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 will host a series of virtual town halls this month. Friday's event will start at noon CDT and focus on non-lawyer ownership and fee sharing. 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 will host a series of virtual town halls this month. Each town hall will focus on specific issues outlined in the order, starting with a discussion about Alternative Education and Licensure Pathways on Feb. 10 at noon CST. Additional sessions will address Nonlawyer Ownership and Fee Sharing on Feb. 13 at 11 a.m., Paraprofessionals on Feb. 19 at noon,  ABA Accreditation on Feb. 23 at noon, and Interstate Mobility and Reciprocity on Feb. 26 at noon. All times are central time zone. 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.

The Tennessee Supreme Court currently is considering a range of potential changes to regulation of the state's legal profession. In response, the TBA has formed the Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force to consider the issues, and make recommendations for any proposed action to the TBA Board of Governors. Members are encouraged to become familiar with the issues as well and provide feedback to the task force. Comments to the task force should be submitted via email to townhall@tnbar.org. Comments also may be filed directly with the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has extended the deadline for commenting on its Sept. 16 order from March 16 to April 30. The order sought feedback from the legal community about potential changes to regulation of the profession “to ensure that all Tennesseans have access to affordable quality legal service.” On Jan. 13, the Tennessee Bar Association filed a motion requesting that the court extend the deadline for comments to June 1. Comments now should be submitted by April 30 via email or by mail to James Hivner, Clerk, Re: Regulatory Reform, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219. Comments should reference docket No. ADM2025-01403. The TBA also is seeking feedback. Comments to its Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force should be submitted via email to townhall@tnbar.org. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

As part of the TBA’s effort to help educate members about the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order — which solicited comments on seven areas of possible regulatory changes to the legal profession — the TBA Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force will hold a virtual town hall this Thursday beginning at noon CST. This town hall, the first of several to be planned, will be geared toward attorneys who practice in rural areas. The event will start with a 20-minute presentation by University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Professors Ben Barton and Alex Long. Then McMinnville lawyer Mike Galligan will moderate a discussion about the seven issues presented in the order, including concerns and possible solutions. Attendees are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending. Register for the town hall here.

The state of Florida has become the second U.S. state to reduce its reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) to determine graduates of which law school can become lawyers, Reuters reports. The Supreme Court of Florida said in an order released Jan. 15 that it was replacing the ABA as the “sole accrediting agency” for law schools whose graduates may take the state’s bar exam, a requirement to practice in the state. The Supreme Court of Texas finalized a similar plan earlier this month. The Tennessee Supreme Court is similarly examining whether to "modify, reduce or eliminate its reliance on ABA accreditation" and whether any other practicable alternatives should be considered. Feedback on those questions may be sent to TBA's newly formed Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force at townhall@tnbar.org as well as directly to the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page for more information.

As part of the TBA’s effort to help educate members about the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order — which solicited comments on seven areas of possible regulatory changes to the legal profession — the TBA Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force will hold a virtual town hall on Jan. 22 beginning at noon CST. This town hall, the first of several to be planned, will be geared toward attorneys who practice in rural areas. The event will start with a 20-minute presentation by University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Professors Ben Barton and Alex Long. Then McMinnville lawyer Mike Galligan will moderate a discussion about the seven issues presented in the order, including concerns and possible solutions. Attendees are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending. Register for the town hall here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Sept. 16, 2025, issued an order soliciting comments from the legal community and the public on seven questions related to regulation of the legal profession. The deadline for comments is March 16. The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) has filed a request for an extension of that deadline until June 1 to allow as many members as possible to provide feedback and for its governing bodies to have time to review that feedback. The TBA has formed the Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force to gather and review feedback from members. Those with comments may send their thoughts via email to townhall@tnbar.org. For more information about the court's order access TBA's resource page and watch for more information coming soon about other ways to engage with the task force.

The Texas Supreme Court has ended the state’s reliance on the American Bar Association (ABA) to accredit its law schools, finalizing a rule that places the state’s high court in charge of that certification, Bloomberg Law reports. The court issued preliminary approval in September but continued to solicit public comments throughout the fall. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission weighed in with support in December, calling the ABA a monopoly. In its Jan. 6 order, the court said it intends to ensure that law degrees from Texas schools are portable to other states and vice versa, and does not plan to impose additional burdens on accreditation. The court added it would consider returning to a multi-state accreditation entity that is not the ABA “should a suitable entity become available.” In February 2025, the Trump administration threatened to pull the ABA’s accrediting power nationwide unless it ended its diversity requirements for law schools. The ABA agreed to temporarily suspend enforcement of its diversity and inclusion mandate. 

Texas’ move comes as the Tennessee Supreme Court is similarly examining whether to "modify, reduce or eliminate its reliance on ABA accreditation" as part of a broader review of legal education, licensure and regulatory structures, and whether there are any practicable alternatives that should be considered. Feedback on the court's order may be sent to TBA's newly formed Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force at townhall@tnbar.org as well as directly to the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page for more information.

In the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order soliciting comments from the legal community, the court asks whether "any legal services currently provided by lawyers could be competently provided by paraprofessionals and, if so, what qualifications, limitations, or subject matter restrictions the court should consider imposing." Some mandatory bar states, such as Arizona and Washington, have created or are piloting programs to license paraprofessionals, often called Legal Paraprofessionals or Limited License Legal Technicians (LLLTs), allowing these individuals to provide legal advice and representation in specific, defined areas of law. Indiana — a voluntary bar state — is piloting a regulatory sandbox program to address legal deserts and more. Feedback on Tennessee's potential modification of the role of paraprofessionals in the practice of law may be sent to TBA's newly formed Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force at townhall@tnbar.org as well as directly to the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page for more information.