At its winter meeting last month, the TBA Board of Governors announced a vacancy in two board positions: West Tennessee Grand Division Governor (a one-year term) and 7th District Governor (a three-year term). The 7th District includes the counties of Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, McNairy, Madison, Obion, Tipton and Weakley. To be considered for either of these positions, email a statement of interest and resume to TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright at barED@tnbar.org by March 3. The board will consider nominees at its March meeting. Read more about the 2026-2027 election on the TBA website.

The 2026 Estate Planning & Probate Forum will take place at the Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin next week. The event on Friday will provide seven hours of CLE, including one hour of dual credit, and offers sessions on litigation and estate planning, public receivership, a probate panel and a legislative update. Speakers include Section Chair Robert Malin, Rebecca Blair, Chancellor William Cole, Arthur Cook, Jennifer Exum, Donald Farinato, General Sessions Court Judge Toby Gilley, Zachary Glaser, Lisa Helton, Robin Miller, David Parsons, Al Secor, Andrea Sinclair, Jared Smith and Ashley Stearns. Section members receive discounted registration. Get more information and register on the TBA's website.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a coalition of state attorneys general urging the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a thorough antitrust review of the proposed merger between Netflix and Warner Bros., warning that the deal could harm consumers, creators and the broader film industry. In a statement, Skrmetti emphasized the potential harm to creative professionals: “This merger threatens to devastate movie and television production and abandon America’s enduring legacy as the dominant force in global cinema. We are exploring options to protect Tennessee consumers and creators.”

On Feb. 24, the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Sullivan County lawyer Ricky A.W. Curtis to the active practice of law. Curtis was temporarily suspended on Jan. 22 for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. The board confirmed that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory.

Memphis lawyer Byrd Douglas Earthman died Feb. 19 at the age of 76. Originally from Kingsport, Earthman moved to Nashville as a child when his father, an attorney, took a job with the Gov. Frank Clement administration. After receiving his law degree in 1973 from Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis) Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Earthman began a 20-year career with the Waring Cox law firm. He later served as a senior vice president at ServiceMaster Diversified Health Services. He returned to private practice at Armstrong Allen and finished his legal career at Glankler Brown. Earthman focused his private practice on municipal bonds and real estate matters. Memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice or the Earthman-Lambeth Family Fund with the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly (choose "Make a Gift" at the bottom of the page and then click on "use this donation as a memorial gift" and specify the fund name in the special instructions field).

After more than a week of conflicting reports about whether the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was planning to open an immigration detention facility in Lebanon, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn announced yesterday that DHS will not move forward with the facility. Though supportive of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) mission, the Tennessee Lookout reports that Blackburn opposed the location for a proposed detention center. Local officials and at least one Republican state lawmaker also spoke against the location, citing the strains it would place on local safety and law enforcement resources. The Lookout also reports that Blackburn is working with state, local and federal leaders to “find a proper placement” for the detention center. In related news, ICE will open a new legal office in Nashville’s MetroCenter. The Nashville Business Journal has details on those plans.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announced on the floor of the state Senate that he would not seek reelection later this year, ending a nearly five-decade career in the legislature. According to the Nashville Banner, the Oak Ridge Republican was first elected to the House in 1978 and to the Senate in 1986. He succeeded Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey in the top job in 2017. McNally, who is 82 years old, cited health considerations for his decision.

SCOTUSblog founder and appellate attorney Tom Goldstein has been found guilty on 12 of 16 counts of tax crimes and mortgage fraud, Bloomberg Law reports. During the trial, Goldstein denied that he ever willfully cheated on his taxes, blaming any errors on his returns on his staff and outside accountants. The jury phase of the trial is not over yet. Goldstein has asked the jury to decide whether he must forfeit his Washington, D.C., home. In a separate article, the news source looks at the potential grounds for appealing the verdict.

The federal judiciary is urging Congress to shift courthouse management away from the executive branch, citing mounting risks and longstanding neglect, according to Reuters. The judiciary argues urgent action is needed to address critical system failures, underfunded repairs, security concerns and worsening costs. Judicial leaders say courthouses are in “crisis,” pointing to an $8.3 billion repair backlog and decades of inadequate oversight by the General Services Administration (GSA). Lawmakers reportedly are working on legislation to gradually transfer control of courthouse facilities from the GSA to the judiciary, starting with up to 10 districts.

The American Bar Association (ABA) reportedly is in settlement talks with the American Alliance for Equal Rights over settling the group’s lawsuit challenging ABA law school scholarships. In a recent court filing, the parties asked for more time to engage in settlement discussions, according to Bloomberg News. The alliance sued the ABA in April 2025, alleging its Legal Opportunity Scholarship violates civil rights law. The scholarship offers $15,000 to about 25 first-year law students. Last year, the ABA widened eligibility to students who “have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.” That change reversed the previous guidelines, which limited applications to students who were members of underrepresented racial or ethnic minority groups.