U.S. District Judge Travis McDonough in Knoxville has denied a temporary restraining order that would have stopped the priority status for restaurants and bars owned by women and certain minorities in President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 relief package, the Associated Press reports. The complaint targets the three-week period from May 3 until Monday when only funding requests from businesses owned by women, veterans or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals will be processed. The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty brought the lawsuit for a restaurant owner in Harriman, Tennessee. It claims the program pushes white males “to the back of the line” and puts them “at significant risk” of missing out on funding. McDonough was not swayed by the argument, citing data from the federal government that shows how businesses owned by women and some minorities “have suffered more severely” than others during the pandemic.

Gov. Bill Lee this week signed two criminal justice reform bills into law, predicting that the measures would break cycles of crime and punishment and keep families intact, the Tennessean reports. The new laws are intended to divert more people away from state prisons and to expand support services for people who are leaving prisons after serving their sentences. The administration is expected to push for broader sentencing reform next year. Lee is also expected to sign legislation that creates harsher penalties for several crimes, including drag racing, farm vandalism and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon. After the bill signing, Lee told reporters that his criminal justice work would pair “smart” reforms with some tougher penalties.

The Administrative Office of the Court, in partnership with the Department of Children’s Services, Metro Nashville Public Schools and the Davidson County Juvenile Court, has created a pilot program with the goal of increasing on-time graduation rates for students in foster care. Project Wrap Around hopes to achieve its goal by facilitating improved communication among stakeholders like DCS and MNPS and through Wrap Around Meetings, which will be attended by students in foster care, school administrators, counselors, teachers, MNPS and DCS, guardians ad litem and CASA advocates when appropriate. The project’s stakeholders hope to have conversations about expanding beyond Davidson County after the next school year. The AOC’s website has more on its efforts to make Project Wrap Around successful.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has joined 47 attorneys general in calling on congressional leaders to pass the Fraud and Scam Reduction Act —a resolution aimed at fighting scams that target seniors. The act would establish an advisory group to collect data from retailers, financial services and wire-transfer companies and use it to educate employees on how to identify and prevent scams against seniors. It would also create the Office for the Prevention of Fraud Targeting Seniors to help monitor emerging scams, disseminate information on common fraud schemes and more. Read more from the AG’s office.  

Save the date for this year’s Animal Law Forum, taking place live and in-person at the Nashville Zoo on Sept. 24. Programming will run from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT and will provide attendees with a unique opportunity to brush up on trends and advancements in animal law, while networking and enjoying the fun and activities the zoo offers. The zoo’s president and CEO and the board’s general counsel will discuss conservation efforts and laws affecting procurement and care for zoo animals. Other topics include ethical considerations for animals and the law, legislative updates, laws governing farm animals and more. Zoo admission, breakfast and lunch are included with the program.

The TBA Litigation Law Section will host a roundtable discussion tomorrow, featuring panelists who will provide present-day insights of judicial independence in the shadows of our separation-of-powers history. In the Shadow of History: Separation of Powers and Tennessee Courts will take place on May 26 from 3 until 4 p.m. CDT. Todd Presnell of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings will moderate a panel that will include Nashville School of Law Dean William C. Koch Jr., University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law professor Steven J. Mulroy and former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice and University of Tennessee College of Law professor Penny J. White. The roundtable is free and open to the public, with optional CLE credit for a fee of $45.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk has said that the city will not be enforcing Tennessee’s controversial transgender bathroom law, The Tennessean reports. The bill, HB1182/SB1224, as enacted requires “a public or private entity or business that operates a building or facility open to the general public to post a notice at the entrance of each public restroom of the entity's or business's policy of allowing a member of either biological sex to use any public restroom.” Funk in a statement said “I believe every person is welcome and valued in Nashville. Enforcement of transphobic or homophobic laws is contrary to those values." When asked about Funk's statement, Gov. Bill Lee told the paper: “his decision will be his own … I signed the law and it'll be his decision how he wants to respond to it.” Funk is not the only city official voicing opposition to the legislation. Nashville Mayor John Cooper says such measures are tantamount to a "do not come here" sign, and that a “platform of hate and division” could have a negative impact on the state’s economy.

The TBA Mentoring Committee will host a free virtual program on ethics in the mentoring relationship from 11:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. CDT on June 8. The session is open to all current mentors and mentees or anyone interested in joining the Mentoring Program. Guest speakers Brian Faughnan of Lewis Thomason, Sandy Garrett with the Board of Professional Responsibility and Knoxville Law Director Charles Swanson will discuss identifying clear ethical violations in a mentoring relationship and setting and maintaining healthy expectations and boundaries in today’s setting. To RSVP for the event, email Stephanie Vonnahme.

The Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims today issued a new order governing hearings and trials following the Tennessee Supreme Court's decision to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on in-person court proceedings earlier this month. The new Workers’ Compensation Court’s order will require continued social distancing and risk questions. The presiding judge in each case will have the discretion to require masks or other safety protocols. In-person settlements will still be held remotely until further notice. Read more from the court.

The ABA has launched a 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge© in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. It is the second ABA-wide challenge launched this year, the first of which was offered in February for Black History Month. The idea behind the challenge is to advance deeper understandings of the intersections of race, power, privilege, supremacy and oppression by inviting participants to complete 21 short assignments over 21 consecutive days. Each activity takes about 15 to 20 minutes and can include readings, videos and podcasts. This specific challenge is designed to expose participants to AAPI histories, identities and cultures, as well as the community’s experiences of racism in America.