Judge Larry Potter established the Shelby County Environmental Court in 1983 and was appointed as its first judge, holding the position for 35 years before his retiring in 2018. Last Wednesday, current Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge unveiled a portrait of Potter at 201 Poplar in a celebration of Potter's legacy as the "father of environmental court in Memphis." The court was one of the first of its kind in the country and helped set the standard in addressing environmental cases, the Commercial Appeal reports.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it is contracting with a retired judge to help reduce the jail’s population. According to the Daily Memphian, retired Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Robert “Bobby” Carter will serve as the office’s jail population management coordinator. Carter, who served as judge from 2010 to 2022, told the outlet that his goal is to reduce the jail population to 80% of capacity. As of February, the main jail had an average daily population of 2,547 inmates, though it was built to hold 2,400. Carter also said criminal cases need to move more quickly through the courts: “If we don’t change anything, if we could handle cases more efficiently, if they take a month less, that will have an aggregate effect on the jail population."

The 2025 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award will be presented to 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge and Chancellor David Veile at the TBA’s Annual Convention by the Fellows of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Named for former Attorney General William M. Leech Jr., the award is given each year to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, the legal system and their community. In announcing the award, Fellows President and Jackson lawyer Michelle Greenway Sellers said, "Judge Veile truly exemplifies the values embodied in the Leech Award. He is a past president of the TBA YLD, a TBA Board of Governors member, an extremely supportive TBA YLD volunteer and a devoted community leader. Judge Veile generously gives of his time as a mentor to young lawyers, speaks at legal and community events, and volunteers at TBA YLD events such as the TBA YLD Mock Trial competition. He has spent his entire career giving back to the Tennessee legal community and to the Middle Tennessee communities he serves. The Fellows are honored to award Judge David Veile the 2025 TBA YLD Fellows William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award." Veile was elected circuit court judge and chancellor in Williamson County's 21st Judicial District in 2024. He previously practiced criminal defense law in Franklin. The award will be presented on June 13 at the Lawyers Luncheon. Read more about Veile's selection in the TBA's press release.

This week kicked off a series of ceremonies across the state for new admittees to the practice of law. Candidates who passed the February bar exam, along with others, were sworn in during a ceremony in Nashville today. Tennessee Bar Association President Ed Lanquist Jr. delivered remarks at the event, while representatives from the TBA and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to welcome the new lawyers to the profession. Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Sarah K. Campbell and Jeff Bivins presided over the ceremony. See photos from the event. The Tennessee Supreme Court will hold additional events on June 3 at 9 a.m. in Memphis and 1:30 p.m. CDT in Jackson; on June 4 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT for virtual ceremonies; and on June 9 at 9 a.m. EDT in Knoxville.

A recent investigation led by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office found that the Davis House Child Advocacy Center (DHCAC), a Franklin nonprofit that provides services to child abuse survivors, made questionable and unsupported credit card charges totaling at least $250,709, The Tennessean reports. The four-year investigation revealed the organization used two credit cards from different financial institutions for charges at upscale restaurants, retail stores and entertainment venues. According to the comptroller’s report, “Between 2020 and 2023, DHCAC spent more money than it could generate from revenue sources.” The center is funded by donations, fundraisers and government grants, with approximately 33% of its revenue during the investigative period coming from government sources. The findings have been submitted to district attorneys general in the 21st and 32nd judicial districts. The paper later reported that the center released a statement responding to concerns.

Doctors for America — a national network of more than 30,000 medical professionals — is seeking to join a Tennessee lawsuit to protect access to abortions when a woman's life or health are at risk. The organization filed a motion on May 30 to intervene in a suit brought by the Catholic Medical Association, The Tennessean reports. The association sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January, seeking to overturn a 2022 directive that requires hospitals to provide emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Doctors for America said in its filing that it is intervening now due to the change in presidential administrations. The group, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU-TN, the National Women’s Law Center and Democracy Forward, argues that a reversal of the guidance would endanger patients and create legal uncertainty for providers. Access filings in the case from ACLU-TN.

Born out of efforts to crack down on illegal drag racing on Memphis interstates, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and Memphis law enforcement have launched the "Bluff City Task Force." The Commercial Appeal reports that the group is focused on disrupting crime through "strategic deployment of high-visibility patrols in communities facing the highest rates of violence." Task force members have recovered illegal firearms, seized drugs and arrested repeat offenders, according to a press release from the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security. “In Memphis, we are standing shoulder to shoulder — state troopers, deputies and city officers — making our streets safer one traffic stop at a time,” said THP Commander Col. Matt Perry.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last Thursday released one of the Covenant School shooter's journals, without explanation, reports the Tennessean. In July 2024, Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea Myles ruled that the writings would not be made public, agreeing with Covenant families that the shooter’s writings were protected by copyright laws and should not be treated as public records. Several news outlets, as well as Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, had petitioned for release of the journals, and the Tennessee Star claimed in September 2024 to have published 90 pages of the shooter's "manifesto." The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) in April released the final report on the Covenant School shooting, concluding that the shooter, Aubrey Hale, had sought notoriety, acted alone in planning and carrying out the attack, and left no reason for the attack or choice of target. In May, former Lt. Garet Davidson was indicted on charges of stealing documents related to the shooting.

Foley & Lardner LLP has announced the opening of its newest office in Nashville with the addition of three corporate partners to support the firm’s growing Health Care & Life Sciences and Manufacturing sectors. New partners Jesse Neil, Brent Bowman and Jon Gaston join the firm from Holland & Knight LLP. Two Foley litigation partners, Kevin Hyde and Lauren Loew, also will work from Nashville to help establish and grow the office. “Nashville is a perfect fit for us. It’s a vibrant market marked by robust growth and a strong pipeline of corporate investment, particularly in health care, life sciences, manufacturing, energy and infrastructure — industries that closely align with our firm’s strengths,” said Daljit Doogal, chairman and CEO of the firm. The new office is located at 501 Commerce St., Ste. 1650, Nashville 37203 and can be reached via phone at 629-312-9200. Read more in a press release from the firm.

A Chattanooga public charter school has agreed to pay $100,000 to the family of an 11-year-old boy, settling a federal lawsuit claiming that it wrongfully reported the student to police for an alleged threat of mass violence. WPLN News reports that the incident began when the student, nicknamed “Junior,” overheard two classmates discussing a potential school shooting and jokingly said “yes” when one appeared about to confirm the threat. Students then reported that Junior had threatened to shoot up the school. Though school administrators initially said he could return the next day, a sheriff’s deputy later handcuffed him at a family birthday dinner. The news outlet in partnership with ProPublica wrote about the case last October as part of a larger investigation into a new law in Tennessee making threats of mass violence at school a felony. According to the settlement, Chattanooga Preparatory School also agreed to implement training on how to handle threats of mass violence, including reporting only “valid” threats to police and differentiating between “clearly innocuous statements” and “imminent” violence.