Join the TBA for a webcast on April 29 at noon CDT for a comprehensive update on Nashville’s economic landscape. Lori Odom, senior vice president of economic development with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, will discuss the latest trends and opportunities in international business that are shaping the region's future. Be sure to bring questions for this engaging session focused on the pulse of Nashville’s economy. For more information and to register, visit TBA's website. 

An executive order signed April 23 by President Donald Trump directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to assess whether to suspend or terminate the American Bar Association (ABA) as the government’s official law school accreditor. The order claims that some accreditors engage in “discriminatory practices” by using “diversity, equity and inclusion … standards of accreditation.” It also states that such standards and “similar unlawful mandates must be permanently eradicated.” In addition, the order directs the attorney general and education secretary to “investigate and take appropriate action to terminate unlawful discrimination by American law schools” that is taken “under the guise of accreditation standards.” The move comes after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the ABA earlier this spring to immediately repeal its law school diversity rule and scrap a planned revision of the standard. That letter also stated that the government could revoke the group’s accreditation status. According to reporting by Reuters, removing the ABA from its accreditation role — which it has held since 1952 — could impact student loans, lawyer licensing and attorney mobility.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee has announced its intention to amend the local rules of court effective May 15. Comments on the proposed changes are being accepted and should be emailed to localrules@tnmd.uscourts.gov by 5 p.m. CDT on May 1. The court says it will consider any comments received and make further amendments or orders as necessary. View the proposed changes in both a clean and redline version.

Register by April 30 for TBA's Annual Convention in Franklin, June 11-14, to take advantage of Early Bird pricing! Rates will go up on May 1. The Franklin Marriott Cool Springs has special room rates for convention attendees, so be sure to make those reservations by May 19. Act today so you don't miss out on these discounts!

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on April 29 to discuss taxes on certain alcohol distributors. Tennessee has a three-tiered system for distributing alcoholic beverages. However, there are some exceptions to this structure affecting wineries, distilleries and breweries. The webinar will explore this topic. Register for the webinar or see all upcoming educational events.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee formally requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government to make federal assistance available to the West and Middle Tennessee counties impacted by severe weather and flooding on April 2-6. The request follows an emergency declaration approved on April 3 and the completion of damage assessments across impacted counties. The new request asks for approval of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) individual assistance and public assistance programs. If approved, the declaration would make individual assistance available to Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Dyer, Grundy, Hardeman, Hickman, Humphreys, Lewis, McNairy, Montgomery, Obion, Perry, Sumner and Wilson counties and public assistance to Carroll, Cheatham, Crockett, Davidson, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Grundy, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Perry, Shelby, Tipton and Wilson counties. Read more in a statement from the governor.

A new complaint has been filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, News Channel 5 reports. The complaint from the Campaign Legal Center in Washington, D.C., accuses Ogles of engaging in an "overarching effort" to hide how he raised and spent money for his two campaigns for Congress. Specifically, the group alleges that Ogles “deliberately filed false reports disclosing a fabricated $320,000 loan” in order to make his campaign’s fundraising look better in a competitive primary. The 26-page filing also alleges that Ogles deliberately misreported a series of disbursements, according to the Nashville Banner.

Former Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, who now serves as executive director of Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, is calling for a clearinghouse of data that gives a clearer picture of how the local court system operates. The commission, an independent nonprofit that is funded through private donors, is looking at ways to improve the system. Gibbons says that data is the key to determine where bottlenecks are in the system, including why it takes so long to dispose of cases. Gibbons is being assisted by Jonathan Bennett, associate director of the University of Memphis Center for Community Research and Evaluation. Bennett says it is difficult to get reliable data because of the number of agencies involved in the system. The Daily Memphian has more on the effort.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump was in Knoxville recently to discuss lawsuits against Knox County and the University of Tennessee Medical Center over the deaths of two Black men following encounters with law enforcement. Crump is representing the families of Daevon Saint-Germain and David Batts, both of whom died after altercations with Knox County law enforcement. Tennessee Lookout has specifics on each case. Over the years, Crump has represented a number of families following the deaths of individuals who interacted with law enforcement, including high profile clients such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tyre Nichols.

Within 10 months of leaving campus, more than 82% of 2024 law school graduates had landed jobs that require bar admission. That percentage, representing the highest rate ever recorded by the ABA for bar admission jobs, was up from 80% in 2023, Reuters reports. The figure is especially notable, because the class of 2024 had nearly 11% more graduates than its predecessor, meaning there were 3,722 more new lawyers competing for jobs. The new data defies predictions that a double-digit enrollment surge would weaken job prospects, the news source reports.