Nashville’s Metro Council approved the city spending plan Tuesday night. The $3.8 billion budget marks an increase of roughly 15% over last year’s, which is largely tied to a property tax increase. The adopted plan is an altered version of what the mayor proposed this spring, according to WPLN. Led by Budget Chair Delishia Porterfield, the plan left the total cost and tax rate of the mayor’s proposal untouched, while increasing funds for Metro employee pay. The remaining amount is earmarked for items like maternal health programs, food assistance, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Metro Parks, emergency youth shelters and a museum study.

Last month, the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law hosted the investiture of one of its own graduates, the Hon. Valerie Smith, who was sworn in by Gov. Bill Lee. Smith recently was appointed by Lee to serve on the Tennessee Court of Appeals for the Western Division. She fills a vacancy left by the retirement of fellow Memphis Law graduate Judge Arnold Goldin. See photos of the ceremony on the law school’s Facebook page. 

FEMA has announced that President Donald Trump approved federal disaster assistance to support recovery efforts in areas of the state affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes and flooding in April. The president’s action makes federal funding available to individuals in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Hardeman, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion and Wilson counties. Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-interest loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the disaster’s impact. Federal funding also is available on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and infrastructure repairs in 19 counties, according to FEMA's press release. Individuals and business owners in the designated areas should first file claims with their insurance providers, then apply for assistance by registering at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362.

The 2025 Federal Practice Forum will take place on July 15 and will feature essential and practical content for attorneys. More details about the program will be announced soon on the TBA website.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.5% in May and continues to remain below the national rate, according to the latest data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged from April, while the national rate stood at 4.2% in May. Total nonfarm employment in Tennessee decreased by 1,800 jobs between April and May, with the largest declines occurring in the professional and business services sector, followed by financial activities and trade, transportation and utilities.

TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) outgoing President Sean Aiello presented a number of awards at the group’s annual board dinner in Franklin. The President's Award was given to Nashville attorney Patrick Morrison for his work on developing the YLD CLE Exploration Series and as the division’s health and wellness coordinator. The Public Service Award was presented to Nashville attorney Ashley Tipton for her expansion of the high school mock trial program and to Nashville attorney Alix Rogers and Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Zack Walden for implementation of the YLD's first Rural Judicial Fellows Program. Six board members also were recognized with Star of the Quarter Awards. Read more about these recognitions. Law student members of the 2025 Diversity Leadership Institute class also attended the dinner and were recognized for completing the program. Earlier in the day, law student members of the Rural Judicial Fellows met with justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court. See photos from that gathering.

A news item in Wednesday’s issue of TBA Today about the Environmental Law Section’s 2025 Jon E. Hastings Memorial Award Writing Competition incorrectly identified the law school of one submission. Logan Hawkins attends the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The Nashville office of Thompson Burton has signed a lease to expand its Midtown office space by approximately 16,000 square feet, adding a full floor to its footprint at 1801 West End Ave., the Nashville Business Journal reports. Founded in 2012 by Walt Burton and Kevin Thompson, the firm has has offices in Franklin, Huntsville, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. The Nashville office opened in 2019 with about 5,000 square feet and now occupies more than six times that amount. “We're bursting at the seams right now. This will add space for hopefully another 25 lawyers,” Burton told the Business Journal. “This will give us runway to grow for the next few years, which we really haven't had in a while because physical space has been a confinement of that.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was scheduled to sign an executive order today limiting solitary confinement within the Shelby County Division of Corrections during a ceremony at the County Corrections Center. Harris’ order reportedly would cap solitary confinement at 15 days and require that individuals held in isolation be allowed out of their cells for at least two hours per day, The Daily Memphian reports. Harris plans to follow the executive order with a proposed ordinance, which he will present to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners to codify the policy change. The new limits are part of a broader reform package that includes a point system for infractions, incentives for good behavior, rehabilitation programs, and a contract system in which inmates agree to work toward better outcomes.

President Donald Trump will sign executive order this week again extending the deadline for TikTok’s parent company to divest from the video-sharing app. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the news Tuesday, according to The Hill. The expected order would mark the third extension since Trump took office in January. “This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure,” Leavitt said. Her confirmation of the news came just hours after Trump said he likely would extend the deadline to prevent a ban on TikTok from taking effect in the United States.