The current law school admission cycle kicked off with an 18% surge in people registering to take the LSAT entrance exam. According to Reuters, this increase likely suggests increased interest from young people in careers focused on U.S. legal affairs. The LSAT administration in the latest cycles — which includes August, September, October and November posted increases in either test takers or those registered to take the test compared to last year. The article reports, this year's increase in LSAT takers comes as the U.S. legal sector has begun to add jobs after a four-month slump. Law school applications have also increased with applicants up 6% nationwide over the previous year.

A former prosecutor has sued Nashville District Attorney General Glenn Funk, accusing him of violating her First Amendment rights by allegedly forcing her out of her job after she served on a jury in a case prosecuted by the office. Katie Hagan voted to find the defendant not guilty after which she says Funk “berated” her for her actions, “accused her of being unethical” and reassigned her to desk work. She ultimately resigned. Hagan argues that she did not believe she could decline the jury summons given the office’s policy, which states: "Jury service is a responsibility of good citizenship, and all employees are expected to honor subpoenas for jury duty in any court. It is the office policy that employees serve rather than seek to be excused or exempted. Jury service is both a privilege and an obligation." NewsChannel 5 reports on the suit.

The two parties in the legal dispute over ownership of the Swan Ball have reached a "settlement in principle" that will determine who owns the annual event, the Cheekwood Botanical Garden or a group of volunteers who produce the multi-day, invitation-only event. Attorneys for both parties submitted a joint statement to a federal judge on Oct. 14 saying that the court mandated mediation — which lasted 10.5 hours, resulted in the preliminary agreement, according to the Nashville Business Journal. In July, a group of volunteers sued Cheekwood, accusing it of "planning a coup" to take control of the gala's planning and operations, Cheekwood then filed a countersuit. In September, a court ruled in favor of the volunteers, finding that the group overseeing the event provided "sufficient evidence" of ownership. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes gave the parties until Nov. 15 to file formal paperwork to dismiss the lawsuit or to update the court on efforts to reach a finalized agreement.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Reagan Fondren announced her office is joining the Department of Justice in commemorating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Last month, the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women awarded over $228.5 million in grants for services for survivors of domestic violence. DVAM also includes a national day of action, "Purple Thursday," observed Oct. 17, when advocates are encouraged to wear purple and start a conversation about domestic violence. Read more about DVAM and domestic violence resources in a release from Fondren's office.

TBA’s Group Health Insurance, provided by BlueCross BlueShield, offers guaranteed issue coverage, with no health questions and no pre-existing condition exclusions. The Knoxville law firm Butler Vines & Babbs made the switch. Here is what firm administrator David T. Kristy says about the program: “When the TBA Member Insurance Solutions Plans first came out, the benefits and premiums offered were so close to what we currently had for our small firm (18 participants) that we elected to pass on the opportunity. However, we evaluated these plans each year and in 2023, the insurance carrier, benefit levels and especially premium costs were clearly way ahead of the competition! We went with the TBA plan in 2023 and over the past two years have saved over $62,000 for the same level of coverage for our employees. I would not hesitate to recommend that other law firms seriously evaluate the TBA plans.” Find out more or get your quote now.

Brentwood-based CoreCivic, the leading private prison company in the U.S., has spent more than $4.4 million to settle dozens of complaints alleging mistreatment at its Tennessee prisons and jails since 2016. The Associated Press reports that those complaints include at least 22 inmate deaths, and more than $1.1 million of the payouts involved Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which is now under federal investigation. The Tennessee Department of Corrections has fined CoreCivic $37.7 million across four prisons since 2016, including $11.1 million for problems at Trousdale, according to the news outlet.

Memphis-based Community Legal Center has announced the appointment of Betsy Prendergast as its interim executive director. She replaces Diana Comes, who was with the center since 2021 and oversaw the organization’s move to Brinkley Plaza. Prendergast has been serving as a staff attorney and was a past member of the group's board of directors. The center also announced that Dawna E. Snipes is a new elder law staff attorney and Susie Espinoza is a new program coordinator. Finally, the center is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with an event on Nov. 8 from 7-9 p.m. CDT at the Crosstown Theater. Buy tickets here or contact Austin Brown at 901-402-0509 with questions.

Judge Joshua Turnbow was sworn in to the 23rd Judicial District Circuit Court on Sept. 13. He received a degree in finance from the University of Tennessee and his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. After his first year of law school, he participated in a program that paired him with then 23rd District Circuit Court Judge Robert Burch. "He would let me ride with him to every county," Turnbow said. “[H]e also helped start the drug court program here in the 23rd district ... I was so impressed by that program and the impact it can have on peoples’ lives and the impact Judge Birch had on peoples’ lives through his judgeship." The 23rd Judicial District covers five counties: Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart. Turnbow grew up in Charlotte, in Dickson County, a few miles from the courthouse where he will preside. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Layla Soliz, a Knoxville woman arrested in May during pro-Palestinian protests on the campus of the University of Tennessee College of Law, is suing the Knox County Sheriff's Office in federal court. The suit stems from a mug shot of Soliz taken without her hijab that was subsequently made public, despite assurances to the contrary. According to Knox News, Soliz is suing for at least $250,000 in damages and for her picture to be expunged from the sheriff's office database. She also wants to amend the sheriff's office policy so that hijabi women no longer have to remove their head coverings for future mug shots.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and YLD Fellows gathered on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas this past weekend for the Fall Board Meeting. YLD President Sean Aiello recognized several board members for their work over the last quarter, including Donelson lawyer Patrick Morrison for his development of CLE programming and his role as health and wellness coordinator; Nashville attorney Ginny Blake for her creativity and outstanding work increasing engagement as the YLD's social media coordinator; and Nashville attorney and YLD Secretary Ross Smith for his contributions to numerous pro bono clinics and law school visits. Finally, Murfreesboro lawyer Alix Rogers was awarded the "disco gavel" by YLD Fellows Liaison and Marshall County General Sessions Court Judge Lee Bussart for her enthusiasm and efforts to bring people together. During the meeting, members planned for upcoming events, including pro bono clinics, the Diversity Leadership Institute, the Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition and new CLEs. They also discussed how best to engage young lawyers and law students across the state. See photos from the meeting.