Though Memphis residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of gun reform on Tuesday, the measures will not go into effect unless state law is changed. The Commercial Appeal reports that the measures were written as “trigger laws,” which will only take effect if state legislators change the law or carve out an exception for Memphis. According to the Daily Memphian, Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley Jr. says the council should approve the measures and have an ordinance on the books should state law change.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti recently announced settlements with corporate defendants Heritage Pharmaceuticals and Apotex — contingent upon obtaining signatures from all necessary states and territories — to resolve allegations that both companies engaged in widespread, long-running conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition and unreasonably restrain trade with regard to numerous generic prescription drugs. The deals total $49.1 million. As part of the settlement, both companies agree to cooperate in the ongoing multistate litigations against 30 corporate defendants and adopt a series of internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws.

The Utah Supreme Court on Monday released a plan to allow graduates of American Bar Association-accredited law schools to practice in the state after completing 240 hours of practice under the supervision of an experienced attorney, along with other requirements including specific coursework and a written exam similar to the Multistate Performance Test. Law graduates seeking licensure in Utah could still opt to sit for the bar exam, Reuters reports. The court is gathering public comment on the proposal through Dec. 19 and will make the final decision on its adoption. Utah is following the lead of Oregon, Washington and Arizona in developing alternative pathways for attorney licensure.  

The American Bar Association (ABA) is revising its diversity, equity and inclusion standards for law schools, according to an ABA memo from the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Bloomberg Law reports that the Standards Committee has reviewed public comments and comments filed in opposition by a coalition of law school deans and law organizations to proposed changes to its previous revision proposal. The committee is recommending further revisions to make it clear that the council is not abandoning the value of diversity and inclusion. The revised standards now call for schools to demonstrate action and commitment and access to the study of law specifically addressing race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors. If the accrediting body approves this second version of new standards, it will gather another round of public comments.

Candidates who passed the July 2024 Tennessee Bar Exam were admitted to the practice of law at a ceremony in Jackson today. Representatives from the Tennessee Bar Association and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. Ceremonies continue in Memphis tomorrow. Matthew Flood, a staff attorney at West Tennessee Legal Services, congratulated the new lawyers, saying, “Today represents the pinnacle of years of study, and countless late nights and early mornings. The students of yesterday have become the attorneys of today, and in short order will be the leaders of tomorrow.” See a photo from today's event.

Candidates who passed the July 2024 Tennessee Bar Exam were admitted to the practice of law at a ceremony in Nashville today. Representatives from the Tennessee Bar Association and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. Ceremonies continue in Jackson tomorrow and Memphis on Thursday. Watch for coverage and photos from these events coming soon in TBA Today and on social media. See photos from today's event.

Smith County recently received a $1.8 million grant to restore the Historic Smith County Courthouse. The grant comes as part of a larger allocation of $101.6 million in funding from the Department of Economic and Community Development as part of the second round of broadband and digital opportunity grants. The grant will cover the replacement of windows with energy-efficient models and the HVAC units. The first floor will be remodeled for office space and a free Wi-Fi room for citizens, including a designated area for health screenings and telehealth visits. The second floor will be revamped for county commission meetings and local business training sessions. Free Wi-Fi will be accessible on and around the courthouse grounds. The Smith County Insider has the story.

Morgan & Morgan, one of the country's largest personal injury law firms, recently announced that seven college football players — two from the University of Louisville, three from the University of Kentucky, one from the University of Georgia and one from the University of Southern California — have signed Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals with the firm. Sports Illustrated reports that the deal will allow all seven of the athletes to be featured on billboards, social media advertisements and YouTube ads as the firm promotes its NIL practice. Morgan & Morgan has offices in Memphis, Murfreesboro and Nashville.

In October, 13 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against TikTok — the culmination of a two-year investigation into the social media company — which alleges the social media platform was designed with the express intention of addicting young people to the app. The suit argues the multi-billion-dollar company deceived the public about the risks. According to NPR, internal TikTok communications, now public, allegedly show a company unconcerned with the harms the app poses for American teenagers, despite the company's own research validating many child safety concerns. The documents reveal, among other things, that TikTok implemented a time-limit tool aimed at "improving public trust" rather than actually limiting time spent on the app; that content moderation features are missing content around self-harm and eating disorder videos; and that the company changed its algorithm to prioritize users it viewed as beautiful. The Associated Press reported on the original lawsuit.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has proposed a new rule to increase federal contracting opportunities for small businesses by expanding the “rule of two” to multiple-award contracts. This rule mandates that agencies set aside contracts for small businesses if two or more can provide competitive bids. Business Journals reports that, if adopted, the SBA estimates this change could unlock up to $6 billion annually in federal spending for small businesses. The SBA has been actively expanding support for small businesses through increased certification, expanded loan programs, and reforms to make loans more accessible, aiming to foster growth and inclusivity in federal contracting and financing.