Agathos Classical School of Columbia was named the 2026 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial champion after two days of preliminary rounds. The school prevailed over the University School of Nashville. Tennessee State Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell presided over the round, while members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division's (YLD) Executive Committee, TBA President Heidi Barcus and TBA President-elect Charlotte Knight Griffin served as jurors. Earlier in the day, the top eight teams were announced, an MVP for each of the 16 teams was recognized, individual awards were presented to the best advocates and witnesses, and Unicoi County High School of Erwin was awarded the 2026 Sportsmanship Award. The top three artists in the inaugural Artist in the Courtroom Contest also were recognized. James Overstreet of Houston High School in Germantown was selected as the top artist.

Special thanks to YLD Mock Trial Committee Chair John Jolley, Vice Chair Bridget Pyman, Long Range Planning Coordinator Ashley Tipton and members of the committee for organizing this year's event, which involved 16 teams, more than 200 participants and more than 100 volunteers, including sitting Tennessee judges, lawyers and the YLD's Diversity Leadership Institute's law students. Agathos Classical School will represent Tennessee at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Des Moines, Iowa in May. The team is coached by Columbia attorneys Jason Whatley and Cory Ricci of Whatley & Associates and Luke Worsham. See photos from this event.

Individuals interested in learning more about mock trial are encouraged to view the new TBA YLD Mock Trial 101 video available on the TBA website.

Senior Judge Mark Ward ruled earlier this week that death row inmate Tony Carruthers is competent to be executed. According to the Nashville Banner, Ward found that Carruthers’s testimony showed him to be someone who understood his conviction and sentence but simply believed it was wrong. Defense attorneys had argued that Carruthers is not competent because he is consumed by psychotic delusions that he is the victim of a vast conspiracy and will be released once that conspiracy is exposed. They said they plan to appeal Ward’s decision. Carruthers is scheduled to be executed on May 21 for the murders and the kidnapping of Marcellos Anderson, his mother Delois, and Anderson’s friend Frederick Tucker.

University of Tennessee (UT) Chancellor Donde Plowman fired Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology Tamar Shirinian in February over a Facebook post celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination. The action, just being reported now, cites reputational harm to the university and potential safety risks as justification for the termination. Shirinian had been suspended in October 2025 while the university pursued termination. She subsequently filed a lawsuit arguing the action amounted to viewpoint discrimination and political retaliation. In February, Shirinian expanded the suit to include top UT officials and board members in the complaint. She has requested an administrative appeal and is awaiting trial, which is scheduled for early 2027. Knox News has more on the story.

After more than two weeks in detention in Alabama and Louisiana, Nashville Noticias journalist Estefany Rodríguez was freed on bond late Thursday afternoon. “Today we celebrate that Estefany has been released from the ICE detention center in Louisiana and is on her way home to be with her family,” Mike Holley, an attorney with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, said in a statement. The group is representing Rodríguez in her habeas case against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An immigration judge approved Rodríguez's release on a $10,000 bond but federal officials initially reserved the right to appeal. They ultimately did not. The Nashville Banner has more on the developments

Williamson County leaders broke ground last week on a new juvenile justice center. WKRN reports that the new center will include six courtrooms, space to meet staff and filing demands, a secure juvenile detention center and an alternative learning center that will provide resources and programs for all county schools. According to Williamson County Juvenile Court, in 2019, juvenile services had an annual caseload of around 5,100 cases. They are projected to see 28,000 cases by 2044. The county anticipates opening the new center in 2028.

New Orleans-based law firm McGlinchey Stafford has filed for bankruptcy after announcing in January that it would close its Nashville office. According to the Nashville Post, the firm's statement of financial affairs reported $83.4 million in gross revenue in 2025, up slightly from $82.3 million in 2024. Relatedly, the firm had $15.5 million in assets and $13 million in total liabilities, which includes multiple individual wage claims. The 52-year-old firm also is involved in several ongoing legal cases nationwide, including two in which it is a named defendant.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and its Mock Trial Committee will hold the 2026 Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition this weekend in Nashville. Today and Saturday, 16 teams will meet in a bid to be this year's state champion. Participating schools are: Agathos Classical School in Columbia, Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, Clarksville High School, Cookeville High School, Chattanooga Southeast Home Education Association, Farragut High School in Knoxville, Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Jefferson County High School in Dandridge, Maryville High School, Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, two teams from St. Mary’s Episcopal School in Memphis, Signal Mountain High School, Unicoi County High School in Erwin and University School of Nashville. Students will present their best arguments in State of Tennessee v. Alex Callahan, a criminal case brought following the murder of a known mafia associate. This year's competition also will feature the second Artist in the Courtroom Contest. Tennessee's team winner and first place artist then will have the opportunity to represent the state at the National High School Mock Trial Competition in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 7-9. The Mock Trial Committee is led by Chair John Jolley, Vice Chair Bridget Pyman and Long Range Planning Coordinator Ashley Tipton. The state competition caps off the district competition process.

Attorneys from across the state gathered in Nashville on Wednesday for TBA's fourth annual "Day on the Hill." The day kicked off with remarks from House Majority Leader Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland; Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga; and Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee Vice Chair Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon. The TBA presented the three legislators with President's Awards from Immediate Past President Ed Lanquist Jr. for their work in improving the state's indigent representation system. Participants then met with more than 45 legislators to discuss issues impacting the legal profession and the practice of law. Members of the TBA Leadership Law Class of 2026 also joined the legislative visits for the first time. The day concluded with the TBA's annual Big Shrimp legislative reception, giving TBA leaders and members a chance to meet with legislators in a casual setting to continue conversations on topics important to the profession. See photos from the day.

West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) has announced the formation of a Pro Bono Advisory Board, a new initiative bringing together volunteer attorneys to help expand access to legal services for low-income individuals and families in the region. "Access to justice is a cornerstone of a fair and equitable society," said Andy Cole, WTLS pro bono managing attorney. "The formation of this board represents a meaningful step forward in our mission to serve those who need it most." Board members are Chair Rajanae Jones, Burch Porter & Johnson; Vice Chair Ameshia Forrest, Baptist Memorial Health Care; Secretary Nolen Mooney, Attorney at Law; Misty O’Neal, Law Office of Darrell J. O’Neal; Londyn Norman, Arnold Willis & Conway; Christina McConnell, Tennessee Department of Transportation; Nakota Wood, Fisher & Phillips; Kenneth Groce, Butler Snow; and Devarius Minor, Office of the Shelby County Public Defender. The board will work alongside WTLS staff to identify gaps in legal services, recruit and support volunteer attorneys and develop strategies to increase pro bono participation throughout the region. Read more in a press release.

New data released from the American Bar Association (ABA) shows that Belmont College of Law ranks 10th in the nation for schools with the most successful bar exam passage rate. Belmont students saw a pass rate of 100% for first-time test takers in February 2025 and 96.91% for the July 2025 exam. Stanford, Yale, Duke and Harvard law schools took the top four spots. Reuters reports that the ABA recently released bar exam data detailing national results and figures for the 198 individual U.S. law schools it accredits. The new data shows that 84% of graduates from ABA-accredited law schools who took the bar for the first time passed, which is up one percentage point over the 83% first-time pass rate in 2024.