The University of Tennessee College of Law has awarded its Tom & Elizabeth Fox Faculty Award for Service to the Bench & Bar to assistant professor of law Sherley Cruz. The award recognizes a faculty member for significant contributions to the work of national and local bar associations and the judiciary. “Professor Cruz maintains a very close connection to the Bench and Bar,” said Dean Lonnie Brown. “She actively engages practicing lawyers and judges in providing essential pro bono legal services to underserved citizens in our community, while at the same time exposing her students to an unparalleled learning experience.” Cruz explained her drive saying, “My service to the bar is one way for me to give back. My expertise and research can help Tennesseans across the state by influencing the work of lawyers, advocates and community organizers.” Read more in a news release from the school.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Reporters Workshop. Sponsored by TBA’s Communications Law Section, the program will be held in person April 25-26 in Nashville. Organizers will select 15 print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting. Journalists interested in attending should apply before 5 p.m. CDT on March 11. Read more about the program and the application process. Tennessee lawyers are encouraged to share this opportunity with members of the media with whom they have relationships.

KPMG’s bid to become the first Big Four accounting firm to launch a law firm in the U.S. is on hold after the Arizona Supreme Court requested more information on its application to practice law in the state, Bloomberg Law reports. Earlier this month, KPMG Law U.S persuaded a court committee to recommend approval for the firm to practice law in Arizona. "The KPMG application remains under review," the court's communications director said in an email after the court met Tuesday to review the application. KPMG is seeking to launch a U.S. legal venture through Arizona’s alternative business structure program, which was created in 2021. The court did not provide specifics or a timeframe for a final decision. In related news, Reuters reports that the market for legal services outside traditional law firms has hit a record $28.5 billion, with law firm subsidiaries or affiliates claiming a growing share.

The city of Columbia has announced the swearing-in of Richard Matthews as its new city judge, according to Maury County Source. Matthews, a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, has served as a member and former board member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and was inducted as a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation in 2016. "Judge Matthews is continuing a family tradition, becoming the third generation to serve in the judiciary. The City of Columbia looks forward to the leadership, integrity, and expertise he will bring to the role," the city tells the news outlet.

An agreement to temporarily transfer administration of Shelby County's juvenile detention center from the sheriff's office is awaiting approval from Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., The Daily Memphian reports. According to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, if the sheriff agrees, the county corrections division and mayor’s office would take over operations on an interim basis, subject to the Juvenile Court judge’s authority. This would include transporting minors for court hearings and providing training for correction guards transitioning from handling adult prisoners to managing juvenile detainees. The agreement would end a court dispute stemming from Bonner’s 2024 announcement that he would cease operating the Youth Justice and Education Center and stop transporting juveniles to court for hearings. In response, Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon filed two lawsuits against Bonner.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Board recently held its winter meeting in Nashville. YLD President Sean Aiello presented Stars of the Quarter to Nashville attorney Darius Walker Jr. for his role as treasurer, Nashville attorney Alix Rogers for her role as Middle Tennessee Governor and Lewisburg attorney Savannah Oliver for her role as chair of the Public Service Committee. The board also welcomed the Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Class of 2025 for its first in person meeting. Special thanks to YLD Board members Ginny Blake, Grace Burnett, Billy Leslie, Alix Rogers, Jennifer Safstrom, Darius Walker Jr. and Rod Watson who held programming for the students. The DLI class will join the board again at the Mock Trial Competition in March and the TBA's Annual Convention in June. See photos from the event.

Make the Road New York, an immigrant advocacy group, last week sued the Trump administration to block fast-track deportations of people in the country illegally. The lawsuit claims that the policy issued by the Department of Homeland Security, known as "expedited removal," violates the constitutional right to due process as well as immigration and administrative law since people facing fast-track deportations do not have access to an attorney and are unable to present evidence against their removal. Additionally, Quaker groups sued on Monday to prevent U.S. immigration agents from carrying out arrests and searches in houses of worship, after the Department of Homeland Security rescinded a Biden administration order that limited immigration enforcement in "protected areas" such as hospitals, shelters, playgrounds and food pantries. Reuters reports on both lawsuits.

TBA members were sent an email today with profiles of the two candidates running for TBA vice president. The email was sent this afternoon from the email address elections@tnbar.org. If you did not receive the email in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If the email indeed was not received, please contact elections@tnbar.org to request that it be resent. Electronic voting will begin on Jan. 31 and close on Feb. 14. Watch for an email with a link to the ballot from Intelliscan Inc.

Shelby County commissioners on Monday announced the process and timeline for filling a vacancy that will be created with the March 1 retirement of Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Bill Anderson. The Daily Memphian reports that the commission will consider a resolution setting a deadline of Feb. 12 for attorneys to apply for appointment, and then interview applicants on Feb. 19 and make the appointment at its Feb. 25 meeting. Under the proposed process, the appointee will serve until the winner of an August 2026  special election, which will appear on the county general election ballot, is certified. The winner of the election will serve out the remainder of Anderson’s eight-year term, which began in September 2022.

Chancellor Jim Kyle was elected to the bench in 2014 and spent the next 10 years serving the people of the 30th Judicial District, which covers Shelby County. “Having a judicial career has meant a lot to me,” Kyle says. “In every job I’ve had it’s been important to me to feel I am helping others.” Before serving on the bench, Kyle served as a state senator for the 28th and 30th districts for 31 years. After temporarily stepping away from the bench in June of last year to manage a nonfatal autoimmune disorder, his retirement was effective on Jan. 3. Read more in this announcement from the Administrative Office of the Courts.