A group of Memphis law students filed suits against blighted property as a part of a program that helps them get hands-on experience while also helping clean up Memphis. Local Memphis reports that University of Memphis Neighborhood Preservation Clinic law students filed 15 lawsuits against neglected properties in Shelby County Environmental Court on March 14. North Memphis resident Roy Brownlee said the whole area is full of neglected homes, with many becoming targets for squatters and illegal dumping. “Especially when it's cold out and they might accidentally burn them down because they're trying to keep warm,” he said, noting that multiple homes did catch fire during the winter. Law professor Daniel Schaffzin says, “Because this lawsuit is filed against the property itself, and that property is in Memphis, even if the owner never appears, whether they’re living or not, unresponsive, we can still go forward.”

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is joining a multistate lawsuit against Mariner Finance over widespread violations of multiple consumer protection laws. The suit alleges that Mariner Finance charged consumers for hidden add-on products that consumers were not fully informed about or, in some instances, did not agree to buy, and that Mariner engages in illegal, aggressive sales tactics to extend credit to new borrowers. Any consumer who believes they have been deceived by Mariner’s harmful practices can file a complaint with Tennessee.

Twice within the first six months of her employment with the state, Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds signed forms certifying she had been a state employee for more than six months (the minimum requirement for free tuition eligibility for state employees) as she sought a tuition waiver for classes at the University of Tennessee at Martin, reports The Tennessean. In response to inquiries from the news outlet this week about the tuition waiver forms, the Department of Education said Reynolds filed the paperwork as the result of "an administrative error," and recently repaid the tuition money. Reynolds' qualifications to hold her position have come under scrutiny in recent months.

Vanderbilt University announced that it has hired Nashville attorney Aubrey B. Harwell Jr. to review the school’s response to a student demonstrations last week, as well as the campus media access policy. Nashville Scene reporter Eli Motycka was covering the student protest and was arrested by campus police. Four student demonstrators were also arrested and several others suspended. The Tennessean reports that Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said the university’s response to media on campus was a “rightful concern” and a “free speech issue.” The review comes after strong criticism of the arrests from community members and public officials.

A three-judge panel meeting in Nashville heard arguments on whether to issue a temporary injunction blocking the state's abortion ban for women who are suffering severe pregnancy complications or facing cases of lethal fetal conditions. The lawsuit, Blackmon v. State of Tennessee, was brought on behalf of several women by lawyers at the Center for Reproductive Rights and others. The Tennessean reports on the hearing, which was presided over by 20th Judicial District Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal, 10th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Sandra Donaghy and 25th Judicial District Chancellor Kasey Culbreath. A recording of the proceeding is available to watch online.

Homeless advocacy group Open Table Nashville has filed an amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case that could affect how cities and states address homeless encampments. The organization joins other service providers and legal advocates across the country in encouraging the Supreme Court to uphold a ruling that prevents cities from punishing people for sleeping outside when they have no access to adequate shelter. The brief comes in the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which involves an Oregon town seeking to enforce a ban on camping on public property. The U.S. 9th Circuit of Appeals previously ruled that such a ban violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 22, the Nashville Post reports. In 2022, Tennessee lawmakers made camping while homeless a felony.

Tennessee State University (TSU) is considering suing the state over 30 years of underfunding, WSMV reports. The move comes after the federal government found that the state owes TSU $2.1 billion. Leaders argue that funds meant for the school went to predominantly white schools across the state instead. The university has been in the news recently after the state legislature voted to vacate its board of directors and Gov. Bill Lee appointed new members. The news source notes that similar lawsuits filed by other historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been successful.

Sessions from this year's Construction Law Forum are now available for purchase in the CLE Course Catalog. Topics covered include contracts, dispute resolution, liens, the Prompt Pay Act, ethical considerations for each of these topics and a legislative update. Check out the individual videos or purchase the convenient 1-Click CLE package. 

The Tennessee Bar Association and Tennessee’s American Inns of Court are accepting nominations for the 2024 Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award through Monday. The annual award is presented to a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the rule of law and the highest standards of the legal profession in Tennessee. This year's award will be presented to a lawyer or judge residing in the West Grand Division. Nominees must be alive when nominations are submitted but they need not be an active member of an American Inn of Court or the TBA. The award will be presented at the TBA's Annual Convention, which will be held in Memphis June 12-15.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee yesterday accepted the resignation of Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd, who has been charged with coercion of a witness and harassment, and then jailed after she violated her bond agreement by testing positive for cocaine. Erin Merrick, Lee’s chief counsel, notified Boyd’s attorney of the decision in a brief letter, the Associated Press reports. Earlier in the day, Boyd had submitted a letter to the Administrative Office of the Courts saying she would resign immediately, a move that avoided a vote by the General Assembly to consider her removal from office. Her criminal trial is set for April 24.