A lawsuit seeking to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office will proceed even as her term is set to end in September. The Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert’s appeal of a lower court decision allowing the ouster case to move forward and found that the county attorney has the authority to bring the lawsuit, according to Action News 5. Halbert has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years, including calls for her removal over audit findings and concerns about management of the clerk’s office.

The Tennessee Bar Association’s online renewal for 2026-2027 is now open! Renew your membership to continue your access to TBA Today, the Tennessee Bar Journal, three free hours of CLE, resources for starting and building a new firm, and free legal research tool, as well as savings on a range of products and services. Be sure to check out TBA's new pro bono portal, solo health insurance plan and expanded discounts on travel. Attorneys not participating in the TBA's firm billing program can log in and renew through their MyTBA dashboard. The TBA membership team will be working with firm administrators for those participating in firm billing so check with your firm administrator if you have questions about that process.

The federal judiciary has requested $9.7 billion in funding for fiscal year 2027, including $920.9 million for courthouse security — a 3.2% increase driven by a 57% surge in serious security incidents against judges last year — and ongoing problems with outdated equipment. The budget also seeks $10 million for a new case management system and nearly $50 million for cybersecurity upgrades following multiple cyberattacks, including a foreign hack targeting sealed court documents. Additionally, the judiciary is requesting $1.8 billion for federal public defenders to address rising caseloads, particularly in immigration and death penalty cases, after a 16-month hiring freeze and a recent shortage of funds to reimburse private attorneys assisting indigent defendants. Bloomberg Law has the story.

Retired Circuit Court Judge Marie Williams was honored at a portrait unveiling ceremony in Chattanooga's Hamilton County Circuit Court last week. The event celebrated her nearly three decades as the first woman to serve as a state court judge in the county. Williams attended the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law and became one of very few female civil litigators in the city before being appointed to the bench in 1995. She subsequently was reelected five times without opposition. Colleagues praised her leadership and practical judgment, with one judge highlighting her steady guidance in keeping courts accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her portrait, commissioned by the Chattanooga Bar Association and painted by artist Sergei Chernikov, now hangs in Division III of the Historic Hamilton County Courthouse. Read more from Chattanoogan.com. See photos from the event.

Memphis Mayor Paul Young on Monday announced that Memphis Police Department (MPD) officers involved in an alleged  confrontation with protesters at Saturday's "No Kings" rally have been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. The officers are under scrutiny for allegedly deploying pepper spray on march marshals and making several arrests. A coalition of 25 community organizations say the officers acted aggressively against a peaceful crowd and have called on leaders to release the names of those involved. The Daily Memphian and the Commercial Appeal report on the developments.

A three-judge panel from the Court of Criminal Appeals heard oral arguments last week at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. Judges Timothy L. Easter, J. Ross Dyer and Tom Greenholtz, a Winston Law graduate, sat for the court and heard cases including State v. Price, State v. James, State v. Simmons and State v. Lacey. Proceedings can be replayed on the court's YouTube channel. “The law students can actually see a real-life case being argued with real-life names, real-life people, real-life lawyers. We just think it gives flesh and bones to an otherwise stale opinion they might read,” said Easter. “For us, we get to see the future of the bar and these students and it’s a shot in the arm for us to do that.” Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Changes at the Shelby County Youth Justice and Education Center — following its transfer from the sheriff’s office to the Division of Corrections in October 2025 — are aimed at improving conditions for juveniles in custody, the Daily Memphian reports. Officials said reforms include replacing traditional prison-style uniforms with khaki clothing to promote a more normalized environment, and providing full-size hygiene items such as toothbrushes, deodorant and soap. Additional changes include adjustments to facility policies intended to reduce contraband risks while addressing morale and behavioral outcomes. Judge Tarik Sugarmon said the transition has improved logistics and daily operations for juveniles appearing in court, while corrections officials emphasize that the updated approach incorporates mental health considerations.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention, set for June 10-13, in downtown Knoxville. Annual favorites such as the Public Service Breakfast, Lawyers Luncheon, compelling CLE and swearing in of TBA’s new president will return, as will the Wednesday night welcome reception and a Thursday evening reception at Knoxville’s minor league ballpark, home of the Smokies. Again this year, the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women (TLAW) and Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) will hold meetings and events in conjunction with the convention. This year’s convention also will include TBA’s first-ever Tech Showcase and several lunch and learn opportunities with tech vendors on Thursday. The four-day event will take place at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville. Don’t miss this annual gathering of Tennessee lawyers! Access registration, hotel reservation information and more on the event website. Day passes for the Tech Showcase on June 11 also are available for those who unable to attend the full convention. Learn more about that option.

The Tennessee Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division has distributed nearly $900,000 in grants to local law enforcement agencies participating in federal immigration enforcement efforts, according to a report obtained by the Tennessee Lookout. The division, established in 2025 under the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, oversees coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through 287(g) agreements, which authorize local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. Between August and December, the division allocated $866,843 in funding for equipment and operational expenses, though it has not disclosed the agencies receiving the grants. The office, led by Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer Ryan Hubbard, was created by state lawmakers to support expanded immigration enforcement. It has faced criticism over limited transparency, as some records are exempt from public disclosure under state law.

A Tennessee law that went into effect Jan. 1 is the nation's first registry to track repeat domestic violence offenders, but there are holes in the system, according to Knox News. Under Savanna's Law, a "persistent domestic violence offender” — defined as someone with more than one domestic violence offense — is required to register in a public database maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. But if the person has an offense expunged, the record no longer shows up and a new conviction would not trigger the registration requirement. Legal experts say the intersection of diversion, expungement and registry requirements exposes limitations of the law as judges cannot consider expunged offenses in setting bond or identifying repeat conduct.