Retired U.S. District Judge Jon McCalla died May 15 at age 79. McCalla was born in Memphis and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1969. He served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army until 1971 and, upon his return, enrolled at Vanderbilt University Law School, where he earned his law degree. McCalla later returned to Memphis and practiced law privately until he was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee by President George H.W. Bush. He was confirmed in 1992 and served as a full-time judge until taking senior status in 2013. Read more about McCalla’s career in the Daily Memphian. A burial liturgy will be held at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Memphis sometime in June, the church announced.

The next legal clinic for veterans in Knoxville will take place June 10 from 9 a.m to 12 p.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. This is a general advice clinic sponsored by the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA), KBA Barristers, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office and the local Veterans Affairs office. Attorneys and law students are needed for the in-person clinic. Attorneys also may help clients by phone. Sign up to volunteer.

U.S. appeals court judges in Washington, D.C., yesterday questioned whether President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting four law firms were a defensible use of his authority. Paul Clement, representing the firms, argued the orders violated the First Amendment and the separation of powers clauses of the constitution. Government lawyers argued that law firm decisions to hire attorneys, who in the president’s view had acted improperly, were not constitutionally protected. Four lower courts earlier struck down the orders against Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey as unconstitutional. The orders targeted lawyers’ access to government buildings and security clearances as well as law firm clients’ government contracts. Bloomberg Law reports on the proceeding.

TBA Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Initiatives Chelsea Bennett, along with members of the TBA Access to Justice Committee and representatives from Tennessee legal aid organizations, attended the 2026 Equal Justice Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hosted annually by the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the conference brings together legal services and pro bono advocates from across the country to share developments, strategies and innovations in providing legal services to low-income individuals. Through plenary sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and special programming, the event provided a wide range of learning and sharing experiences for all attendees.

An inmate at the Shelby County Division of Corrections has died, officials said Wednesday, the Daily Memphian reports. Demarcus Kerr was found unresponsive at the corrections facility near Shelby Farms and taken to Saint Francis Hospital last week. Kerr died on May 10; the cause of death is unknown pending autopsy results. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will handle the investigation. Several inmate deaths were reported in 2025.

The U.S. Supreme Court paused a 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that would have reinstated an in-person requirement for obtaining mifepristone, keeping mail-order access available while the underlying lawsuit continues. The case stems from Louisiana's challenge to 2023 FDA regulations allowing mifepristone to be prescribed via telehealth and mailed to patients, with the state arguing these rules undermine its abortion ban and lack sufficient safety data. The Hill reports that opponents of the ruling, including Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in dissent, contend that mailing the drug may violate federal law and that the court is enabling what they view as an improperly regulated distribution scheme. The dispute remains unresolved — the case returns to the 5th Circuit and could reach the high court again — while the FDA conducts its own ongoing safety review of mifepristone's protocols. Read the order.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection in the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District or any other Tennessee congressional district, the Daily Memphian reports. Cohen made the announcement in Washington, D.C., two hours before the noon filing deadline for the new districts. He will leave the U.S. House in January after serving 10 terms over 20 years. Cohen was first elected to Congress in 2006 after an unsuccessful bid for the seat in 1996. Before joining Congress, he served 24 years in the Tennessee Senate following his election in 1982. Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, announced Tuesday that he will continue his campaign in the 9th District alongside Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus Chair London Lamar of Memphis and activist DeVante Hill of Bartlett. The Commercial Appeal also reports on the developments.

Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella recently announced that Candi Henry has been named managing partner of the firm, effective July 1. Henry will succeed Tyler Chance Yarbro, who was selected by Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell to serve as the next director of the Metro Department of Law. Henry, who rejoined the firm in January, most recently served as chief legal counsel for the Greater Nashville Regional Council, advising the 13-county governmental entity and its affiliated organizations on a range of public services. She previously spent more than a decade with the firm and began her legal career clerking for Judge William C. Koch Jr. on the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Supreme Court. “Candi typifies the judgment and deep commitment to the community that have defined this firm from its beginning more than 40 years ago,” founding partner Margaret L. Behm said in a press release. As managing partner, Henry will oversee the firm’s day-to-day administration while continuing her litigation and transactional practice.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.6% in March, even as 93 of the state’s 95 counties reported lower unemployment rates than the previous month, according to data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Williamson County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.5%. Cheatham, Dickson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson counties also ranked among the 10 lowest rates statewide. Davidson County posted a 2.8% unemployment rate, improving from 3.2% in February and narrowly missing the top 10. Tennessee added 12,100 nonfarm jobs in March, with the largest gains in health care and social assistance and accommodation and food services. The state’s unemployment rate remained below the national average of 4.3%.

The window will soon close for Tennesseans to apply for FEMA aid in the wake of the January ice storm. According to WPLN, the federal agency has distributed nearly $24 million among more than 10,000 applicants so far. The money reimburses people for disaster-related expenses, including temporary lodging and home repairs. It can also go toward medical bills and transportation related to storm injuries. This level of assistance was approved by the president in April and is open to people in 29 counties. The deadline is June 10. Learn more by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.