The director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the chair of the judiciary’s budget committee recently wrote a letter to leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee to express “significant concerns” about the judiciary’s ability to keep courthouses safe under current resource levels, reports Bloomberg News. The letter notes that the judiciary’s court security budget has been flat for two consecutive fiscal years and that another year at the same level will cause “further reductions to courthouse security” — including to equipment used to restrict certain areas and screen individuals entering courthouses — at a time when threats against federal judges and courthouses are escalating. A report from Reuters found that the families of at least 11 federal judges also have faced threats of violence or harassment. The Trump administration’s choice to lead the U.S. Marshals said in his confirmation hearing that judicial security is his top priority and pledged to seek more resources to protect judges, if needed.

Nashville School of Law (NSL) Dean William C. Koch Jr. announced Nashville attorney Marlene Eskind Moses as a new member of the NSL Board of Trust. Moses is a partner in the family law section at Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin (GSRM Law) where she specializes in family law litigation, mediation, arbitration and collaborative law. Moses has been a staunch advocate of NSL since she graduated in 1980. “I am thrilled to be a board member at the Nashville School of Law," Moses said. "I owe the school a lot in terms of how it has propelled my life both professionally and personally." Koch stated, "Marlene’s national and international leadership in the field of family law demonstrates that NSL’s law degree enables our graduates to reach the heights of our noble profession.” Moses is a regular columnist for the Tennessee Bar Journal, coauthoring the Family Matters column with her associate, Ansley Owens Tillett. Read a press release from the law school.

Belmont University School of Law's Board of Advocates ranked in several national competitions throughout the 2024-2025 advocacy competition season. Three types of teams compete throughout the year: moot court, mock trial and transactional. Under the leadership of Amy Moore, professor of law and director of advocacy, the Board of Advocates provides students with opportunities to hone their legal advocacy skills through competitive experiences before entering the profession. These activities further supporting Belmont Law’s commitment to developing practice-ready lawyers, according to the school. Read this profile of Moore and the advocacy teams.

The National Center for Juvenile Justice last month released data that shows that Black and American Indian children are significantly more likely to be incarcerated than white children, despite similar rates of criminal behavior across races. Observers contend that the disparity stems from over-policing in communities of color and unequal treatment at every stage of the justice process. Additionally, although overall youth incarceration has dropped, those who remain — mostly children of color — tend to stay in detention longer, which increases their risk of long-term negative outcomes according to the study. NPR has the story.

Knoxville attorney Thomas Carl Cravens III died April 20 at age 75. He attended Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he earned his bachelor's degree and Master of Business Administration before going on to attend the University of Tennessee College of Law. Cravens was a partner at the law firm of Kennerly, Montgomery & Finley. He also co-founded World's Fair Beer, worked for real estate developer Walter Wise, and ran a travel agency with his wife. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 413 Cumberland Ave., Knoxville, TN 37902, the Billy Graham Association or a charity of the donor's choice. Services will be held on May 2 at 1 p.m. EDT at St. John's Cathedral. The family will receive friends following the service. Interment will be 3 p.m. at Highland Memorial Cemetery.

Metro Nashville has joined five other cities and 11 nonprofits in a federal lawsuit attempting to halt the Trump administration’s federal funding freeze on various community programs — which, for Nashville, puts $14 million in transit and infrastructure projects at risk, according to WPLN News. Two projects are specified as being at risk: the Electrify Music City project, which would expand public electric vehicle charging stations across the city, and the East Nashville Spokes project, which is spearheading the design and construction of new bikeways across East Nashville. In April, the city also joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over recent public health funding cuts, arguing the cuts are unconstitutional.

The Trump administration’s pick to head the U.S. Marshals Service says judicial security is his leading priority and pledged to seek more resources to protect judges, if needed, Bloomberg Law reports. Gadyaces Serralta told U.S. senators at his confirmation hearing that threatening a judge “is a serious, serious crime” and he is open to studying manpower issues. “If I do need more human resources, I would absolutely take it up with the Department of Justice and ensure that we make the ask,” he told the Judiciary Committee in response to a question. Bloomberg Law has more on the hearing.

Judge Robert W. Wedemeyer is celebrating 25 years on the bench. The Court of Criminal Appeals judge for the Middle Section says of his service: “It’s been a great honor to serve the citizens of Tennessee in this capacity and as a trial judge, from 1990 to 2000, in Robertson and Montgomery counties — the 19th judicial district, affectionately known as the Fighting 19.” Prior to joining the bench, Wedemeyer served as a private practice attorney from 1977 to 1990. He received his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 1973, and his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1976. Read a profile of Wedemeyer from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Federal authorities have charged a Tullahoma man suspected of starting a fire that destroyed part of the historic Highlander Center six years ago with arson. Court documents allege that Regan Prater started the blaze that burned the center's administrative building on March 29, 2019. The Highlander Center has a long history of training civil rights activists at its two locations, and hosted visits by Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Knox News reports that a tipster alerted authorities to Prater's online chats in neo-Nazi forums. According to the Associated Press, Prater was previously sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting another fire in June 2019 at an adult video and novelty store in East Tennessee. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $106,000 in restitution in that case.

The Tennessee Information Protection Act (TIPA), which was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee in 2023, requires certain businesses to ensure consumers’ data and information are protected while giving consumers more control over how their data is collected, processed and used by those businesses. In preparation for TIPA to go into effect July 1, Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti's office has released a guide to assist consumers and businesses in understanding the new requirements. "This new law protects consumer privacy and gives Tennesseans more transparency and control over corporate data collection and retention," said Skrmetti. "[M]y office is glad to provide clear guidance so companies know what they need to do, because Tennessee wants to continue to be an easy place to build and run a business." Read a press release and FAQs about TIPA from the AG's office.