A wellness-focused CLE program, “Attorney Wellness Hour: Movement, Mobility and Mindfulness,” will take place June 13 during the TBA's 2025 Annual Convention. The session will highlight the importance of self-care in maintaining competent legal representation, as outlined in Tennessee Rule of Professional Conduct 1.1. Presenters Brad Bald of Lifestyle Communities and Laura Hull of the Tennessee Court of Appeals will guide attendees through mobility exercises, posture-improving movements and mindfulness techniques designed to counteract the physical and mental stressors common in the legal profession. Learn more about this session and all CLE convention programming on the TBA website.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office nearly doubled its number of immigration detainees in May compared with January, marking the second consecutive month the jail has held more than 300 people on immigration-related matters, according to Knox News. The increase was driven in part by a surge in arrests in Middle Tennessee by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Last month, ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol conducted 468 traffic stops and made 200 arrests in Nashville and surrounding areas. The Knox County Sheriff's Office partners with the federal government to detain those arrested in other counties. The Knox County Jail reported 303 immigration detainees in May, including a single-day high of 53 on May 9.

Following its departure from downtown Nashville in May 2022 and a period in temporary offices, the TBA has found a new permanent home. The new building, officially closed on June 4, is located in the heart of Nashville’s West End Avenue corridor, providing convenient access and ample parking for members. Over the next six months, interior renovations will be planned to create modern office spaces, a state-of-the-art multimedia studio and a cutting-edge CLE and seminar classroom. The TBA is expected to begin operations at the new location in early 2026. In announcing the acquisition, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said, “The Building Committee has worked tirelessly for the last few years to find TBA’s new home and I’m grateful for their time and expertise. This new space will help us meet the changing needs of our members as we look to the next several decades of practicing law in Tennessee.” Former TBA President Jim Barry, president of The Tennessee Legal Community Foundation (TLCF) — which purchased the building — said, “This investment ensures that TBA has a long-term home to serve our members and the broader legal community. The new space will facilitate top-notch legal education, member engagement opportunities and a stronger sense of community in our profession.” Special thanks to the committee of TBA leaders, members and real estate professionals whose thoughtful and comprehensive search led to the successful acquisition of this new home for your state bar association.

The U.S. House passed legislation last month designed to enact President Trump's domestic policy agenda. According to Reuters, the 1,100-page bill includes a one-sentence provision that could weaken the power of U.S. judges to enforce contempt when the government defies court orders. Specifically, the provision prevents federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, from enforcing contempt orders unless the plaintiffs have posted a monetary bond. According to critics, this rarely happens in cases against the government and would leave judges powerless to enforce orders if they are not followed. The legislative provision follows a White House memo from March that directed heads of government agencies to request that plaintiffs post a bond when seeking injunctions against agency policy. The administration said the directive was aimed at deterring frivolous lawsuits. The U.S. Senate is scheduled to take up the bill this week, NPR reports, though some senators suggest that inclusion of the provision would not survive a challenge under that body’s rules. Bloomberg Law reports on that angle.

The TBA Criminal Justice Section recently hosted a unique and successful murder mystery CLE. Led by Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) professors Melanie Ried and Syd Beckman, LMU Law students played characters in a 1920s themed event where participants used Tennessee’s latest criminal laws to unravel the mystery and bring the killer to justice. The winning team consisted of lawyers Jade Peters, Nicholas Poe-Jones and Tim Fowler. Keep your eyes peeled for more fun events to come from the TBA Criminal Justice Section. View photos from the event here.

Save the date for the annual Federal Practice Forum, which will take place virtually on July 15 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT. Speakers and topics will be announced soon. Stay tuned here for more information.

The Estes Kefauver Federal Building and Annex in downtown Nashville has been approved for sale by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) after a report recommended closure of the aging office building. The Tennessean reports that the building is one of 11 federal properties across the U.S. recommended for closure by the Public Buildings Reform Board. The building currently houses the Nashville offices of the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Veterans Affairs, though the building is only about 66% leased. The Annex is about 77% leased. The building served as Nashville's federal courthouse until the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse opened in 2022 on Church Street.

Chattanooga attorney Patrick Bryant Hawley reached a plea deal in connection with a sex crimes case involving a 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl and is expected to register as a sex offender, reports the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The charge carries a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. Prosecutors dismissed six other criminal counts involving animal crushing, coercion, enticement and the receipt, possession and distribution of child pornography. Hawley was temporarily suspended from the practice of law in November 2024.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is currently accepting applications to fill a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District for a criminal court judge following the retirement of Judge Cheryl A. Blackburn on May 31. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee, be at least 30 years old, have been a state resident for at least five years and reside in the judicial district. Public hearings for the position will be held July 31 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Cordell Hull Building, Senate Hearing Room 1, 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Nashville 37243. Applications must be received by the commission by June 27 at noon CDT. For more information, contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) on Monday announced that Tennessee fire departments are beginning to transition to the National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS) — a secure, cloud-based platform built to modernize how emergency incidents are reported and analyzed. NERIS is replacing the 40-year-old National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) in order to provide local agencies with timely data tools, location-based analytics and flexible options for incident reporting. NFIRS will be formally decommissioned on Jan. 1, 2026. Tennessee is part of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region 4, which also includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Departments across the region are onboarding NERIS as part of a phased national rollout. Read more in a press release from the state fire marshal.