The Metro Nashville Public Schools board unanimously approved the installation of Evolv, a concealed weapon detection system, in all district high schools, the Tennessean reports. A pilot of the system was installed at Antioch High School as students returned to campus six days after a student fatally shot another on Jan. 22. Evolv uses artificial intelligence to detect concealed weapons as people enter the school and is more specialized than traditional metal detectors. The board's approval expands the district's existing contract with System Integrations, with the initial cost estimated at around $1.25 million annually. Depending on the rollout at high schools, MNPS may seek additional funding to install Evolv in middle and elementary schools. Evolv Technologies has had setbacks: the company settled a case with the the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in November after the FTC said the company made "misleading claims" that its AI screening system was more effective than traditional metal detectors.

U.S. District Judge Brendan Hurson today blocked parts of two presidential executive orders that sought to restrict federal funding for transgender activities, The Hill reports. The orders banned federal funds from being used to “promote gender ideology” or provide gender-transition treatments for minors. The Hill reports that the Maryland-based judge found that a group of transgender teens and LGBTQ organizations represented by the ACLU were likely to prevail on their claims. The groups argued that the orders amounted to illegal and unconstitutional discrimination. The government argued that the challenge was premature because regulations have not yet been written to implement the executive orders. A second suit challenging the orders is expected to be heard by a judge in Seattle tomorrow.

The Daily Memphian reports that 15 people have applied to fill the General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Division 7 position being vacated by Bill Anderson, who will retire at the end of the month. They are: Mischelle Alexander-Best, Taylor Bachelor, Zach Bair, Reagan Taylor Fondren, Lora Fowler, Serena Gray, Rhonda Harris, Loyce Lambert-Ryan, Omar Malik, John Marshall, Brian Mounce, Kathryn Mozingo, Caleb Sanders, Dewun Settle and Ryan Wiley. The Shelby County Commission will interview all applicants on Feb. 19 and make an appointment on Feb. 24. The successful candidate will serve through a special election in 2026, which will fill the remainder of Anderson’s eight-year term. Anderson last won reelection in 2022.

In its annual report, the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office is touting new initiatives that have led to a drop in crime. In an interview with The Commercial Appeal, DA Steve Mulroy described new crime-fighting initiatives, including the V11 program, which aims to expedite the prosecution of violent crimes, a 60% increase in trials, and a focus on shuttering or remediating nuisance properties. According to statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, crime in Memphis was significantly lower than 2023's near-record highs. "The decreases are pretty significant," Mulroy said. "It's coming down from an unacceptably high level, and it's still too high, and we all have to acknowledge that, but five consecutive quarters of downward trends is a positive sign." Looking ahead, Mulroy says his office needs more paralegals as well as prosecutors in the Domestic Violence Unit, the Special Victims Unit and the Crime Strategies and Narcotics Prosecution Unit.

Mary Frances Rudy, Nashville School of Law (NSL) alumna and founder of Rudy Title & Escrow in Nashville, has been elected as the first woman to serve on the NSL Board of Trust. A native of Nashville, Rudy spent several years teaching before pursuing and completing her law degree in 1988. Early in her career, she practiced family law at Bradley & Van Sant and then Bruce, Weathers, Corley, Dughman & Lyle. In 1999, she founded her own title company and then co-founded the law firms Rudy, Wood and Winstead and Rudy & Partners in 2006. In 2017, she was honored at the school’s outstanding alumni of the year. NSL Dean William C. Koch Jr. said Rudy has enthusiastically supported the school’s historic mission for many years. “She has been an effective recruiter, and she has mentored many of our students and graduates." Read more about Rudy in a release from the school.

The Commercial Appeal is reporting that three TACOnganas food truck employees taken into custody Monday were arrested as part of an investigation into potential labor trafficking. A statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reads as follows: “ICE HSI Memphis [arrested] three Mexican nationals unlawfully present in the U.S. as part of a work site enforcement operation. This operation was based on information received related to potential labor trafficking. Two of the three men arrested had prior criminal convictions for immigration related violations." The paper reports that the Department of Labor has been investigating the company since November 2022. TACOnganas released a statement on Monday that it "complies with federal and local immigration laws."

Electronic voting for the TBA's vice presidential election will close tomorrow. Members should have received an email on Jan. 31 with a ballot for the two candidates running for vice president. The email was sent from Intelliscan Inc. If you did not receive the email in your inbox, please check your spam folder or with your firm’s IT administrator. If you have any questions about the election process, please contact elections@tnbar.org.

An ethics complaint filed by Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, against Shelby County District Attorney (DA) Steve Mulroy has been dismissed, the DA's office has announced. In an interview with The Commercial Appeal, Mulroy said the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility dismissed the complaint, which contained four allegations. The board’s dismissal means there will be no further review of the complaint, according the paper. Taylor has filed multiple complaints against Mulroy, including a more recent one that remains under review. That complaint addresses Mulroy’s collaboration with Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon to explore allowing adult court judges access to juvenile court records for bail decisions. The dismissed complaint comes as Taylor continues efforts to remove Mulroy from office, alleging the DA has overstepped his authority and is interpreting the law based on personal beliefs, the paper reports.

Gilson Daub, a workers’ compensation defense, subrogation and civil litigation law firm, has announced its expansion into Tennessee with the opening of a Nashville office. Attorney Jeff Powell, who joins as managing partner, will lead the firm’s presence in the region. Powell brings over a decade of workers’ compensation litigation experience, having practiced in Illinois since 2010 and Tennessee since 2021, according to a press release. Powell will be responsible for establishing and expanding the firm's Tennessee operations, bringing on new attorneys and clients, and introducing the firm's culture to the region. “Many firms operate under outdated models, but Gilson Daub stands apart with its structured, strategic vision. The technology, teamwork, and culture ... are unmatched, so I’m excited to bring that same energy and commitment to Tennessee,” Powell said. The firm currently serves 20 cities across 10 different states.

A federal judge in Delaware has ruled that Ross Intelligence violated copyright law when it copied content from Thomson Reuters to build a competing artificial intelligence-based legal platform. According to Reuters, U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas' decision against the now defunct legal-research firm marks the first U.S. ruling on the closely watched question of fair use in AI-related copyright litigation. The "fair use" argument has become a key defense for tech companies, including OpenAI, Microsoft and Meta Platforms, fighting lawsuits brought by authors, record labels, visual artists and others over the use of their material to train AI systems. Tech companies argue that generative AI systems make fair use of copyrighted material by studying it to learn to create new content, while copyright owners say the companies use their work to generate competing content that threatens their livelihoods.