More than 100 large companies from the technology, pharmaceutical, automotive and other sectors are urging federal courts to increase disclosure on outside funders backing lawsuits. The group is urging the U.S. Judicial Conference to adopt a nationwide rule requiring disclosure of third-party litigation funding in lawsuits, Bloomberg Law reports. In July, Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, chair of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, urged the conference to review the role of litigation finance, including considering transparency rules and mandatory disclosure of outside funding in federal lawsuits.

When a federal judicial panel dismissed a challenge to Tennessee's redistricting plans for the U.S. House of Representatives and state Senate, it gave the plaintiffs 30 days to refile an amended complaint. The panel had found that while the maps were consistent with "racial gerrymander," they also were "consistent with a political gerrymander." The judges said the group, including the NAACP, would need to provide stronger evidence that legislators knew the maps would harm Democratic voters, including minority voters. The Associated Press reports on the decision not to refile. The refiling period expired Wednesday with official dismissal of the case.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that federal disaster assistance is available to individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties in Tennessee. Assistance from FEMA may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help recovery from the effects of the disaster. Knox News has more about FEMA individual assistance. Gov. Bill Lee said, "As Tennesseans begin the rebuilding process, I thank our federal partners for granting resources to further our severe weather response and recovery in Northeast Tennessee." Recovery operations continue in the affected areas and additional designations may be made if warranted by the results of damage assessments. Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.

The TBA has actively been working with partner organizations this week to plan disaster legal assistance efforts and eventual legal clinics, which will follow recovery efforts. To help prepare for those events, lawyers from across the state are invited to complete this online form to volunteer to help disaster survivors. The TBA Disaster Resources page offers general information for those impacted by disasters, as well as those seeking to provide assistance. The TBA's new Helene Disaster Response page has information and resources specific to this disaster.

The Metro Nashville Police Department announced Wednesday it has made six more arrests in an ongoing investigation related to the smuggling of narcotics into the Downtown Detention Center. According to WKRN, those charged included a former sheriff's office employee, three inmates and two civilians. The new charges are the third round of indictments in the overall investigation into drug smuggling into Davidson County detention facilities. Overall, 14 people have been charged. Read more from the police department.

A coalition of 44 law school deans as well as the Law School Admission Council, the Society of American Law Teachers and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund have filed comments in opposition to proposed changes to the American Bar Association’s (ABA) diversity standards for law schools. According to Reuters, the groups argue that eliminating the terms “race and ethnicity” from accreditation rules will hobble efforts to bring in diverse students and faculty. Read the comments. 

A Nashville murder case scheduled to go to trial next week has been placed on hold amid concerns that District Attorney Glenn Funk's office illegally eavesdropped on the defense team as they reviewed evidence in the case. News Channel 5 reports that Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Cynthia Chappell agreed Wednesday to delay the trial of Calvin Atchison after the defense filed a motion to disqualify Funk's team. She has set a hearing for Dec. 13 to determine if the district attorney's office should be removed from the case. Allegations of the recordings came to light through reporting by the station and a report from the state comptroller’s office, including a call for a special prosecutor to investigate the matter. 

All defense attorneys have rested their cases in the trial of three former Memphis Police Department officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols. Jury deliberations began yesterday, according to the Daily Memphian. Defense lawyers argued their clients followed the appropriate use-of-force guidelines during Nichols’ attempted arrest and put forward witnesses to speak about the department’s use-of-force policy as well as the men’s character. The paper has daily reports from the trial. 

The Davidson County General Sessions Domestic Violence Court has been selected to participate in a domestic violence court mentorship program run by the Center for Justice Innovation and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Nashville Banner reported on the development in a recent newsletter (scroll to the seventh story). The goal of the program is to provide resources and education on how to better handle domestic violence cases and improve outcomes for victims and children. Davidson County’s domestic violence docket was established in 2014, and is currently presided over by three judges: Allegra Walker, Ana Escobar and Marcus Floyd.

The 21st Annual TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) program is accepting nominations for the 2025 class through tomorrow. Nominees should have from five to 15 years of experience in practice. Nominations should be submitted using this online form. Last year, 35 lawyers from across the state were accepted into the program. The new class will kick off in January 2025 with an opening retreat at Montgomery Bell State Park and end next June with a commencement ceremony during the TBA Annual Convention in Franklin. Email TBALL coordinators Tanja Trezise or Jarod Word with any questions.

The U.S Justice Department announced Monday it plans to launch a review of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, a white mob attack on a Black district in Oklahoma. The attack is considered one of the worst single acts of violence against Black people in U.S. history, according to Associated Press. The review — initiated under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, a federal cold-case initiative — aims to detail findings by year's end. While prosecutors have "no expectation" of living perpetrators, the descendants of survivors have embraced the news. The Oklahoma Supreme Court previously dismissed a lawsuit by survivors seeking reparations. According to the article, survivors hope the investigation will bolster their efforts to seek financial amends for the attack.