Barrett Johnston Martin & Garrison reportedly has paid $4 million for a two-story structure at 200 31st Ave. North in Nashville’s West End corridor. The law firm, which traces its history to 1962 and focuses on representing whistleblowers, consumers and rank-and-file workers, operates at Philips Plaza, 414 Union St. in downtown Nashville. Officials with the approximately 18-person firm declined comment regarding plans for the building, according to the Nashville Post.

A group of Covenant School parents have co-founded two nonprofits dedicated to protecting children from gun violence, WPLN reports. The first is Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows, which will focus on education and mental health support. The second, the Covenant Families Action Fund, will focus on legislation. The group recently held a news conference to explain how they will advocate for gun reform measures including safe storage, closing loopholes on background checks and limiting access to firearms for people who are a threat to themselves or others.

The Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeals today was scheduled to take up claims from the country of Mexico that U.S. gun makers should be held responsible for facilitating the trafficking of deadly weapons across the border. Mexico is appealing dismissal of the suit last year by federal Judge F. Dennis Saylor, who found that federal law "unequivocally" bars lawsuits seeking to hold gun manufacturers responsible when people use guns for their intended purpose. Saylor said the law contained several narrow exceptions but none of them applied. Reuters has more on the case.

Tennesseans may take advantage of savings on back-to-school and other items this coming weekend, July 28-30, as state and local sales tax will be suspended on school and office supplies, computers and clothing. In announcing the benefit, Gov. Bill Lee thanked the General Assembly for partnering with his office to provide direct financial relief for taxpayers. Residents also will see additional savings from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31 from a three-month grocery tax suspension, also approved by the legislature.

Magistrate Judge Debra Poplin ruled today that unclaimed funds set aside from a lawsuit involving international accounting firm KPMG be directed to the Institute for Law & Economic Policy, KnoxNews reports. The Eastern District U.S. judge chose the recipient at the recommendation of law firm Cohen, Milstein, Sellers and Toll.

Alabama lawmakers declined to create a second majority-Black congressional district today in defiance of a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in June to give minority voters a greater voice in elections, reports Associated Press. The senate instead created a plan to increase the percentage of Black voters from 31% to 40% in the state’s 2nd District. The map was completed hours before a court-imposed deadline. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is expected to sign the legislation.

Stanford law dean Jenny Martinez informed students in an email yesterday that Tirien Steinbach has stepped down as associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion, reports Reuters. On March 9, Steinbach joined students protesting a visit by 5th U.S. Circuit Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan, who had been invited by the campus chapter of the Federalist Society. A widely circulated video showed Steinbach intervening on behalf of protestors and claiming Duncan's positions on LGBTQ+ people and others might make his presence painful for some students. Steinbach was criticized for her comments and that her failure to stop the protestors was in violation of Stanford’s free speech policies.

Seven of the leading tech companies in competition to create artificial intelligence programs including Microsoft, Google and Open AI have agreed to new commitments on safeguards, sharing and developing new technology, NPR reports. President Biden said that in addition to the safeguards, the White House is working closely with Congress to develop legislation that will address concerns about AI technology. Programs such as OpenAI, which can create text, photographs, music, speech and other media independent of human input, have faced multiple intellectual property lawsuits as well as increased scrutiny from Congress and government regulators.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced today that Vishant Shah has been hired as the county’s first data officer, reports the Commercial Appeal. As data officer, Shah will collect and analyze data from around the county's criminal justice system, including law enforcement and the courts. The information collected will be used internally to improve the efficiency of the DA's office. In addition, Shah plans to make the data public through the DA’s website.

The admissions department at the University of Michigan Law School has explicitly banned the use of ChatGPT, the popular online chatbot, and other forms of artificial intelligence tools on applications, Reuters reports today. Applicants must now certify they haven’t used AI tools in the drafting process. Michigan is the first major law school to warn that any false statements about AI usage may lead to the revocation of admission or expulsion. Other law schools are expected to announce similar bans in the coming months.