The TBA Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Diversity Law Week program was recognized at the American Bar Association (ABA) annual meeting in Chicago. The program received an achievement award as one of the top state programs in the country related to diversity. The program was created by Quinton Thompson, immediate past YLD president. Program co-chairs were Chattanooga attorney Ariel Anthony, Memphis attorney Kevin Christopher and Nashville attorney Erin Shackelford. Over the course of the week, 100 diverse high school students across the state had an opportunity to shadow attorneys, explore courtrooms and immerse themselves in law school for a day. See photos from this year's Chattanooga program, Memphis program and Nashville program.

U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee announced a CrossFit gym in Smyrna and its landlord have settled allegations of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by failing to make the gym accessible to people with disabilities. The gym, Whole Strength CrossFit Smyrna, and its owner, Ryan Stemper, along with building owner Mark Gellner and MCMM Properties LLC will pay a total of $17,000. This settlement comes after a complaint was filed alleging the gym lacked accessible restrooms and doors, and the responsible parties failed to address the issue despite being aware of it. The ADA applies to both landlords and tenants of public accommodations.

Richard Myers has been named the new executive member of Stites & Harbison’s Nashville and Franklin offices. He succeeds Gregory D. Smith, who held the position for nine years. Myers is a seasoned attorney with a background in intellectual property law and has held various leadership roles within the firm. Of the move, firm Chair Marjorie A. Farris said Myers is the perfect choice to succeed Smith given that he has "held numerous leadership roles across the firm" and is "held in such high regard by his colleagues."

Above the Law has released its annual Top 50 Law School Ratings. Two Tennessee law schools made the list this year. Vanderbilt dropped three places, to seventh on the list, while the University of Tennessee dropped seven places to 50. See the full list of rankings here.

Two Soddy Daisy police officers were fired after exposing another officer's alleged dishonesty, the Chattanoogan reports. Lt. Jake Elrod and Capt. Eric Jenkins revealed that fellow officer Jeremy Wright had lied in a previous internal affairs investigation. Despite threats, they testified in court, leading to a new trial for a defendant. Their attorneys claim the terminations are retaliation for their truthful actions, a violation of their freedom of speech. Attorney Janie Varnell described it as, "the most blatant act of retaliation I have seen." Attorneys say they plan to pursue legal action against the city. 

Kevin Ritz, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, recently spoke at the graduation ceremony for the Federal Reentry Court. He congratulated the individuals who completed the program and encouraged them to stay on the right path. Supported by U.S. District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes Jr., the Reentry Court works to remove unnecessary barriers for those who have served their sentences and are reentering the community.

Lauren Castor has been promoted to the position of Tennessee Lawyers Association Program (TLAP) clinical director. Castor has been a clinical case manager for the program since March 2021. In a release from TLAP, Executive Director J. E. "Buddy" Stockwell III said that Castor’s advancement is marked by years of excellent service and recent licensure by the state as an LPC-MHSP (temp). “Lauren is dedicated to supporting TLAP’s mission of providing excellent clinical support tailored specifically to the demanding needs of lawyers, judges and law students. Her clinical leadership will continue to generate advances in TLAP’s mission to provide confidential assistance, help to support fitness to practice law and education about mental health challenges in the legal profession,” he said.

The Lone Mountain Shores Homeowners Association (HOA) is back in court, appealing a decision that its covenants are too ambiguous to ban short-term vacation rentals, Knox News reports. The group pledged to appeal the decision in April after a Claiborne County judge found that a neighborhood rule limiting homes to "single family residential purposes" can include renters who use the properties like a home. It had sued renters in August 2023. In a separate case, the Tennessee Supreme Court held in 2023 that "residential" could be interpreted many ways and is not clear enough to ban listings on sites like Airbnb or Vrbo. In a counter suit, homeowners opposed to allowing short-term rentals accuse the HOA board of moving forward based on a fraudulent vote.

State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, Memphis City Council member Pearl Walker and Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy are calling for a pilot program that would use real-time GPS monitoring to track repeat criminal offenders. The Daily Memphian reports that the group says that such a program could provide another option to jail or bail. “We know that we do not have time to waste,” Hardaway said at a press conference yesterday. “Every minute, someone’s life is at risk. This will take repeat offenders and put them where we can guide them.” The pilot would be an extension of a law that took effect July 1 and authorizes a magistrate to mandate a defendant wear a GPS monitor for certain domestic assault charges. Hardaway also said he plans to offer legislation to expand the law to other charges when the legislature convenes next year.

The TBA’s Reporters Workshop — a two-day event designed to educate journalists about the Tennessee legal system and issues related to media law — has received a Community & Educational Outreach Award from the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) and LexisNexis. TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright was on hand to accept the award at a luncheon in Chicago as part of the NABE’s 2024 Annual Meeting. The program brings selected journalists to Nashville each April for sessions centered on investigative journalism, Tennessee's Open Meetings and open records laws, reporter's privilege, defamation, and covering courts and state and local governments. Produced jointly by the TBA and the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, the program also is made possible by the generous support of the Tennessee Press Association and several Tennessee law firms. See a photo from the awards luncheon.