The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will host its inaugural Business College: Transactional Law Essentials program on April 10. This in-person program is designed as a practical refresher and foundation course for new and young attorneys — or any lawyer who wants to brush up on the basics of transactional law. Geared toward real-world practice, the program focuses on core concepts, ethical considerations and emerging issues in business law, with hands-on guidance and takeaways attendees can use right away to more confidently and efficiently handle a wide range of business legal matters for their clients.

A longtime corrections officer at Knox County's Richard L. Bean Juvenile Detention Center has filed a lawsuit alleging leadership at the facility discriminated against him because he is Black. Knox News reports that Antonio Smith says he was subjected to harassment and baseless allegations, including claims that he was involved in gang and other criminal activity, that he deprived children at the facility of their rights and repeatedly broke the law, and that he had an inappropriate relationship with a female supervisor. The suit was filed Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court against the county, former interim superintendent Brian Bivens, current interim superintendent Cory Dauer and supervisor Brad Sabol.

Tennessee’s embattled Department of Children’s Services (DCS) still lacks oversight, according to a new audit from the state comptroller. Axios Nashville reports that while the audit found some improvements have been made, DCS still fails to meet the needs of abused and neglected children. The audit notes delayed and incomplete investigations of abuse and neglect claims, an over dependence on temporary transitional housing, delayed reporting of child fatalities, and a lack of oversight in juvenile detention. “These findings call for immediate attention and meaningful action to improve oversight, accountability and care for Tennessee’s most vulnerable children and youth,” an auditor told lawmakers this week.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in March on whether the National Guard has been legally deployed to Memphis, the Commercial Appeal reports. In an order filed today, the court agreed to hear the state’s appeal of a ruling from Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal that temporarily blocked the deployment. The court also granted the state’s request to expedite the appeal. Oral arguments have been scheduled for March 5, 2026, at 9 a.m. CST.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law announced in its Fall 2025 newsletter that it will rename the Institute for Professional Leadership in honor of the late Judge Pamela L. Reeves. A 1979 graduate of the law school, Reeves was the first woman to serve as both district judge and chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Prior to joining the bench, she was respected mediator in private practice and served as TBA president from 1998-1999. According to the school, the renaming is being made possible through the generosity of the Larry Wilks Distinguished Practitioner in Residence George “Buck” T. Lewis and his wife Malinda. Lewis is a co-founder of the institute. A dedication ceremony will be held in the spring with support from Reeves’ husband and Knoxville lawyer Charles Swanson. Lewis and Swanson also are former TBA presidents.

The TBA's Year End CLE Event includes a six-hour "Rookie Series" package designed specifically for new lawyers or those looking to expand into new practice areas. Substantive law topics include introductions to personal injury, probate and civil and criminal contempt. Topical sessions look at compassionate lawyering, alternative career paths and combating burnout through mentorship. Check out the specific courses included in this package. Looking for something else? TBA also has six, eight, 10, 12 and 15-hour packages based on specific topics or practice areas, live webcasts and on-demand video all month long. Explore all the Year End options to complete your CLE requirement by Dec. 31.

Sessions from this fall’s 37th Annual Health Law Forum are now available on demand individually or in a 1-Click package, which features 15 hours of content including three hours of ethics credit. This year’s forum offered insights from health law providers, practitioners and regulators, providing the information lawyers need to stay on top of key advancements. Topics include AI in health care and contracting, regulatory fraud and abuse, legality of health equity programs, controlled substances enforcement, the rise of telehealth and compounded weight loss drugs, and the ever-popular legislative update and state case review. Sessions from the Health Law Primer also are available individually or as a 1-Click package. Topics include an introduction to the U.S. health care system, overview of fraud and abuse laws and reimbursement issues, and unique considerations in health care transactions.

An item in Tuesday's TBA Today attributed an Instagram post displaying a constituent's address to Metro Nashville Councilmember Rollin Horton. The post was anonymous and did not come from Horton. The original story has been corrected.

Tennessee state Rep. Greg Martin, R-Hixson is pushing legislation to expand the state’s death penalty law for child rapists, aiming to streamline the process and add clear “aggravating factors” that prosecutors can use when seeking capital punishment. Under current law, rapists of children under 12 may face the death penalty, but no one has yet been sentenced under that statute, in part because of vague definitions of aggravating circumstances, according to Fox 17. Martin’s bill would clarify factors such as abuse of a child under 4, positions of trust, prior convictions, incest, use of drugs or deadly weapons, filming the crime or other especially cruel actions. Advocates support harsher penalties, saying such crimes destroy a child’s spirit, while others, including some survivors and sexual assault experts, say that capital punishment is not always the preferred path, emphasizing lifetime incarceration and the complexities of abuse within families.

Former police officer Larry Bushart has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Perry County and its sheriff, alleging his constitutional rights were violated in retaliation for protected speech. Bushart spent 37 days in jail after sharing a meme following the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk. According to WBBJ-TV, Bushart was arrested in September and held on a $2 million bond after Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems claimed the meme amounted to a threat of mass violence, an allegation Bushart and his attorneys, with the assistance of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, dispute. Other lawsuits have also been filed involving state and university employees who say they were terminated for comments related to Kirk.