Jurors in two of the first U.S. trials in a growing wave of lawsuits against social media companies have found Meta and Google liable for harms to young users, potentially setting up appeals that could reshape the scope of legal protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, Reuters reports. In California, a jury on Wednesday awarded $6 million to a young woman who said she developed depression and suicidal thoughts after becoming addicted to Instagram and YouTube, while a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million after finding it misled users about product safety and enabled the sexual exploitation of children. The cases mark a challenge to the law that generally shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content, as plaintiffs successfully argued the companies’ platform design — rather than third-party content — caused harm. Both companies have said they plan to appeal.

The TBA’s Mentoring Committee, in partnership with the Young Lawyers Division, is now offering its “Developing Lawyers, Developing Leaders” program on demand. The program provides one general and two dual CLE credits and focuses on mentorship and professional development through the lenses of ethical responsibility and leadership. Featuring sessions led by practitioners and judges, the program offers practical tools for building effective mentoring relationships, enhancing professionalism and supporting long-term career growth. For more information visit the TBA website.

The Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women (TLAW) will host its 8th Annual Empowerment Conference on April 17 at Holland & Knight in Nashville. The conference will bring together women from across Tennessee’s legal community for a day of programming focused on professional development, networking and leadership. The agenda includes appearances by current and former Tennessee Supreme Court justices, as well as panels featuring women law firm leaders, a mediator/alternative dispute resolution discussion and a session on mental performance. Access more information and registration link.

Carter County continues to receive state and federal funding to support ongoing recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, the Elizabethton Star reports. The county expects to receive $675,100 this week from the State Helene Interest Payment Fund, part of a grant program designed to offset interest costs on bonds issued for road and bridge repairs. The county previously received $398,557 to cover administrative costs related to the bond. Last week, the county also received its third reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, bringing total FEMA reimbursements to $1,726,286. Officials said the funds have primarily supported engineering work and temporary bridge installations in the Poga community. As recovery efforts continue, future reimbursement requests are expected to focus more on permanent road repairs.

The TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast returned this week, featuring attorney and TBA lobbyist Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC, along with attorneys and TBA lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese, and Adams & Reese intern Aydan Hawk. The group recapped the TBA’s recent Day on the Hill and reviewed several key pieces of legislation, including bills on extrajudicial adoptions HB1263/SB1238; real estate HB569/SB394, HB1970/SB1985 and HB1762/SB1707; adoption SB2165/HB2350; probate SB2184/HB2451 and family law SB2324/HB2429. Tune in on the TBA website or through this link. Attorneys interested in supporting the TBA’s lobbying efforts can contribute to LAWPAC.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on March 25 suspended 20 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee, nine of whom also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. Lawyers reinstated in the last month include three who were suspended in 2025. TBA has administrative suspensions dating back to 2005. Be sure to check the Board of Professional Responsibility's website for the most up to date information on lawyers' licenses.

Campbell County lawyer J. Stephen Hurst was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court on March 25 for violating Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2, 3.3 and 8.4(d) while representing a client in a property boundary action. During the representation, the court found that Hurst improperly negotiated and settled the pending action without his client’s knowledge or authorization and failed to inform the court that his client had not approved the settlement.

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Judge Stacy Street to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Section. Street currently is serving as a criminal court judge in the 1st Judicial District. He earned his bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and law degree from the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. Street’s appointment fills a vacancy created by Judge Kyle Hixson’s elevation to the Tennessee Supreme Court. The appointment is effective July 7 and is subject to legislative confirmation. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors, an 18-year-old Nashville nonprofit providing free or low-cost immigration legal services, has adopted a co-directorship model — bringing on Melinda Noblitt alongside existing leader Tessa Lemos Del Pino — to handle the surge in demand driven by rapidly changing immigration policy. Caseloads have nearly doubled, jumping from about 1,000 cases in 2024 to nearly 1,900 in 2025, with staff also fielding around 2,000 calls from people seeking help, information or referrals. The nonprofit says immigrants with legal status are being detained because officers often don't understand the complexity of documentation. With the new leadership structure, the organization aims to build more nonprofit partnerships, pursue additional grant funding and expand capacity — while helping immigrants understand their constitutional rights in the current climate. The Nashville Business Journal has the story.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently proposed a rule that would rescind the Biden administration's 2024 independent contractor rule and replace it with a framework modeled on the 2021 rule, re-centering the worker classification analysis on two core factors: the degree of control over work and the worker's opportunity for profit or loss. According to Bloomberg Law, unlike the 2024 rule's six-factor equal-weight analysis, the new proposal treats other considerations as secondary and emphasizes that actual working practices matter more than contractual language. Employers currently face a split landscape, as the DOL has already shifted its enforcement approach away from the 2024 rule, while private plaintiffs can still invoke it in court until it is formally rescinded. The proposal is not yet final — public comments are due by April 28 — and employers using contractor models are advised to review their classification practices, keeping in mind that stricter state laws will continue to apply regardless of the federal outcome.