Belmont University’s College of Law successfully piloted a new Conflict Resolution Clinic embedded at the Nashville Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) during the 2026 spring semester. Highly requested by students, the new offering builds on the school's experiential learning curriculum and introductory foundation in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) course. The Conflict Resolution Clinic focuses on mediation in a hybrid clinic model sited at NCRC, a Nashville nonprofit that provides resources for court-ordered mediation in civil, family and domestic violence cases. Read more in a press release from the law school.

For the third consecutive year, Harriman High School has been recognized with the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award, which recognizes public, charter, private and homeschool associations schools that register 100% of eligible students to vote. “The hard work displayed by Harriman High students and faculty continues to impress the community and the state,” said Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. “To achieve Gold Level status for the third time in a row is a tremendous achievement.” Read more in a press release from Hargett's office.

The Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (TLAW) will host its annual meeting and breakfast on June 12 from 7:30-8:45 a.m. EDT during the TBA's Annual Convention in Knoxville. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby will deliver the keynote address on "Justice. Leadership. Grace." TBA Convention registration does not include the TLAW Annual Meeting and breakfast. Tickets are $38 and can be purchased at www.tlaw.org. Attendance without breakfast is free, but registration is required. View a flyer for the event.

Tony Carruthers' execution was halted at the last minute after the contracted doctor failed to establish a viable IV line for the lethal injection. Unable to find a suitable vein, the doctor attempted to place a central line as required by protocol, but was not qualified to do so — and the attempt failed. An emergency filing was made to the Tennessee Supreme Court, after which Gov. Bill Lee issued a one-year reprieve. According to the Nashville Banner, Carruthers' ACLU attorney called it a "botched execution," saying her client had been "tortured" during the failed attempts to find a vein. Read more in a press release from the Middle Tennessee Federal Public Defender's Office about the failed execution. In a press release issued on Tuesday, the defender's office stated that the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) was refusing to confirm that they would not use expired lethal injection drugs to execute Carruthers. Tennessee’s 2025 Lethal Injection Protocol does not expressly forbid the state from using expired drugs in an execution. Rather, it imposes a system of regular and pre-execution inventories and requires appropriate disposal only if expired drugs are revealed during one such inventory. The Banner and The Associated Press report on the developments.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday issued an opinion ordering the release of documents sealed in connection with a criminal case. In April 2024, three documents — a motion to disqualify and two supporting documents — filed in a Davidson County criminal proceeding were sealed. After learning about the existence of the sealed documents, the Nashville Banner sought to have the documents unsealed. The criminal court denied the newspaper’s motion and a panel of the Court of Criminal Appeals agreed. The Banner then appealed to the Tennessee Supreme Court. That court upheld the paper's right to appellate review and, after reviewing the legal standards for sealing documents filed in connection with a judicial disqualification, determined there was no compelling interest to keep the records sealed. It thus ordered the documents be made available for public inspection. Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Justice Holly Kirby each filed separate opinions concurring in part and dissenting in part. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes has announced that he is dealing with a brain tumor. In a public Facebook post, he said he will undergo surgery and begin chemotherapy soon. Starnes says he and his family have been overwhelmed by the support they have received since news of his condition began circulating, reports News Channel 9. "I am going to fight this tumor to the best of my ability and return to work if healthy enough to do so," he wrote. "In any event, I want to thank the people of Hamilton County for allowing me to serve as a General Sessions Court Judge for nearly 14 years thus far — it has been the honor of a lifetime."

Belmont University College of Law recently announced that 2L Ryesa McGehee is this year’s winner in the law school's seventh annual Legal Fiction Workshop. “Routine and Habit” is a gritty story about one defense attorney’s willingness to follow her intuition wherever it may lead. McGehee's story is also eligible for the American Bar Association (ABA) Ross Essay Contest for Legal Short Fiction, which will be decided later this summer. The story was chosen by community reader Frank Toub, who said, "The author tells the all too familiar story of an attorney who, in going the extra mile for a client, oversteps to her own detriment." While a student at Belmont Law, Toub participated in the 2022 Legal Fiction Workshop and won the ABA's Ross Essay Contest.

For more than 30 years, musicians and music lovers have gathered in Nashville to honor the memory of blues legend Otha Turner. The 32nd Annual Ode to Otha takes place on May 30 from 2–9 p.m. CDT at 1711 Sweetbriar Ave. in Nashville. The annual block party, hosted by Womble Bond Dickinson attorney and partner Bill Ramsey, also serves as a fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. This year’s lineup includes performances by Stacy Mitchhart, The Otha Turner Boys Fife and Drum Band, Luther Dickinson and JD Simo, Juke Skywalker, Chip Greene and Blue Mother Tupelo. Get tickets in advance here.

Former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) prestigious Justice Frank F. Drowota III Award. Nashville attorney Barry Howard, who nominated Page for the award, praised Page’s substantial and enduring contributions to public service and the legal system. A dedicated advocate for access to justice, “he consistently supported legal aid organizations, speaking whenever called upon and championing initiatives to assist underserved communities,” Howard said. Page also played a key role during his time on the bench in advancing resources for indigent defense, including efforts to increase compensation for court-appointed counsel and the creation of an appellate division within the public defender’s office to alleviate systemic burdens. He also worked “to expand access for self-represented litigants by promoting the availability of user-friendly forms and ensuring that pro se parties were treated with fairness, patience and respect in his courtroom,” according to Howard.

In announcing this year’s recipient, TBA President Heidi Barcus said the association is honoring Page for his commitment to ensuring access to legal representation across the state. "The TBA is honored to recognize former Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page for his 40-plus years of service to the Tennessee legal community. Throughout his time on the bench, Page has been a strong advocate for access to justice, especially in Tennessee’s rural counties, and has always handled the cases before him with humility and fairness, embodying the spirit of former Justice Frank Drowota." The award will be presented at the annual Lawyers Luncheon set for June 12 as part of the association’s Annual Convention in Knoxville. Read more about Page in a press release from the TBA.

Three federal lawsuits challenging Tennessee's redrawn congressional map have been consolidated before Chief U.S. District Judge William Campbell Jr., who has denied one request to temporarily block the map and has yet to rule on two others. The Tennessee Lookout reports on the latest developments. The three suits were brought separately by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of Memphis voters, clergy and nonprofits; the NAACP Tennessee State Conference and League of Women Voters; and Democratic congressional candidates and voters. All three challenge a map enacted by the General Assembly that splits Memphis and Shelby County into three districts. The groups argue the map violates the 14th and 15th Amendments, disenfranchises voters, and set a dangerous precedent for mid-election redistricting. In related news, the Daily Memphian reports that the ACLU has filed a request with the court to allow a team of five national attorneys to argue the case. The state also has retained out-of-state lawyers, signing with the Virginia law firm Consovoy McCarthy. Two other cases will proceed separately: a state court case filed by the Tennessee NAACP and a federal suit filed in the Eastern District of Tennessee by a Chattanooga non-profit.