Leadership Middle Tennessee (LMT) has named Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jill Bartee Ayers as the recipient of its 2026 Jack B. Turner Regionalism Award. The award will be presented at the organization’s annual Ignite fundraiser Saturday at the Hilton Nashville Airport Terminal. The award recognizes an alumnus or alumna who demonstrates exceptional leadership, a commitment to regional collaboration and a lasting impact on the Middle Tennessee community. Ayers is a graduate of LMT's 2010 class and a past board chair. “Judge Ayers represents the very best of Leadership Middle Tennessee,” said Board Chair Leisa Byars in a press release. The Ignite Unplugged event brings together regional leaders for an evening of connection, storytelling and celebration.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) held its inaugural Business College in Nashville. YLD Membership Committee Chair and Nashville attorney, Patrick Morrison, moderated the event. YLD District Representative Claire Tuley from Chattanooga and YLD District Representative Jack Wagster from Nashville presented along with Laura Chastain from the Board of Professional Responsibility. The Business College: Transactional Law Essentials program was designed as a practical refresher and foundation course for new and young attorneys — or any lawyer who wanted to brush up on the basics of transactional law. Special thanks to Baker Donelson for providing space for the program. See photos from the event.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recently approved a $125 million settlement resolving claims that the federal judiciary overcharged users of its PACER electronic court records system for downloading documents. The appeals court determined that the settlement, approved by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in March 2024, was fair and adequate. Under the agreement, each PACER user will be reimbursed up to $350. The U.S. government agreed to settle the case in October 2023. Read the latest from Law.com or learn more about the settlement terms on the class action website.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered a blow to efforts by state lawmakers and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to force companies to open their employee pharmacy benefit manager plans (PMB) to other providers, the Tennessee Journal reports. On April 7, a three-judge panel held in McKee Foods Corp. v. BFP Inc. that the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts the “any willing provider” and anti-steering provisions in state law. The decision upheld a ruling from the district court and blocks the state from mandating network structures for self-funded worker health plans.

Vanderbilt University Law School has moved up two spots from 14 to 12 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings released April 7. The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law also rose from 146 in 2025 to 140. Two Tennessee schools slipped slightly. The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law ranked 57 this year (down from 55 last year) while Belmont University College of Law ranked 85 (down from 84 last year). Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, which ranked 169 last year, slipped to the 175-194 category for schools in the bottom 10%, but came in 68 out of 78 for part-time schools. Nashville School of Law was not reviewed by the publication. Outside of Tennessee, Stanford Law School bumped Yale Law School from the top spot for the first time since the magazine began its rankings in 1990. Yale is now in second place, tied with the University of Chicago, according to Bloomberg Law. View the full rankings or rankings based on practice area.

Spencer Fane, which has offices in Hendersonville and Nashville, will merge with the Southwest firm Conner & Winters, according to a news release from the firm. The deal will expand the firm by 75 lawyers and add offices in Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas. The firm says the move reflects industry trends in which clients are looking for larger firms that can handle a higher volume of complex work across multiple locations. Law.com has more on the merger.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released a formal opinion on April 8 clarifying the ethical obligations of lawyers who possess information that could lead to a judge’s disqualification. Opinion 522 establishes that a lawyer’s role as an officer of the court requires the disclosure of such information to protect the integrity of the judicial process, provided disclosure does not violate client confidentiality. The rule “reinforces the principle that the legal profession bears a collective responsibility for the appearance of impartiality,” according to the committee. Read more in a press release.

The TBA Access to Justice Committee is accepting nominations for the 2026 Public Service Awards through next Friday. The annual awards recognize outstanding commitment to access to justice in three categories: work performed by an attorney employed by an organization primarily involved in providing legal representation to the indigent, pro bono work performed by a private or corporate attorney, and a strong commitment to pro bono service by a Tennessee law student or recent graduate. Awards will be presented during the TBA Annual Convention in June. Submit nominations by April 17 on the TBA website.

A list of those who passed the February 2026 Tennessee bar exam is now available. Those who meet all licensing requirements will be sworn in at events across the state in early June. Ceremonies are set for June 2 at 9 a.m. EDT at the Supreme Court Building in Knoxville; June 2 at 2 p.m. CDT at the Supreme Court Building in Nashville; June 3 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Shelby County Courthouse in Memphis; June 3 at 1:30 p.m. CDT in Jackson (location to be determined); and June 4 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT for two virtual ceremonies. Watch for statistics from this spring's exam coming soon. Access information for test takers on the Board of Law Examiner's website. Download the list in pdf format.

At its recent spring meeting, the TBA Board of Governors voted to fill two vacancies on the board. Filling the open seat for the Western Grand Division governor will be Geoffrey Lewis, associate general counsel at Memphis Light, Gas & Water. Lewis previously was in private practice and an assistant city prosecutor for the City of Memphis. He also serves in the TBA House of Delegates and as co-chair of the Leadership Law program. Filling the open seat of 7th District governor will be Joshua Dougan with Dougan Law and Mediation in Jackson. Dougan previously was active with the Young Lawyers Division, assisting with the Wills for Heroes program and serving on the Mock Trial Committee. He recently transitioned from the 26th Judicial District Attorney’s office to his own private practice. Both will take office at the board’s June meeting to be held conjunction with the TBA Annual Convention.