The Tennessee Supreme Court held official proceedings inside the Old Supreme Court Chamber at the Tennessee State Capitol for the first time in more than 10 years on Feb. 12. “This is an historic occasion, a homecoming of sorts for our court,” said Chief Justice Holly Kirby. “The Tennessee Supreme Court held its court proceedings in this very room for about three quarters of a century, until 1936 when the Supreme Court moved to the fancy new building down the street.” The historic event brought together all three branches of state government — executive, judicial and legislative — under the Capitol dome. Gov. Bill Lee said of the occasion, "The legislature is in session. The governor’s office is alive and well down there, I can say. We will be signing a bill into law today. There is work being done by all branches of government in this building. It’s historic, it’s important and it’s government at work on behalf of the people.” Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Chattanooga law firm Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel recently announced that Steve Barham has been elected to serve as the firm's president and managing shareholder, succeeding Mark Cunningham. Barham previously served as chair of the Litigation & Risk Management Section and as the firm’s general counsel. “I am honored to take on this leadership role at Chambliss,” said Barham. “Throughout my time with the firm, we’ve seen incredible growth and success ... I am committed to supporting [our clients] in achieving their goals moving forward.” The firm also announced that John Jackson will succeed Barham as section chair while shareholder Andrew “Andy” Leffler will chair the Real Estate Practice Section. Barham said the pair "bring strong leadership and a commitment to fostering collaboration, and we look forward to seeing how they will continue to move our firm forward."

Linda Ruth Sloan Fizer died Feb. 7 after a brief illness. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Austin Peay State University and her law degree from Nashville School of Law. In 1980, Fizer opened her own law practice and became the first woman to open a private practice law firm in Cheatham County. In 1998, she moved her law office from Ashland City to Springfield. She initiated and served on the first governing board of Leadership Cheatham County and initiated and served on the first board of the Cheatham County Education Foundation. A visitation with the family was held Feb. 12. Memorial contributions may be sent to either Hospice Promise Foundation or Walden’s Puddle. Donations also may be sent in care of the Robertson County Funeral Home, 2201 Memorial Blvd., Springfield, TN 37172 for distribution.

TBA’s Entertainment & Sports Law Section will host its annual forum on May 7 at Belmont College of Law in Nashville. The event will feature discussions on the latest legal issues in the entertainment and sports industries. Registration opens at 11:15 a.m. with programming running from noon to 4:45 p.m. A networking reception will follow from 4:45-6:30 p.m. CDT. Speakers will include Nashville lawyers Steven Gaches, Jordan Keller with Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, Bill Ramsey with Neal & Harwell, Tim Warnock with Loeb & Loeb, and Daniel Werly with the Tennessee Titans. Register online.

The 2025 Estate Planning and Probate Forum will take place Feb. 28 at the Embassy Suites Cool Springs in Franklin. The daylong event will feature expert speakers covering topics such as community property trusts, AI developments, a probate panel, ethics, legislative updates and much more. Breakfast and lunch will be provided, offering opportunities for networking with colleagues from across the state. Sessions will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. The program offers seven hours of CLE including two hours of dual credit. Section members receive discounted pricing. Not a member of the Estate Planning & Probate Section yet? Join here. For more information on the forum, to view the speaker line up and to register, visit TBA’s website.

A group of state attorneys general (AGs) have sued to stop efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to review federal government spending and recommend cuts, Reuters reports. The suit alleges that DOGE head Elon Musk was illegally appointed and given “unchecked legal authority” by the president without congressional approval. After a hearing today, a federal judge appeared inclined to deny a request to block access to sensitive records, but said she would rule on the issue within 24 hours. ABC has that development. In another suit, the Association of Administrative Law Judges has joined two federal employee unions in seeking to block DOGE from accessing workers’ personal and employment records. That suit alleges that the disclosure of such information violates the Privacy Act and poses a security risk to federal workers. Read the filing.

Nashville attorney Darius Walker Jr. will serve as the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) president in 2027-2028. His election to the post was uncontested. After taking office as vice president at this summer's TBA Convention, Walker will become president-elect in June 2026 and president in June 2027. He has served as YLD treasurer for the last three years and is a member of the TBALL class of 2025. Walker earned his law degree from The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and is an associate at Ogletree Deakins in their Sports and Entertainment Industry Group. He has been recognized as a Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America for Civil Rights Law and Mid-South Super Lawyers Rising Star.

A federal judge is expected to rule that Germantown school officials may maintain a ban on Herbie, a seizure-alert dog they say has been more disruptive than helpful to a student with multiple disabilities, the Daily Memphian reports. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker said in a hearing last week he would deny a request to lift the ban after the student’s parents filed a lawsuit in November. They claim Germantown officials violated federal disability laws in banning Herbie. The school district argues that the dog did not follow the student’s commands and “posed a danger” to him and other students. Parker found the school was not intentionally discriminating against the student by banning the dog. He said the official ruling will come soon but did not offer a timeline. “The ruling that I’m making today ... is not necessarily forever and always,” Parker said. “... Perhaps the court could revisit this question down the road.”

The TBA will host its 29th Annual Labor and Employment Law Forum on May 2 at the Bradley L. Barrett Training Center in Nashville from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CDT. The forum will provide insights into current labor and employment law topics. More information about topics and speakers now is available on the TBA website.

A recent ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Jon McCalla has raised concerns about the future of the Kendrick Consent Decree, a federal order that has long prevented the Memphis Police Department (MPD) from spying on citizens, the Commercial Appeal reports. McCalla's decision modifies the decree by replacing a private attorney who monitors police activities with two lawyers employed by the city of Memphis and assigned to the Memphis Police Department. Memphis lawyer Ed Stanton has been serving in the role since 2018. The ACLU of Tennessee, city outside counsel Bruce McMullen and Stanton support the change, saying the independent monitor role was not intended to be permanent. Others — including attorney Bruce Kramer, who first sued the city in 1976 over MPD’s illegal surveillance — argue that the shift risks undermining protections against civil rights violations. The Kendrick Consent Decree, established in 1978 after the MPD was found to have spied on political activists, has been crucial in safeguarding First Amendment rights, supporters say.