Memphis Mayor Paul Young said today in his first press conference since taking office that he plans to enforce a slate of ordinances passed by the Memphis City Council in the wake of Tyre Nichols' death, the Commercial Appeal reports. A few days before stepping down from office, former mayor Jim Strickland said he did not enforce the ordinances because he believed them to be “illegal,” MLK50 reports. The ordinances included prohibitions on police making traffic stops for low-level violations or in an unmarked vehicles. After the press conference, Memphis Police Department Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis said the department had been enforcing the ordinances as internal policies.

A former state Supreme Court Chief justice and the first woman to lead the state's highest court will mediate the civil wrongful death suit filed by the widow of an inmate who died last year at the Shelby County Jail, reports the Daily Memphian. Janice M. Holder will oversee negotiations between lawyers for Nicole Freeman and Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., Chief Jailer Kirk Fields and the Shelby County government. Freeman is asking for $100 million for the death of her late husband, Gershun Freeman, who died Oct. 5, 2022, after an altercation with corrections officers.

The University of Tennessee College of Law recently held a "Celebration of Generosity" reception to honor alumni and friends who provide major philanthropic support for the college. Dean Lonnie Brown welcomed the honored attendees, and two current students and scholarship recipients, Ronald Young and Isabelle Thibault, shared how their educational journeys have been positively impacted by the generosity of donors. Read more about the event.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced it has completed its Nashville office relocation to ONE 22 ONE, 1221 Broadway, Ste. 2400, Nashville 37203. The firm now occupies the top four floors of the 24-story high-rise building. The firm signed a lease for the Gulch property in 2022. Bradley was founded in 1910 and is one of the largest law firms in Nashville with more than 160 attorneys. Read more about the new location,

The Tennessee General Assembly can legally shield its records of sexual harassment investigations from the public, a judge ruled this week in a lawsuit related to an investigation last spring that led to the resignation of then-Rep. Scotty Campbell. According to the Tennessean, Brian Manookian sued the Office of Legislative Administration and its director, Connie Ridley, last May over unfulfilled public records requests regarding the legislature's response to harassment complaints and related expenditures. WKRN reports during the trial, evidence submitted to the court included two pages of notes regarding another complaint filed against state Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, who is also chair of the Republican House Caucus. In his ruling this week, Chancellor Russell Perkins included a list of evidence submitted, including a file folder "with an alleged victim's first name ... pertaining to a complaint" against Faison. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, released a statement following the ruling denying that any complaint exists against Faison.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation has awarded $2 million from the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program to law-related organizations across the state. The 2024 grants represent the largest amount given in the 36-year history of the IOLTA program in Tennessee. Grants were awarded to 35 different projects, including seven that are new to the program this year. The projects provide an array of services, including individual legal representation, dispute mediation, assistance for survivors of domestic violence, immigration counseling and housing advocacy. Read more in a news release or see the full list of award recipients.

The University of Tennessee College of Law has announced a new strategic plan that will provide guidance for the school through 2028. “Tennessee Law: Lighting the Way” is the result of two years of work by the Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Development Teri Baxter. The plan includes the college’s vision statement to be the “premier law school in the southeast” and five strategic goals. Read more in a news release from the college or the full plan.

Last year’s law firm merger total saw a slight increase over 2022, beating what had been the busiest year for mergers since the pandemic, Reuters reports. Some 48 deals were completed in 2023 — two more than 2022, according to new data from legal consultancy Fairfax Associates. Among the largest deals were Holland & Knight's tie-up with Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis and Dentons' combination with Indian law firm Link Legal. This year, at least nine other mergers are expected.

Those interested in running for an elected office with the Tennessee Bar Association or as a TBA delegate to the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates have until Feb. 15 to qualify for the 2024 ballot. Positions open this year on the TBA Board of Governors include a new vice president from the state's West Grand Division, four district governors and six grand division governors. For the ABA House of Delegates, four positions are available. To qualify for any of these roles, candidates must file a nominating petition, including the signatures of 25 TBA members in good standing, with the TBA executive director by emailing barED@tnbar.org, or by mail to 3310 West End Ave., Ste. 590, Nashville, TN 37203. The TBA’s website has more information on the election process and the list of available positions.

An American Bar Association (ABA) proposal to strengthen job protections for untenured law faculty is garnering widespread support, reports Reuters. The change under consideration by the ABA’s Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar would require law schools to hire full-time legal writing instructors and other untenured full-time faculty on five-year “presumptively renewable long-term contracts.” The ABA developed the proposal at the urging of the Association of Legal Writing Directors and the Legal Writing Institute, and has received more than 30 public comments in support of the change. The public comment period ends Jan. 8.