Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined 18 other state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of a lower court ruling that found that the FDA violated its statutory duty in approving new rules for the abortion pill mifepristone. The government has now appealed that ruling. In January, the FDA issued new rules allowing mifepristone to be sold through the mail. 

Yale Law School now has some company at the top — it is tied with Stanford Law School as the number one law school in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. In a surprise move, the publication released the top 14 schools on its latest law school rankings, one week ahead of planned release of the full rankings. In response to a boycott by nearly a quarter of law schools that said the publication's methodology hurt student diversity and affordability, U.S. News overhauled its methodology to rely largely on ABA data, placing more weight on bar passage and employment and reducing the emphasis on Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores. Read more from Reuters.

A list of those who passed the February 2023 bar exam will be released tomorrow by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Check the TBA’s website for the complete list of successful applicants.

Today is International Be Kind to Lawyers Day. TBA member benefit provider Clio has more on this unofficial holiday, including its origins and its founder Steven Hughes.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order today that will reinforce background checks for all firearm purchases. In addition, the order sets a 72-hour deadline for reporting criminal activity and other information to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and calls for a study of how law enforcement agencies share information. Lee also called on lawmakers to vote on allowing law enforcement to remove weapons from anyone deemed a risk themselves or others. "A new, strong order of protection law will provide the broader population cover, safety, from those who are a danger to themselves or the population,” said Lee on a visit to a Nashville police precinct as reported by the Tennessean. “This is our moment to lead and to give the people of Tennessee what they deserve.”

Recipients of the 2023 TBA Public Service Awards will be honored Saturday at a brunch event in downtown Nashville. The TBA’s Access to Justice Committee has recognized Anne Boatner as the Ashley Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year, David M. Cook as the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year and Tenaya Winkelman as the Law Student Volunteer of the Year. The awards recognize outstanding service by attorneys and law students who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. Read more about the TBA Public Service Awards. For information about the Public Service Awards or Saturday's brunch, please contact Liz Todaro.

A panel of three Tennessee judges today granted an injunction that temporarily halts implementation of a new state law limiting city and metropolitan councils to 20 members or less. The law, which impacted only Metro Nashville, would require the city to cut its council in half according to the Tennessean. City leaders challenged the law’s constitutionality and argued the measure would complicate upcoming local elections. With the injunction in place, Nashville can move forward with its Aug. 3 election with 40 council seats on the ballot, the paper reports.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined 20 other state attorneys general cautioning 50 of the nation's largest asset managers about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments they claim promote a political agenda over the fiduciary interests of their clients. In a press release, the coalition urged asset managers to choose between their legal duties to focus on financial return and the policy goals of ESG activists.

Law firm Baker Donelson has named two new group leaders. Nashville shareholder Michaela Poizner is the new chair of the Health Law Group. Poizner’s practice includes working with providers in the behavioral and long-term health sectors. She also founded the firm’s behavioral health initiative. Poizner joined Baker Donelson after graduating from Vanderbilt Law School in 2013. In addition, Memphis shareholder Whitney M. Dowdy has been named chair of the New Litigator Group, which is comprised litigation associates across the firm's footprint in their early years of practice. Dowdy will continue to practice employment law while serving in the role. She earned her law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 2004.

In a special meeting this afternoon the Metro Nashville Council voted unanimously to temporarily reinstate former Rep. Justin Jones to the legislature effective immediately, the Tennessean reported. Jones was one of two Black representatives expelled Thursday for protesting the House's refusal to consider new gun control legislation in the aftermath of a deadly local school shooting that claimed six, including three children. On Wednesday, the Shelby County Commission will consider reappointing the other expelled legislator, Rep. Justin Pearson, the Commercial Appeal reports. Both Jones and Pearson have said they will run again for their seats in upcoming special elections.