Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder told the Tennessee Lookout this week that he is “strongly considering” entering the 5th Congressional District race as a Democrat, potentially setting up a 2026 race against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles. According to the Nashville Post, Molder announced yesterday that he would not seek a third term as mayor. If he runs, Molder could face three others in a party primary. Nashville Metro Council member Mike Cortese, adjunct professor Joyce Neal and health care executive Jim Torino have expressed interest in running. Molder, who practiced law in Columbia before becoming mayor in 2018, is a graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. As a new lawyer he was active in the TBA Young Lawyers Division.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently settled a suit brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) on behalf of its clients, the Star News and journalist Matt Kittle of The Federalist. WILL had sued the bureau in April after it denied a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for access to the writings of the individual who shot and killed six at Nashville’s Covenant School. As part of the agreement, the FBI released 120 pages of the shooter’s “manifesto” and agreed to pay WILL more than $86,000 in legal fees. Star News Digital Media owns and operates a number of state-focused news sites, including The Tennessee Star. Read more in a news release from the institute.

The traditional maxim in a military career was “up or out” — either you progressed up the chain of command or you were urged to find your career calling elsewhere. Similarly, there are “A-list” clients who are easy to work for, pay promptly and bring in new business. This webcast replay on Monday will explore the process of grading clients on a variety of criteria, and then cover techniques to move them up the scale, turning “C clients” into Bs and “B clients” into As. Join Jeffrey Krause with Affinity Consulting at noon CDT for this one-hour program. Can’t make that time? The program also is available on demand.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has received eight applications for a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District following the retirement of Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn. The applicants for the criminal court vacancy are Mark Cole, Ronald Dowdy, Dustin Faeder, Keeda J. Haynes, Dominic J. Leonardo, Kyle D. Parks, Stephen Douglas Thurman and James Harwell Todd. A public hearing for the candidates will be held July 31 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Nashville School of Law, 4013 Armory Oaks Dr., Nashville 37204. Any member of the public may attend and may express orally or in writing any objections about the applicants. The commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward nominees to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration.

A Tennessee judge ruled Tuesday that the state may deactivate death row inmate Bryon Black’s implanted heart-regulating device at a hospital on the morning of his execution, rather than bringing a doctor or technician into the execution chamber, the Associated Press reports. The ruling adjusts an earlier order that required prison officials to deactivate the defibrillator moments before Black’s execution. During a hearing on the issue, Deputy Attorney General Cody Brandon said Black’s physicians at Nashville General Hospital were unwilling to enter the execution chamber. He asked the judge to either overturn the previous order or allow the Tennessee Department of Correction to transport Black to the hospital for the procedure.

Former Shelbyville Judge Alfred Burton "Burt" English, also known as "Poppy," died July 10 at the age of 82. English earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (now the Winston College of Law) in 1976. That same year, he returned to Shelbyville and joined his father, Alfred L. English, in founding English and English Attorneys. English also served as judge for the city of Shelbyville for 10 years. Family visitation and a memorial service were held July 13. Memorial donations may be made to Ducks Unlimited, One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN 38120 or to a charity of the donor's choice.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has dismissed a complaint filed during the Biden administration challenging Tennessee’s law restricting certain medical procedures for minors. According to a press release, the department said it no longer believes continuing the case serves the public interest. The complaint was filed after individual plaintiffs and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the state's 2023 law. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected that challenge in a 6-3 decision, ruling that the law does not violate the Equal Protection Clause. Following that ruling, the individual plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their complaint.

Former Judge Bernice Bouie Donald has joined JAMS, a private provider of alternative dispute resolution services, following a four-decade legal career that included service on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. district and bankruptcy courts in the Western District of Tennessee, and the Shelby County General Sessions Court. Donald will serve as a mediator, arbitrator, court-appointed neutral and neutral evaluator in civil rights, business, bankruptcy, intellectual property and health care cases, according to a press release. Based in Tennessee, she will offer in-person and virtual services to clients nationally and internationally. Donald also is a member at Burch, Porter & Johnson in Memphis and runs her own mediation practice.

The University of Tennessee (UT) at Knoxville has cut ties with the China Scholarship Council after the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party urged administrators to assess security concerns, Knox News reports. The program funds study abroad scholarships for Chinese college students. UT Provost John Zomchick sent a letter of termination July 10, ending an agreement the institutions signed in 2024. UT said the agreement was not an “enforceable legal document.” In a July 8 letter, the committee called the program a tool for advancing China’s military and scientific goals. The university is now assessing the decision's impact on three students enrolled in the program. Six other U.S. universities received similar warnings. The University of North Texas previously ended its partnership with the group in 2020.

The TBA will host a replay of the webcast “Communication Breakdown: It's Always the Same (But It's Avoidable)” on July 25 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will explore how poor client communication can lead to malpractice claims, internal conflict and decreased productivity. It also will offer tools, technologies and techniques to help attorneys improve communication, reduce stress, enhance client satisfaction and lower malpractice risk. For more information, visit the TBA website. Can't tune in on Friday? The program also is available on demand.