bibb Jr. died Jan. 9 after a brief illness. Bibb earned his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University and his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. Bibb joined the Nashville office of Lewis Thomason in 2009 and played an integral role in the firm’s growth and success. He served as co-leader of the firm’s Products Liability Practice Group for more than 10 years. A funeral mass was held at the Cathedral of the Incarnation with burial following at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Dominican Campus, Attn: Development, 4210 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205.

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville is hosting a free legal clinic for artists and creatives on Feb. 4 from 6-8 p.m. CST at Belmont University College of Law. The clinic offers one-on-one 30-minute consultations with volunteer attorneys for income-qualified creatives across Tennessee. Volunteer attorneys can expect questions on contracts & licensing, copyright, business formation and nonprofit governance. Email vlpa@abcnashville.org for more information or to volunteer. Those interested in legal services should register online by Jan. 30.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard arguments from Idaho and West Virginia on decisions by lower courts finding that laws banning transgender students from participating on sports teams that align with their preferred gender violate the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-discrimination law. Twenty-five other states, including Tennessee, have similar laws on the books. Reuters reports that the challengers argued that the Idaho and West Virginia measures discriminate based on an individual's sex or status as a transgender person in violation of the Constitution's 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection under the law, as well as Title IX, which bars discrimination in education "on the basis of sex." Defenders of the bans said they are valid regardless of individual circumstances, and that physical advantages remain for trans women athletes despite medical treatments, making their participation in women's sports unfair.

Nashville is launching a Community Safety Task Force that will focus on gun violence and other crime, though officials want to go beyond police patrols and arrests to address issues such as mental health resources. Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews will co-chair the 29-member committee selected by Mayor Freddie O'Connell. According to WSMV, Matthews said the task force will bring Metro agencies and nonprofit leaders together to work towards a common goal of improving safety. “How can we do that in a very strategic, coordinated way to where we don’t have agencies or different groups working in silos,” Matthews asked. Answering his own question, he said, “Make sure that the entire city, the entire county feels like it has the resources, the programs and the individuals necessary to keep those communities safe.” The task force will hold its first meeting Jan. 15, from 4-6 p.m. CST at the Lentz Public Health Center, 2500 Charlotte Ave., Nashville 37209.

Longtime Oracle Corp. executive Rick Ewing will run on the Democratic ticket to represent state House District 59, the South Nashville seat being vacated by fellow Democrat Caleb Hemmer. In an interview with the Nashville Business Journal, Ewing said he wants to run as "an extension of the community work I've already been doing, that already excites me. In my family, that's just sort of what is asked and demand of you, and has been for generations. ... I like talking to people about what Nashville needs, what the state needs." Ewing is a manager of customer success for Oracle's health sciences clients. He joins retired state Highway Patrol Lt. Col. Mark Proctor in the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, Bill Hancock, an accounts executive with health care company Clinisys Inc. and an affiliate broker with Benchmark Realty, has indicated his intent to run.

A bipartisan funding deal would provide $9.2 billion for the federal judiciary in Fiscal Year 2026, boosting spending on court security and federal public defenders despite falling short of the judiciary’s overall request. Reuters reports that the bill fully funds requested increases for security, including $892 million for courthouse protection — a 19% increase — as judges face rising threats nationwide. It also provides $1.766 billion for defender services, a 22% increase aimed at easing a funding crisis that previously left thousands of court-appointed attorneys unpaid. Lawmakers say the funding is essential to address security risks, staffing shortages and constitutional obligations to provide legal counsel. The federal judiciary has been working to increase security for its personnel. In March 2025, it launched the Judicial Security and Independence Task Force and continues to operate the Vulnerability Management Program to protect judges’ personal information, among other measures.

Troy Lee Bowlin II, an attorney in Knox County, was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 14. Bowlin was hired by a Virginia resident for a potential dispute in Virginia though he is not licensed to practice law in Virginia. The court found that Bowlin failed to respond to inquiries from the client, and a few months later, his office prepared a pro se pleading for the client to file in Virginia. He also was found to have called opposing counsel to ask for a continuance, and gave the client advice about the Virginia filing. The court determined that these actions violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16 and 5.5.