On April 23, Davidson County lawyer Cynthia Jane Bohn received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Bohn represented a mother in a custody dispute in which a guardian ad litem had been appointed for the children. Bohn met with the two minor children without the guardian ad litem present and discussed the pending litigation, telling the children they hypothetically could be put into foster care under some circumstances. She also grabbed the arm of one child and held it during the meeting. The court later disqualified Bohn from representing the mother. The court found her actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 4.2, 4.4 and 8.4(d).

Rutherford County lawyer Dalen L. P. Farmer received a public censure on April 23. Farmer was hired to defend a client in a partition and promissory fraud action. A motion to compel was filed against the client for failing to provide discovery responses. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that Farmer did not provide a copy of the motion to his client, did not file a response and failed to appear in court on the motion. The plaintiff received a judgment of default and sanctions against the client. Farmer’s actions were found to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 3.4, 8.1 and 8.4.

Members of the newly appointed 2026-2027 Young Lawyers Division (YLD) Board met in Nashville to plan for the upcoming bar year. The group also got to know one another better with a dinner at Ole Red and a wellness walk on Saturday planned by Health & Wellness Coordinator Chris Kelley. Later that day, the board conducted a Tennessee Free Legal Answers Clinic, continuing its commitment to being the "service arm of the bar." Working together, they answered 18 questions.

President-elect Jennifer Sneed-Perry, who will be sworn in as YLD president at the TBA Convention in June, provided an overview of the upcoming bar year as well as the expectations for all board members. She also introduced two initiatives for her year in office: increased law school engagement with the addition of six law student liaisons to the YLD Board and a focus on increasing education for attorneys and the public about estate planning, guardianships and conservatorships. The board also elected Andrea Morgan Hancock of Clinton as the District 2 representative. Mock Trial Chair Bridget Pyman was presented with the disco gavel for being the most enthusiastic participant at the meeting. Judge Zack Walden also was recognized with a disco gavel for his lively game of Traitors. See photos from the event.

The YLD has district representative openings in Districts 10 and 12. YLD members interested in serving in these roles should send a letter of interest and resume to llabenberg@tnbar.org.

DraftKings and FanDuel are the latest apps to be sued by consumers who say the platforms are deliberately designed to addict users, Bloomberg Law reports. Like the landmark social media addiction verdict against Meta and Google, three recent lawsuits against the sports betting apps point to features like push notifications, personalized algorithms and targeted advertising. The apps are accused of making sports betting more dangerous because they do not have the same barriers that inherently restrict in-person wagers.

The 114th Tennessee General Assembly wrapped up its second and final session Thursday evening after a marathon 10-hour day, according to various news sources. In the final days of the session, lawmakers approved a range of proposals that now go to the governor for his consideration. Legislation impacting the courts included SB846/HB1268, creating two new criminal court judgeships in Shelby County; HB2251/SB2025, creating a pilot program to place criminal magistrates in the 10 counties with the highest criminal caseload; and HB1707/SB1952, requiring judges in all courts to cooperate with ICE or face removal.

A number of immigration bills passed as well: HB1710/SB1915, requiring service providers to track and report on the status of anyone who seeks public benefits; HB2219/SB2223, requiring all Tennessee sheriffs to participate in some version of the 287(g) immigration enforcement program; and bills impacting drivers license tests (HB1708/SB1889) and commercial driving licenses (HB1817/SB1748).

Finally, new criminal penalties were created for leaving the scene of an accident that results in an injury or one the driver knew or should reasonably have known resulted in death (HB1967/SB1602) and a sweeping ban of all forms of kratom (HB1649/SB1656). Read more about these and other successful measures from the Nashville Banner and the WPLN. Gov. Bill Lee released a statement highlighting accomplishments of the session and thanking legislators for working with him to “deliver real results for people across our state.”

This year’s TBA Convention — taking place June 10-13 Knoxville — will include the first-ever Tech Showcase on Thursday, June 11. Those who register for the convention will get access to all of the showcase elements. TBA also is selling day passes for Thursday to those unable to attend the full convention. The showcase will feature 3.5 hours of legal tech CLE, lunch, choice of Lunch & Learn break out session and access to vendors in the Tech Showcase Exhibit Hall. The day pass includes three CLE programs: Evaluating Your Firm's Technology with Catherine Sanders Reach of the North Carolina Bar; Think Different, Litigate Better with Tara Cheever of Lit Software; and Conscious Lawyering with AI with Emily & Evan Wright of Wright & Wright. Learn more about the CLE programs and all of the convention offerings.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s office has indefinitely delayed a legal challenge to the state’s abortion ban from going to trial as planned. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, a two-week non-jury trial was supposed to start Monday in Davidson County Chancery Court, the culmination of a legal challenge that began in September 2023. On Tuesday, after receiving a chancellor’s order on a motion for summary judgment, the state filed a Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 3 (TRAP 3) appeal with the Tennessee Court of Appeals. In response, to save the trial, the plaintiffs filed an emergency motion for partial remand to the trial court and for expedited consideration, which the appeals court denied. As such, the chancery court removed the trial from the docket.

A federal jury found a woman guilty of two counts of cyberstalking for mailing harassing letters about a Shelby County assistant district attorney (ADA). U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee announced the verdict today. Adrienne Rosse of Arlington, Tennessee, was found guilty following a three-day trial, with evidence showing she mailed anonymous, harassing letters in 2023 falsely accusing the prosecutor of having a secret pornography career and including explicit images of women resembling the attorney. Prosecutors said Rosse acted out of anger over the continued prosecution of her husband, whose rape and sexual battery case ended in a mistrial and remains pending. The harassment campaign prompted the assistant district attorney to leave her position and relocate, though she has continued her legal career. Rosse faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release at sentencing scheduled for Aug. 5 before U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris.

Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, has died at age 71. First elected in 2007, Hardaway represented House District 92 before redistricting and later District 93, which includes parts of South Memphis, Orange Mound and the Shelby Farms area. Prior to his legislative service, he served as executive director of 100 Black Men of Memphis. Colleagues and state leaders remembered Hardaway for his advocacy and commitment to his community, with Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Rachel Campbell saying he “led with heart” and worked to ensure all Tennesseans had a voice. The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a resolution April 23 honoring his service. Read messages of mourning and remembrance from state and local elected officials in the Commercial Appeal.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti announced that Solicitor General Matt Rice will conclude his tenure with the Office of the Attorney General this summer to join Kirkland & Ellis as a partner. Rice joined the AG's office in 2022 and was appointed as the top appellate lawyer in 2024. In that role, he has led litigation efforts for Tennessee and multistate coalitions in several high-profile cases. He argued a case before the U.S. Supreme Court and multiple cases before the Tennessee Supreme Court during his tenure as solicitor general. “We are deeply grateful for Matt’s service and thrilled for him and his family as he embarks on this new opportunity. Kirkland & Ellis is getting someone truly exceptional, and we couldn’t be prouder of everything he gave to this office and to the people of Tennessee,” Skrmetti said in a release. The attorney general’s office said Rice’s successor will be announced at a later date.