The Tennessee Department of Revenue has announced that winter storm survivors who receive individual assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also may be eligible for a state tax refund on certain items purchased to replace or repair damaged property. The Natural Disaster Sales Tax Refund program provides eligible residents with a refund of up to $2,500 on appliances, furniture and building supplies, according to News 5. Survivors may file a claim within one year of their FEMA decision letter. Learn more on the department’s website or access the claim form.

Nashville lawyers Erik Halvorson and J. Hunter Robinson, both with Bradley, will receive the TBA's prestigious Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing on June 12 during the association's Annual Convention in Knoxville. The award, which will be presented at the Lawyers Luncheon, was established more than 40 years ago and is given each year to the lawyer who writes the most outstanding article published in the Tennessee Bar Journal for the preceding year. Halvorson and Robinson are being honored for their article One Domino Falls: Tennessee Supreme Court Reshapes Foreclosure Claims, which appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of the Journal.

In announcing the selection of Halvorson and Robinson, TBA President Heidi Barcus. said, “This winning article took a complex ruling from the Tennessee Supreme Court and, in straightforward and concise language, explained the consequences for both mortgage-related and non-mortgage-related litigation in Tennessee. This is the kind of writing the Joe Henry Award was created to recognize.” The award is named for Joseph W. Henry, a former chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, who was known for his forthright and clear writing. Read more in a press release from the TBA.

U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges on lower courts may need to disclose contributions from law firms, bar associations and former clients to fund receptions or celebrations in their honor under newly adopted ethics guidance. Reuters reports that the new requirements, which took effect last month, are detailed in a report from the U.S. Judicial Conference. The rules apply to events such as investitures, retirements or portrait unveiling ceremonies. Disclosures should be made if the judge otherwise would have paid for all or part of the event's costs, and even if the judge would not have paid for the costs, in certain situations depending on the judge's involvement in the event.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision yesterday that a 2024 Louisiana congressional map was unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered, Tennessee Republicans are calling for redistricting in the Volunteer State, arguing that the Memphis congressional district also was racially drawn. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, who both are running for governor, called on the state legislature to act quickly, according to the Daily Memphian. President Donald Trump posted on social media that he had discussed a special legislative session with Gov. Bill Lee, saying Lee “would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw” in the state’s map. The state’s nine-seat U.S. House delegation consists of eight Republicans and one Democrat, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents most of Memphis and Shelby County. Cohen issued a statement criticizing the decision and held a press conference yesterday to address state redistricting. SCOTUSblog looks at the high court’s decision.

Martesha Johnson Moore is running for a third term as Nashville Metro Public Defender (PD) and is unopposed, just as she was in 2022. She also spent more than a decade in the office before succeeding Dawn Deaner as department head. Moore recently talked to the Nashville Banner about what has — and has not — changed with the city’s criminal justice system, commenting on caseloads, cash bail, night court judges and more.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has signed on to a bipartisan amicus brief backing Massachusetts’ lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, The Tennessee Journal reports. The brief, filed by 38 state attorneys general, argues that the platform facilitates unlicensed sports betting and its event contracts breach state gambling laws and require licensing. The federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission also filed a brief asserting exclusive federal authority over prediction markets. KuCoin has more on the case. Read the brief.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold its Spring Memorial Service on May 15 to honor 13 lawyers who recently died. The group says that due to the number of passages, some recently passed members will be honored at a separate ceremony in November. The spring event will take place at 3 p.m. EDT in the Supreme Court courtroom at the Tennessee Supreme Court building, 505 Main St., 2nd Floor, Knoxville 37902. The Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) recently held its annual memorial service as well. Judge Alex McVeagh presided over the event. Read more about those honored.

The TBA is accepting applications from candidates interested in the position of Education and Professional Development Coordinator of Online Learning. This position will support the delivery and ongoing enhancement of TBA’s online continuing legal education (CLE) portfolio. Working closely with the TBA's director of education and professional development, the position will focus on executing high-quality digital learning programs, supporting the promotion and visibility of online offerings, and contributing to member engagement and program growth. View the full job description. To apply, send a cover letter explaining interest in the position and a resume to Human Resources & Administrative Coordinator Tanja Trezise.

Early bird registration for the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention will end tonight at midnight. The convention, set for June 10-13 in downtown Knoxville, will offer annual favorites such as the Public Service Breakfast, Lawyers Luncheon, compelling CLE and swearing in of TBA’s new president, as well as the Wednesday night welcome reception and a Thursday evening reception at Knoxville’s minor league ballpark. This year’s gathering also will include TBA’s first-ever Tech Showcase and lunch and learn opportunities with tech vendors on June 11. Day passes for Thursday are available for those who unable to attend the full convention.

The TBA will offer a one-hour CLE webcast on June 24 focused on how lawyers can use artificial intelligence (AI) to become more efficient in their writing without compromising accuracy or professional judgment. Join Ryan Standil with Write To Excite as he demonstrates how AI can be used to revise drafts, find typos, monitor tone and identify faulty logic and ambiguities. Standil also will cover prompting techniques and guarding against AI shortcomings such as verbosity, desire to please and lack of human touch. Using AI to Accelerate Your Writing will run from noon to 1 p.m. CDT.