The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law recently held its 2026 Orr Symposium. This year’s theme, “Closing the Rural Justice Gap: Innovation and Regulatory Reform,” examined the causes of legal deserts and explored practical solutions. According to Knox TN Today, speakers focused on how the legal profession can rethink legal service delivery to ensure that people in underserved communities are not left behind. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner spoke about the court’s recent call for public comment on regulatory reforms, saying it was designed to “have a conversation” about unmet legal need across Tennessee. Other panels explored alternative licensing, the role of non-lawyer legal professionals and what other states are doing to help fill the justice gap. Learn more about the symposium or watch a recording of the program.

The law school also unveiled the Legal Desert Incubator Program, which will provide graduates who commit to spending five years in a legal desert with training, mentoring, business support and financial incentives. And it announced that Briana Rosenbaum, associate dean for access and community engagement and associate professor of law, has been appointed to the Law School Admission Council’s new Rural Access to Justice Workgroup. That group will investigate innovative approaches to expanding the pipeline of future rural attorneys.

Want to learn more about these issues? Join the TBA on July 29 for a discussion with lawyers and judges. Learn more and register here.

Before handing the gavel off to new TBA President Charlotte Knight Griffin, outgoing President Heidi Barcus presented awards to several lawyers for outstanding service during her year in leadership. Barcus honored the members of the TBA Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force, which solicited and reviewed lawyers' feedback on possible regulatory changes to the practice of law in Tennessee and helped create the TBA's official comment filed with the Tennessee Supreme Court in April. They are: Chair Sarah Sheppeard and members Brandon Bass, Lisa Cole, Dixie Cooper, Michael Galligan, Ed Lanquist Jr., Mary Beth Maddox, Jimmie Miller, Randy Noel, Scott Sims, Charles Swanson, Danny Van Horn, Howard Vogel and John Wilks. Barcus also presented awards to Geoffrey Lewis and John Wilks for their service as co-chairs of the TBA Leadership Law Program. Barcus praised the fresh enthusiasm the two brought to the 23-year old program this year. Finally, she presented an award to Knoxville lawyer and former TBA President Howard Vogel for his wise counsel.

Alabama has joined Texas and Florida in removing the American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school graduation requirement for bar exam eligibility, part of a broader push to reduce the ABA's influence over lawyer licensing. Reuters reports that the move stems from an ongoing conflict between the ABA and the Trump administration over a number of issues. The U.S. Department of Education also is reviewing whether to strip the ABA of its official law school accreditor status. Tennessee is weighing a similar change, framing it as an access-to-justice issue, and received backing from both the FTC and DOJ's Antitrust Division, who argued the ABA's outsized role limits the supply of lawyers and drives up costs. The ABA maintains that national accreditation is the "gold standard" and prevents a state-by-state patchwork of requirements. Read the TBA's comment filed April 30 with the Tennessee Supreme Court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has released the comments submitted in response to its September 2025 order soliciting feedback on seven potential regulatory reforms, which according to the court, are designed to increase access to legal representation while also ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. The comments have been combined into six separate documents: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 6. Access the documents on the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resources page. Read the TBA's comments.

The TBA today filed comments with the Tennessee Supreme Court on potential regulatory reform of the state’s legal profession. The comments respond to the court’s call for feedback on seven potential regulatory reforms to increase access to legal representation while also ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. Over the past seven months, the TBA has provided a range of opportunities for members of the legal community to share their thoughts on these possible changes. In announcing the filing of TBA’s comments, President Heidi Barcus thanked all those who participated. “The TBA is grateful for the thoughtful and insightful feedback shared by lawyers across the state during this process. Whether through emails to the TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force, submissions to TBA’s survey or attendance at six virtual town hall meetings, your input greatly assisted the task force and Board of Governors in developing the comments that were filed today.” Read the TBA's comments or learn more about the issues under consideration.

Comments in response to the Tennessee Supreme Court's Sept. 16 order seeking feedback on seven questions related to regulation of the state's legal profession are due tomorrow. The court extended the deadline to April 30 in January. The court says the goal of the effort is to increase the availability of affordable legal services in the state while ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. Comments should include docket No. ADM2025-01403 and be submitted to Clerk James Hivner, Re: Regulatory Reform, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219 or by email to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

Feedback about the Tennessee Supreme Court's order considering a range of potential changes to regulation of the legal profession is due to the TBA Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force by March 16. The task force will be reviewing responses submitted by email as well as comments submitted as part of a statewide survey and six virtual town hall events, which took place in January and February, and ongoing conversations with stakeholders. The task force then will make recommendations for any proposed action to the TBA Board of Governors. Members are encouraged to review the TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to become familiar with the issues at stake. Feedback to the task force should be submitted via email to townhall@tnbar.org. Comments on the court order also may be filed directly with the court by April 30.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force is hosting a series of virtual town halls. Thursday's event will start at noon CDT and will focus on whether the court should consider modifying requirements for admission to the Tennessee Bar for those licensed in other states to promote interstate practice and mobility. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force is hosting a series of virtual town halls. Monday's event will start at noon CDT and focus on ABA Accreditation; Thursday's session will also begin at noon CST and cover Interstate Mobility and Reciprocity. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force is hosting a series of virtual town halls. Thursday's event will start at noon CDT and focus on the role of paraprofessionals. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.