The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law advocacy teams finished the spring semester with national and regional victories in moot court, mock trial and transactional law. Virginia Pirkle, Taylor Roswall and Alyssa Ward — all 2025 law graduates — won the national championship at the 2025 L. Edward Bryant, Jr. National Health Law Transactional Competition at Loyola University School of Law. Competing against 20 schools from across the country, the team secured first place in what is widely regarded as the nation’s premier transactional health law competition. In addition, law students Jordyn Dickey, Elizabeth Landin, Jhed Manalo and Tyrese Perry earned second place honors in the 2025 Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition and 2025 graduate Kameron Johnson and current student Jaleigh Rogan finished second in the 2025 Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition. Both competitions were hosted by the Southern Region of the Black Law Students Association. Finally Joshua Rojas, a 2025 graduate, was named champion of Baylor Law School’s The Closer, one of the nation’s most rigorous transactional law competitions. Read more and see photos in this press release from the law school.

On June 30, Judge Mike Spitzer retired from the 32nd Judicial District Circuit Court. Spitzer joined the bench in 2018, when the 21st Judicial District — which at the time included Hickman, Lewis, Perry and Williamson counties — created a new judicial position to help with the caseload due to Williamson county's rapid growth. In 2022, for the first time in 45 years, a new district was created, and Hickman, Lewis and Perry counties became the 32nd Judicial District, which Spitzer was elected to serve. Spitzer says what he has enjoyed most about his judicial career is finding ways to help people. “There was a guy who came up and said, ‘Judge Spitzer’ and gave me a hug. He said, ‘I’m here because of you.’ He went through our drug court program. Things like that are very helpful in making you feel good about what you do.” Read more about Spitzer's career in this profile from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Lawyers now have more free resources to share with clients who are incarcerated in Middle Tennessee area prisons. The Family Reconciliation Center (FRC), a nonprofit hospitality house, provides overnight stays for friends and loved ones visiting incarcerated individuals from out of town. FRC also offers an online guide to help navigate the sometimes-complicated visitation system. Supported through the generosity of individuals, faith communities and foundations (including a recent grant from the Tennessee Bar Foundation), FRC ensures that visitors can stay in a comfortable and safe environment. Founded in 1984, FRC is the only organization in Tennessee providing free lodging of this type, and one of just a few similar facilities in the country.

Recorded at TBA's Annual Convention in June, Russell Fowler, with Legal Aid of East Tennessee and "History's Verdict" columnist for the Tennessee Bar Journal, will take participants through an entertaining presentation to countdown the landmark court cases that shaped Tennessee’s legal landscape. Tune in July 31 at noon CDT and earn 0.75 hours of general credit. Register here. Can't make that time? The program also is available on demand.

U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Massachusetts today issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Trump administration's attempt to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to undocumented or temporary immigrants, marking the third such ruling since a recent Supreme Court decision limited nationwide injunctions. Reuters reports that the judge ruled the executive order unconstitutional and rejected arguments for a narrower injunction, citing the burden it would place on states and the lack of clarity from the administration. The issue is expected to be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court, but for now, the order remains blocked nationwide.

The Nashville Bar Association (NBA) on Wednesday released the results of a member poll for applicants being considered to fill the 20th Judicial District, Davidson County, Criminal Court Vacancy that was created by the retirement of Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn. Members were given the names of applicants who are being considered for the position as of July 14, through an online survey ballot, and 289 responses were received by the deadline of July 22. All attorney bar members are polled, and the results are reported as raw ballot results with no attempt to extrapolate results. Download the poll results here.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire on July 18 announced that the U.S. has reached an agreement with Knights Inn Nashville to resolve allegations the hotel violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The hotel is alleged to have refused to allow a family with a service animal to stay because it was against hotel policy. As part of the settlement, the hotel has agreed to post a large sign in a conspicuous area accessible by the public that reads “Service Animals Welcome.” The owner of the hotel also will establish and implement a written policy specifically addressing the provision of services to individuals with disabilities who require a service animal for all hotels that he owns, and will provide ADA training to all hotel staff who have contact with guests. Read more.

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) reportedly has dismissed an ethics complaint against Nashville attorney Cynthia Sherwood, who represents former House Speaker Glen Casada’s ex-chief of staff, Cade Cothren. The complaint, filed by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, alleged misconduct after a private investigator working for Sherwood visited the home of Bill Young, the registry’s executive director. Sherwood, who called the complaint "frivolous," provided the Tennessee Lookout with a copy of the BPR's confidential letter. The BPR has not made the decision public, pending an opinion from the Attorney General’s Office. Resolution of the complaint comes as Cothren and Casada, both convicted of federal bribery charges, are seeking new trials. In addition, the registery said it would revive a 2020 request for a criminal investigation into Cothren and the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC based on new evidence from the trials.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawyers agreed to keep Abrego Garcia in U.S. custody in Tennessee for 30 days if the court denies the government's motion to revoke his bond, again delaying his transfer to immigration authorities. Fox 17 News reports that Abrego Garcia's lawyers requested the delay to assess legal options amid potential deportation. The government did not oppose, noting it would not impact trial preparations or the current January 2026 trial date.

The Trump administration on Monday released over 240,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr., despite opposition from his family and civil rights groups who called for empathy and historical context in reviewing them. King’s two living children, Martin III and Bernice, reiterated in a statement their belief that James Earl Ray was not solely responsible for their father's assassination and emphasized the FBI’s efforts under J. Edgar Hoover to discredit King and the Civil Rights Movement. While the release was framed by officials as a step toward transparency, critics — including civil rights leaders — view it as a political distraction. The files, which were intended to be sealed until 2027 and were unsealed early by court order, are expected to offer researchers new material, though it remains unclear whether they will shed significant new light on King’s life, work or death. The Associated Press has the story.