A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court ruling that a law cutting in half the size of Metro Nashville's City Council is unconstitutional. Axios Nashville reports that if the panel's 2-1 decision stands, the council would be reduced to 20 members for the 2027 election. In 2023, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a law that reduced the council's size from 40 to 20 members. In 2023 and again in 2024, a court placed an injunction on that law finding it to be unconstitutional under the state's Home Rule amendment, which prohibits legislation that specifically targets one local government. The state appealed. The city could seek a review of this latest decision from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Read the ruling and the dissent.

Pre-registration for next week's TBA Convention in Franklin will close Sunday at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Only on-site registration will be accepted after that point. The event will run from June 11-14. Visit the TBA Convention site for more information.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed HB1376/SB1413, introducing strict new regulations on Tennessee’s hemp industry effective Jan. 1, 2026. The law bans THCA and synthetic cannabinoids, prohibits direct-to-consumer sales, and limits all hemp-derived cannabinoids — other than Delta-9 THC — to a maximum concentration of 0.3%. The Commercial Appeal reports that oversight of these products will shift from the Department of Agriculture to the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, which will enforce new packaging, age, licensing, taxation and marketing rules. Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, who sponsored the bill, said during debate, “We have a situation here in Tennessee where we are essentially dealing with unregulated recreational marijuana ... It’s the wild west out there.” Critics have warned that the law could hurt small business and local farmers, like this business in Clarksville, which spoke to News Channel 5.

Knox County prosecutors on Monday dropped all attempted murder charges against Ahmad Gatlin after recently discovered cell phone data corroborated his claim that he was across town when the crime was committed. Gatlin was convicted in 2023 after police and prosecutors argued he was in a car when shots were fired into another car near Austin-East Magnet High School in 2021. Knox News reports that Gatlin's defense team had argued for a new trial on the grounds that the prosecutors initially withheld evidence, including metadata from Snapchat that would have proven Gatlin's location. Prosecutors said the data was withheld in error. In a press conference after Gatlin's release, defense attorney Stephen Johnson stated, “[Ahmad] saw justice today for the first time in over four years ... We are honored to have helped bring him home.” WBIR has the story.

Events marking this year's Juneteenth celebration are being planned across the state this month. In Memphis, the 32nd Annual Memphis Juneteenth Festival will take place June 6 and 7 in Medical District Park while the 5th Annual Juneteenth Freedom Ride will occur on June 14. In Nashville, the Music City Freedom Fest will take place June 14 and 15 in Historic Hadley Park while the National African American Music Museum will celebrate with a block party at Assembly Food Hall's Sky Deck on June 19. The Tennessee State Museum also will offer Juneteenth programming on June 19, including a curator talk on antebellum and Civil War photography and an African American highlight tour of the galleries. Rounding out celebrations in Nashville will be Juneteenth 615 on June 19 with living history tours and fireworks at Fort Negley. In Chattanooga, the Juneteenth Unity Run and Walk and the Southside Juneteenth Jubilee at the Bethlehem Center will take place on June 14, while other events are planned throughout the month. In Knoxville, the Annual MLK Jr. Parade/March will take place in Chilhowee Park, followed by the Juneteenth Celebration in Dr. Walter Hardy Park on June 19.

Judge Larry Potter established the Shelby County Environmental Court in 1983 and was appointed as its first judge, holding the position for 35 years before his retiring in 2018. Last Wednesday, current Environmental Court Judge Patrick Dandridge unveiled a portrait of Potter at 201 Poplar in a celebration of Potter's legacy as the "father of environmental court in Memphis." The court was one of the first of its kind in the country and helped set the standard in addressing environmental cases, the Commercial Appeal reports.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday that it is contracting with a retired judge to help reduce the jail’s population. According to the Daily Memphian, retired Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Robert “Bobby” Carter will serve as the office’s jail population management coordinator. Carter, who served as judge from 2010 to 2022, told the outlet that his goal is to reduce the jail population to 80% of capacity. As of February, the main jail had an average daily population of 2,547 inmates, though it was built to hold 2,400. Carter also said criminal cases need to move more quickly through the courts: “If we don’t change anything, if we could handle cases more efficiently, if they take a month less, that will have an aggregate effect on the jail population."

The TBA will host a webcast on “Arbitration & Independent Legal Research” on June 25 from 11 a.m. to noon CDT. The session will feature Gail Ashworth of Wiseman Ashworth Trauger and Christopher Sabis of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. Additional details and information on the webcast will be available soon on the TBA website.

The 2025 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award will be presented to 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge and Chancellor David Veile at the TBA’s Annual Convention by the Fellows of the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Named for former Attorney General William M. Leech Jr., the award is given each year to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, the legal system and their community. In announcing the award, Fellows President and Jackson lawyer Michelle Greenway Sellers said, "Judge Veile truly exemplifies the values embodied in the Leech Award. He is a past president of the TBA YLD, a TBA Board of Governors member, an extremely supportive TBA YLD volunteer and a devoted community leader. Judge Veile generously gives of his time as a mentor to young lawyers, speaks at legal and community events, and volunteers at TBA YLD events such as the TBA YLD Mock Trial competition. He has spent his entire career giving back to the Tennessee legal community and to the Middle Tennessee communities he serves. The Fellows are honored to award Judge David Veile the 2025 TBA YLD Fellows William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award." Veile was elected circuit court judge and chancellor in Williamson County's 21st Judicial District in 2024. He previously practiced criminal defense law in Franklin. The award will be presented on June 13 at the Lawyers Luncheon. Read more about Veile's selection in the TBA's press release.

This week kicked off a series of ceremonies across the state for new admittees to the practice of law. Candidates who passed the February bar exam, along with others, were sworn in during a ceremony in Nashville today. Tennessee Bar Association President Ed Lanquist Jr. delivered remarks at the event, while representatives from the TBA and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to welcome the new lawyers to the profession. Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Sarah K. Campbell and Jeff Bivins presided over the ceremony. See photos from the event. The Tennessee Supreme Court will hold additional events on June 3 at 9 a.m. in Memphis and 1:30 p.m. CDT in Jackson; on June 4 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT for virtual ceremonies; and on June 9 at 9 a.m. EDT in Knoxville.