The Tennessee Governor's Office is accepting applications for a commissioner on the Tennessee Claims Commission due to the expiration of William Young's term, effective June 30. To qualify, candidates must have resided in the Eastern Grand Division for at least one year, lived in Tennessee for five years and be licensed to practice law in Tennessee for at least five years. A commissioner may not practice law while serving on the commission. Attorneys interested in the position should submit a resume and cover letter to the governor’s office for consideration. Applications should be directed to Chief Counsel to the Governor Erin Merrick via her assistant at Katelin.Brown@tn.gov by April 14. For more details read the notice of vacancy.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced in a press release that Chris Tutor has been named the new chief of staff, succeeding Brandon Smith, who is returning to private practice. Tutor, a Memphis native, joins the Attorney General’s Office from Butler Snow LLP, where he was a partner focusing on commercial real estate and business transactions. He earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. As chief of staff, Tutor will oversee the office’s legislative and communications teams and coordinate with other state attorneys general and federal partners. “Chris Tutor’s distinguished career to date is a model of integrity, competence, and temperance, and we are excited to welcome him to the Attorney General’s Office,” Skrmetti said. “His enthusiasm and abiding love for Tennessee and its people will serve our state well.”

Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) Director Michelle Long recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she outlined the new Plan for Indigent Representation drafted by the AOC on behalf of the Tennessee Supreme Court, among other AOC budget requests. In her testimony, Long thanked lawmakers and Gov. Bill Lee for last year’s funding that led to increased hourly rate of pay to $60 per hour to court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent. Long also stated the AOC listened to the legislature, researched how indigent representation works in other states, talked to stakeholders and developed an innovative solution to indigent representation that shifts the paradigm by providing flexible compensation for attorneys, which will take into consideration the complexities of the cases, qualifications of the attorneys and the needs of the court in that jurisdiction. The new indigent representation plan will also provide more resources to confirm indigency, and it will shift the responsibility of appointing attorneys to represent the indigent to the new Office of Indigent Conflicts and Civil Counsel which will consult with judges in each district to identify lawyers providing quality representation in their districts. Watch her testimony beginning at 1:31:04. Please visit the TBA Indigent Representation webpage for more information.

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) is urging the American Bar Association (ABA) to eliminate its diversity requirements for law schools or risk losing its accrediting authority. In a Feb. 28 letter, posted on social media site X, Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the ABA was subjecting law faculties and students to unlawful race and sex discrimination under its diversity mandates and called for their immediate repeal, Bloomberg News reports. Last month, the ABA temporarily suspended enforcement of a rule requiring law schools to diversify faculty and students. Jennifer Rosato Perea, the ABA’s managing director of accreditation, confirmed the rule remains suspended and said the Council on Legal Education is working on revisions to ensure compliance with current law. The council is set to review any changes at its May meeting.

The Nashville Bar Foundation (NBF) honored the 2025 Class of Fellows on Saturday in Nashville. The NBF Fellows Program recognizes Nashville Bar Association members who have practiced for at least 10 years and have made outstanding contributions to the legal profession and public good while demonstrating a strong commitment to the foundation’s goals. Each year, the NBF provides funding for projects that align with its mission. The David Rutherford Award was presented to Judge Joe P. Binkley Jr., an honor given annually to a fellow who exemplifies professionalism, charitable contributions and a spirit of collegiality in the legal community. A full list of honorees and grant recipients is available in the NBF’s press release.

Elder Law Basics 2025, a virtual CLE program designed for attorneys new to elder law or seeking a refresher, will take place on April 10 from 10 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. CDT. The program will cover key aspects of elder law, with experienced practitioners providing insights on recent developments and best practices. Registrants will receive connection details and course materials the week of the event. For information and to register visit the TBA website.

Immigration enforcement activity at Nashville jails has surged in recent weeks, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increasing detention requests and taking more individuals into federal custody for deportation proceedings, the Nashville Banner reports. In February, ICE agents picked up nearly four times as many people from Nashville jails as they did in the same month last year. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office does not directly contact ICE, but its booking system automatically sends arrest information to the agency. Under a state law passed last year, local law enforcement in Tennessee must honor ICE detainer requests, allowing the agency 48 hours to take an undocumented immigrant into custody. In February 2024, ICE made 33 detainer requests, taking 11 individuals into custody. Last month, the Sheriffs office received 75 requests, with 42 people later picked up by ICE agents.

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., who was federally charged with bribery and tax evasion last week, has been placed on leave from his job with the City of Memphis, the Commercial Appeal reports. Ford, a senior financial literacy coordinator, provides virtual and in-person classes on credit, homeownership and investing. Earlier this week, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris asked the Board of Commissioners to prevent Ford from proposing grants while facing criminal charges and said he plans to meet with legal authorities and county officials to determine any necessary further action, according to The Daily Memphian.

A former board member of Tennessee's Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board and former Shelby County assistant district attorney has been indicted on statutory rape charges, the Commercial Appeal reports. Vanessa Murtaugh was indicted Feb. 27 on one count of statutory rape by an authority figure and one count of aggravated statutory rape. She resigned from the oversight board the next day. The indictment states that the victim was 17 years old at the time and that Murtaugh used her legal, professional or occupational status to facilitate the alleged crime. Murtaugh was booked into custody Monday, with bail set at $50,000.

In a Metro Council meeting on Tuesday, the body passed a bill on the second of three readings that would allow cooperation between the police department and private security cameras through surveillance technology such as Fusus. According to the Nashville Banner, unlike a version defeated last year, this legislation contains “guardrails” against certain use of video footage. Four amendments were made to the legislation such as requiring officers to document and justify camera access, independent audits of access records and a ban on AI-powered lip-reading. Amendments also limit police access to residential cameras and mandate the preservation of footage showing potential excessive force. The proposal won approval on the first reading in January and the third and final reading is expected at the next council meeting.