President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday directing the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to launch a program to use free legal assistance from law firms to help police officers accused of wrongdoing. According to the order, the program will “provide legal resources and indemnification to law enforcement officers who unjustly incur expenses and liabilities for actions taken during the performance of their official duties to enforce the law.” Bloomberg Law notes that major law firms have committed $940 million in legal services in a series of deals with Trump, seeking to avoid punitive executive orders. The firms pledged to take up a range of issues, including supporting military veterans and law enforcement officers, as well as “ensuring fairness” in the justice system. Bloomberg has more on the order.

President Donald Trump has nominated Whitney Hermandorfer, director of the Strategic Litigation Unit in the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. The vacancy was created when Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch announced she would take senior status following confirmation of a successor. It is Trump’s first judicial nomination since returning to the Oval Office and is expected to be one of more than 100 federal court appointments he could make over the next four years, according to Reuters. Trump praised Hermandorfer’s background, noting that she has clerked for three current members of the U.S. Supreme Court: Justices Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti called Hermandorfer “an outstanding nominee,” adding in a statement, “Whitney Hermandorfer's unwavering commitment to the rule of law, her exacting analytical rigor and her unshakeable optimism will serve our country well.”

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.

Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) leaders recently met with the members of the state’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. TBA participants included President-elect Heidi Barcus, YLD President Sean Aiello, ABA House of Delegates Chair Jonathan Cole and Executive Director Sheree Wright. Nashville attorney John Weber also joined in for some meetings. The group met with Sen. Marsha Blackburn and staff from Sen. Bill Hagerty's office. On the House side, the group met with 3rd District Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, 4th District Rep. Scott DesJarlais, 5th District Rep. Andy Ogles and 8th District Rep. David Kustoff, a TBA member. The group also met with the staff of several other members. TBA members traveled to D.C. to participate in the American Bar Association's (ABA) annual Day on the Hill, which brings together state and local bar leaders from across the country to advocate for issues important to the legal profession. See photos from the event.

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.