The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has named Jonathan Mayer as its first official focused on artificial intelligence (AI) as the department grapples with the potentially transformative affects of AI on federal law enforcement and the criminal justice system, Reuters reports. Mayer is a professor at Princeton University who researches technology and law and will advise Attorney General Merrick Garland and DOJ leadership on issues related to emerging technologies, including how to responsibly integrate AI into the department’s investigations and criminal prosecutions.

The federal Department of Education Department yesterday zeroed out loan balances for nearly 153,000 borrowers, who borrowed $12,000 or less, have been paying their student loans for at least 10 years and enrolled in the Biden administration's Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment plan which launched last summer, National Public Radio reports. Republican lawmakers have tried to stop the SAVE plan, arguing it is outside of the administration's authority and criticizing the president for campaigning for votes with the new policy. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the administration is "using the negotiated rulemaking process [under the Higher Education Act of 1965] to come up with a debt relief plan that will positively impact Americans and give them an opportunity to get back on their feet." 

Nashville's Metro Council on Tuesday unanimously passed Mayor Freddie O'Connell's $514 million capital spending package. The second phase of construction of a new Juvenile Justice Center will receive $60 million of that total, reports the Tennessean. The facility is slated to open in spring 2027. Other funded projects include upgrades and maintenance for Metro Nashville Public Schools and transportation-related initiatives.

Facing an unprecedented increase in threats and violence, more than 70% of federal judges have enrolled in the government's home intrusion protection program, according to the U.S. Marshals service, which oversees the program. Judicial officers have seen a sharp increase in threats increasing from 179 in 2019 to 457 in 2023, Bloomberg Law reports. There has also been an increase in "swatting" incidents where someone falsely reports a crime at a targeted individual's location in order to draw a heightened law enforcement response.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s Annual Convention, set for June 12-15 in Memphis. The event will return to the Peabody Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Memphis with easy access to restaurants and entertainment. Programming is still being planned, but perennial favorites such as the Bench Bar program, Lawyers Lunch and joint event with the Tennessee Judicial Conference will be on the agenda. The Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women, Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers and Tennessee Trial Lawyers' Association also will hold meetings and events that week at the Peabody. This year’s theme — “A Bridge to the Future” — will bring compelling CLE programs focused on artificial intelligence and how this rapidly expanding technology will impact the practice of law. Watch for more information coming soon to the event webpage.

A new report on the state’s juvenile criminal justice system from Disability Rights Tennessee and the Youth Law Center offers suggestions for preventing abuse inside detention facilities and setting kids up for success after they are released. WPLN reports that the recommendations are based on interviews with youth at the Wilder Youth Development Center. The report emphasizes the importance of reducing barriers between kids in custody and their families, given that phone time is limited, and some facilities have not allowed in-person visits to resume since the pandemic. The research found that most kids in detention facilities came into contact with the criminal justice system following some kind of crisis, and recommends improving access to resources and services such as health care or housing for those leaving a facility. Finally, it recommends establishing independent, third-party oversight of juvenile detention facilities.

The Memphis Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Memphis Bar Association, has announced that Vincent Miraglia will serve as the 2024 board president. Miraglia has served on the board since 2019, most recently as vice president. Miraglia is an associate general counsel and chief legal ethics officer at Sylvamo. Prior to his role there, Miraglia served as chief counsel of information technology and global citizenship at International Paper and was president of the International Paper Foundation. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate law, litigation, sustainability, labor and employment law, and technology law. He earned his law degree in 1995 from The Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a bipartisan coalition urging the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to seek reform of the current practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). A PBM is a third-party company that functions as an intermediary between insurance providers and pharmaceutical manufacturers with the aim of reducing the cost of prescription medication. The group's letter urges Congress to pass the "DRUG Act" (S. 1542/H.R. 6283), "Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuses Act" (H.R. 2880), and the "Lower Costs, More Transparency Act" (H.R. 5378) to reform the way PBMs conduct business and bring more transparency to their work. Learn more in a news release from Skrmetti's office.

A new study released Monday shows that in the months after Tyre Nichols' death and passage of an ordinance preventing police from stopping drivers for low-level traffic infractions, the police department increased the number citations issued, reports the Commercial Appeal. The study, Decarcerate Memphis' annual Driving While BIPOC, used information gathered from traffic citations issued by the Memphis Police Department and Shelby County's court system to determine the impact on Black, indigenous and other people of color. The report found that the vast majority of the 2023 pretexts for stopping someone were for vehicle registration issues, and those pretexts were overwhelmingly against Black people. "... Traffic stops are ineffective at reducing or preventing crime," said Alex Hensley, policy chair and steering committee member for the organization.

Alternative law school admissions program JD-Next could soon join the LSAT and the GRE in gaining the American Bar Association’s stamp of approval, reports Reuters. On Thursday, the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar will consider a request to deem the program a “valid and reliable” predictor of an applicant’s law school grades. The designation would enable law school admissions offices to use it without special ABA permission. Supporters say JD-Next — which offers an eight week contracts course followed by an exam — is an important new tool for law schools because it captures law school aptitude without the racial score disparities seen on other standardized tests.