The Belonging Fund, a Nashville-based fundraising effort created in response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, has expanded its mission to cover legal services for immigrants, Axios Nashville reports. The fund, administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, initially was designed to be a resource to help immigrant families with the cost of child care, housing, food and other needs. However, the fund’s website now states it will provide money for immigration-related representation and advocacy. Since its launch, the Belonging Fund has raised more than $525,000. To date it has distributed $98,000 through Conexión Américas to assist 132 families.

The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation will host the 26th Annual Dick Jerman Memorial Golf Tournament on Oct. 13 at Indian Hills Golf Club in Murfreesboro. The event honors the late Circuit Court Judge Dick Jerman Jr. of Alamo, who died in 1999, and supports the foundation’s mission of providing need-based scholarships to Tennessee law students. Founded in 1995 by trial and appellate judges, the foundation is funded through private contributions, memorials, merchandise sales and the annual golf tournament. View more information and register on the foundation's website.

A memorial service honoring retired Nashville General Sessions Judge William Higgins will take place this Thursday at 1 p.m. CDT in Courtroom 3B of the Justice A.A. Birch Building, 408 2nd Ave. N., Nashville 37201. Higgins died Aug. 11 at the age of 86. After earning his law degree from the Nashville School of Law, he went on to serve on the Metro Nashville Council for three terms and practiced law for 13 years before running for the Davidson County General Sessions Court in 1980. He won that race and subsequently was elected to five terms. He was named presiding judge of the court in 2013 and retired in 2022 to return to practicing law. View an invitation for the event.

Knoxville attorney Albert Joseph Harb died Aug. 14 at age 73. Harb earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee and began practicing law independently before joining the firm of Hodges, Doughty & Carson in 1984, where he practiced until 2024. Over the years, Harb developed a large construction law practice, represented clients in personal injury cases and maintained a diverse list of corporate and commercial litigation clients. A reception for friends will be held Aug. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. EDT at Apostles Anglican Church, 1540 Robinson Rd. NW, Knoxville 37923. The funeral is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. EDT at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, 9132 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37923. A graveside service will take place at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery, 5315 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37919. Donations may be made in Harb’s honor to Apostles Anglican Church, the Dr. Wahid Hanna Educational Endowment at the University of Tennessee or FISH Hospitality Pantries.

Join moderator and TBA YLD President Judge Alex McVeagh and four Tennessee judges on Nov. 20 for a one-hour conversation about their paths from first-generation lawyers to serving on the bench. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Davidson County General Sessions Judge Ana Escobar, Court of Appeals Judge John W. McClarty and 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge David Veile will share how they built their careers without direct ties to the legal profession, the challenges they faced and the lessons they learned along the way. Whether you are a first-generation attorney or simply interested in the journeys of those who serve in the judiciary, this program will offer practical insights, encouragement and a candid look at what it takes to succeed at the highest levels of the legal field. For more information and to register visit the TBA's website.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division recently participated in Balancing the Scales: Voices of First-Gen Lawyers — a panel discussion designed to provide advice and insight to first-generation law students and young lawyers. The panel, moderated by TBA YLD Middle Tennessee Governor Alix Rogers, features YLD board members Raven Austin, Morgan Hanna, Cole Harrell-Morris, Lorne Hiller and Chicoya Smith as they share their journey to the legal profession. Topics discussed include: what it means to be a first-generation lawyer; what they wish they had known at the beginning of their careers; and what pitfalls need to be avoided. Check out their unique, yet relatable stories in this on-demand recording on TBA's YouTube account.

The state attorney general’s office has issued subpoenas seeking abortion-related information from four Tennessee hospitals as part of an ongoing lawsuit challenging the state’s abortion ban, The Tennessean reports. The subpoenas, filed earlier this year, request broad information including the number of abortions performed, policies and guidelines under the law, and documents and communications relating to abortion care. A protective order bars the information from being used outside of the lawsuits. The hospitals have objected to the subpoenas, citing patient privacy laws and other concerns. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by a group of Tennessee women, argues their lives were endangered after they were denied emergency abortions under the state's ban. They say the law is vague and that physicians are refusing to perform medically necessary abortions out of fear of legal repercussions. The case is scheduled for trial next year.

Federal Public Defender (PD) Kelley Henry said Byron Black’s defibrillator did not activate during his Aug. 4 execution by lethal injection, Nashville Banner reports. Witnesses to the lethal injection said Black lifted his head off the gurney during the execution, groaned and said, “Oh, it’s hurting so bad.” It will be eight to 12 weeks before Black’s autopsy and toxicology reports are available, but Henry warned that the question of what was causing pain may go unanswered. The lethal dose of pentobarbital administered to Black should have rendered him unresponsive within seconds. Her team plans to submit public records requests to gather more information but a state motion to stay all proceedings would prohibit such discovery into the pentobarbital used. A hearing on the state’s motion is set for Aug. 22.

The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) has filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Chancery Court seeking access to records from a May immigration sweep in Nashville that led to about 200 arrests, Axios Nashville reports. The group claims the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which worked with federal immigration and homeland security agents on the operation, failed to release all requested records, denied the existence of some documents, and delayed producing video footage. TIRRC argues the actions violate the Tennessee Public Records Act, which ensures public access to information about state government operations.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation has opened the 2026 Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) grant application. Established by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1984, the IOLTA program generates funds that are used to provide civil legal services to the poor and/or improve the administration of justice. The deadline to apply is Sept. 29. Learn more about grant eligibility and guidelines, and access the application portal, at www.tnbarfoundation.org. The foundation was established in 1982. Since its inception, it has contributed more than $32 million to Tennessee nonprofit organizations. Read the full announcement.