The state has been awarded a federal grant to study the feasibility of establishing Amtrak passenger rail service between Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Atlanta, the Nashville Business Journal reports. The $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation initiates development efforts such as preparing a scope, schedule and cost estimate for the route. Chattanooga officials announced their leg of the route yesterday, Chattanoogan.com reports. Memphis officials announced their involvement today.

Nine attorneys from Tennessee were admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court during the 38th annual TBA Academy yesterday. TBA President Jim Barry moved for admission of the members during a regular court session in Washington, D.C. Attorneys admitted before the high court were Sean Aiello, Kenneth “Ken” Bryant, Charles Frazier, Theodore “Ted” Goodman, Ashley Jefferson, Billy Leslie, Randall “Randy” Russell, Rebekah Spotts and Sheree Wright. Following the swearing in ceremony, the group stayed to observe oral arguments in the case of Charles G. Moore et al. v. United States, which centers on the constitutionality of the federal mandatory repatriation tax.

A group of Catholic nuns has sued the board of Smith & Wesson in an attempt to force the gunmaker to abandon the manufacture and marketing of its assault-style rifles used in U.S. mass shootings, reports Reuters. The nuns filed the lawsuit in their role as Smith & Wesson shareholders, in what is known as a derivative lawsuit, the first against a gun manufacturing board, according to the nuns' attorney. The lawsuit, filed in Nevada state court, alleges Smith & Wesson's directors exposed the company to significant liability by intentionally violating federal, state and local laws.

Nashville attorneys April Nemer and Jake Nemer have announced the opening of the family law practice Nemer LLP. The attorneys previously practiced with Lindsey Amonette Nemer + Glassford PLLC. The new practice includes divorce and family law litigation, probate and estate administration and mediation. April Nemer attended Belmont University and New England School of Law. Jake Nemer attended Rhodes College and Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Both are Nashville natives.

A survey by consultancy Withum Smith+Brown found that leading law firms are less bullish heading into 2024 than they were coming into 2023, reports Law.com. About 42% of respondents said increased salary demands posed a risk to their cash position. The report also found more than 48% expected overhead to rise in 2024, compared with 27% in 2023. Even before top law firms began adopting salary increases, the outlook was already described as “tepid” and “volatile.” Legal industry analysts noted high billing rates may have helped firms stave off further cuts next year.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Louisiana Monday night, 11 Republican-led states and energy groups challenged a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that bolsters state and tribal veto power over infrastructure projects that might pollute rivers and streams, reports Reuters. The states argue the EPA's ruling revising the Clean Water Act's process to block projects that impact water resources exceeded the agency's authority. The plaintiffs warned the rule, which went into effect last month, will increase the workload of state agencies and thwart new infrastructure projects.

A new report shows students at California law schools not accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) had a pass rate of just 21% on the July 2022 bar exam. Reuters reports that according to the state bar’s first-ever comprehensive Law School Profile released Friday, graduates of ABA approved law schools had a pass rate of 67%. The report also showed that California law schools unaccredited by the ABA have cheaper tuition and more diverse student bodies than their ABA-accredited counterparts. The report raises policy questions about the future of law school regulation in California. The state bar said it plans to conduct further research on the trends identified in the new report.

A special report looking at the state of the Shelby County Criminal Court has found a significant decline in the number of annual trials and an increase in the length of time it takes for cases to come to trial. The Commercial Appeal looks at the findings of former Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Bobby Carter, who was asked to conduct the investigation by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. Carter found that fewer than 40 trials occurred this year compared to years past when some 200 trials took place. Carter also found that the length of time it takes cases to reach trial has made plea deals less attractive to defendants, amplifying the backlog of cases. Read the full report and Carter’s recommendations for addressing these challenges.

The mother of a 17-year-old girl says her daughter was "body slammed" by two male counselors from Youth Villages after she refused to strip in front of them during an appointment at the Shelby County Health Department and later was beaten by at least 12 counselors at the facility. Youth Villages strongly denies the accusations, and in the case of the first incident, says Alegend Jones was accompanied by two women to the department. According to the Commercial Appeal, Jones went to the facility after her mother asked the Department of Children's Services (DCS) to take over as guardian to help with mental health struggles. Her death was described by the center as an "incident" and "medical emergency." The mother has retained civil rights attorney Ben Crump. DCS says it also is investigating the death.

Mike Dunavant, former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee and former elected district attorney general of the 25th Judicial District, has been named deputy executive director of legal services and policy at the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC). In his new role, Dunavant will oversee four divisions: Legislative, Legal Services, Training and Child Support. He also will serve as the liaison between Tennessee’s 32 elected district attorneys general and the agencies and officials of the executive and legislative branches. Dunavant first joined the TNDAGC in 2006 when he was elected as the district attorney general for Lauderdale, Tipton, Fayette, Hardeman and McNairy counties. He was reelected in 2014 and served in the position until his 2017 appointment as U.S. attorney. He left that office and joined the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s Division of Investigations in 2021. Read more in a press release from the group.