President Donald Trump has nominated John Squires, a former chief intellectual property attorney at Goldman Sachs, to serve as the next director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Reuters reports. Squires would serve under U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, who was confirmed by the Senate on Feb. 18. He is currently a partner at Dilworth Paxson in New York, where his practice focuses on artificial intelligence, blockchain technology and cybersecurity. If confirmed, Squires will lead the USPTO as it navigates emerging challenges related to AI’s role in innovation and increasing competition with China. The agency is responsible for issuing U.S. patents and trademarks and advising the government on intellectual property policy.

The U.S. Judicial Conference's Committee on Codes of Conduct last week relaxed ethics guidance issued six months ago. The committee had advised federal judges to restrict their law clerks from seeking post-clerkship employment with political organizations to make clear judges retain "broad discretion" to decide whether to do so on a case-by-case basis, Reuters reports. In the revised advisory, the committee acknowledged that while such employment "may pose a risk" in certain circumstances, judges are now granted broader discretion to assess the situation on a case-by-case basis. This adjustment emphasizes that judges, as appointing authorities, should consider all relevant facts before imposing any restrictions. Additionally, the committee clarified that law clerks may accept stipends for living expenses from law firms if the offer is extended equally to other incoming associates, provided the clerk is not required to work at the firm post-clerkship unless they choose to.

Former Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown says he has received a pardon from President Donald Trump just two weeks after reporting to federal prison to serve a 21-month sentence for an illegal campaign finance scheme, The Tennessean reports. A federal grand jury indicted Kelsey in 2021 for a scheme related to his failed 2016 congressional bid. Prosecutors alleged he illegally funneled money from his state Senate campaign committee to his federal campaign. Kelsey pleaded guilty in 2022 and later unsuccessfully attempted to change his plea. He reported to federal prison in Kentucky last month after he was denied the final appeal.

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn has sponsored the "Protecting Our Supreme Court Justices Act of 2025," a proposed bill that would increase the penalty for protesting outside court buildings or judges' homes to up to five years in prison, WBIR reports. Currently, individuals who protest outside court buildings or any buildings or residence occupied or used by a judge, juror, witness or court officer can face up to one year in prison. The existing law applies to those who attempt to "interfere with, obstruct or impede the administration of justice" through picketing or parading and allows for fines against individuals using voice-amplifying devices. Five lawmakers have co-sponsored Blackburn's bill, which must first be reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee before it can be voted on.

The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) and Tennessee’s American Inns of Court are now accepting nominations for the 2025 Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award. The annual award is presented to a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the rule of law and the highest standards of the legal profession in Tennessee. This year's award will be presented to a lawyer or judge residing in the Middle Grand Division. Nominees must be alive when nominations are submitted but they need not be an active member of an American Inn of Court or the TBA. The award will be presented at the TBA's Annual Convention, which will be held in Franklin June 11-14. The deadline for submitting nominations is April 7. See past recipients of the award.

Law firm Perkins Coie is suing the Trump administration over an executive order that sanctioned the firm, Bloomberg Law reports. The firm filed suit in the federal court in Washington, D.C., today after hiring Williams & Connolly to represent it in the matter. The order, signed on March 6, strips the firm’s lawyers of security credentials, terminates federal contracts with firm clients, and bars firm lawyers from entering government buildings or getting jobs at federal agencies. The president said the move was in response to the firm being involved in “weaponization against a political opponent’’ during the 2016 presidential campaign. The firm says the directives put its solvency and existence at risk.

The TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) was in Knoxville last week for an "Issues in Community Leadership" session. The class heard from several Tennessee leaders including Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, Knox County Mayor Glen Jacobs, Supreme Court Justice Dwight E. Tarwater and former Attorney General Herbert Slatery. Other contributors at the event included Chloe Akers, Professor Akram Faizer, Josh Hedrick, Angelia Nystrom, Robbie Pryor, Professor Joy Radice and Cullen Wojcik. TBALL’s next session will take place April 10-11 in Memphis. Learn more about TBALL or see photos from the event.

In this month's episode of BarBuzz, TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright speaks with Liz Todaro, TBA director of access to justice and special projects, and John Farringer, a commercial litigator with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison and TBA’s incoming president for the 2027-2028 bar year. The discussion focuses on the Administrative Office of the Courts’ plan for funding indigent representation, a key issue shaping legal access in Tennessee. The group also talks about the importance of TBA's Day on the Hill and Big Shrimp Legislative Reception, two events that connect legal professionals with lawmakers to advocate for issues such as indigent defense funding. TBA’s 2025 Day on the Hill and Big Shrimp Reception will take place next week in Nashville. Register for the day's events on the TBA website or get more information about indigent defense in Tennessee. Find past episodes of the podcast in the BarBuzz archive.

An Alabama couple has filed suit against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and Sevierville law enforcement alleging their two children were illegally taken for nine months after they were wrongly arrested during a traffic stop, Tennessee Lookout reports. The couple was charged with DUI, public intoxication, child abuse and neglect, and aggravated child abuse and neglect. The parents denied the charges, which were later dismissed by a local prosecutor and subsequently expunged. They also claim that law enforcement did not have probable cause to pull them over. The couple are seeking $15 million in damages for violation of their constitutional rights and $10 million in damages for state law violations. This lawsuit is similar to one filed last year after a Georgia family was stopped in Coffee County and five children were taken from the parents.

The Tennessee Bar Association is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Claudia Jack Award and Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award. The Claudia Jack Award honors an outstanding public defender or court-appointed private practitioner who has served the legal community and clients in an exemplary fashion. It is named after the late Claudia Jack, a public defender and long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged. The Drowota Award is given to a judge or judicial branch official of a federal, state or local court in Tennessee who has demonstrated extraordinary devotion and dedication to the improvement of the law, the legal system and the administration of justice, as exemplified by the career of former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Frank F. Drowota III. The deadline to submit nominees for both awards, which will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention in June, is April 4.