The TBA YLD has selected six fellows for its Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF) program. They are: Johnny Byrd, Rachel Carpenter, Laila Irigoyen and Alana Perez from Belmont University College of Law; Sarah Harper from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; and Savannah Beaty from University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. These law students will have the opportunity to spend six weeks of the summer as a judicial law clerk in a legal community in rural Tennessee. They also will attend the TBA's Annual Convention in June. Six judges will be paired with the students to help them gain practical legal experience and foster connections in underserved areas. Thank you to this year's participating judges: Circuit Court Judge Caleb Bayless in Columbia, Chancellor Jerri Bryant in Athens, General Sessions Judge Lee Bussart in Lewisburg, Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes in Dyersburg, Circuit Court Judge Blake Neill in Somerville, and Criminal Court Judge Zachary Walden in Jacksboro. Thanks also to YLD Middle Tennessee Governor Alix Rogers and YLD Secretary Judge Zack Walden who co-chair the Rural Judicial Fellowship program.

The TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) Class of 2026 met in Memphis on Thursday and Friday this week for its “Issues in Community Leadership” program. The class toured St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and were welcomed by Sara Hall, chief legal officer and general counsel at ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude. University of Memphis School of Law Professor Daniel Kiel and members of the Memphis 13 — the African American first-graders who integrated four all-white Memphis elementary schools in 1961 — shared their experiences with the class. The group also heard from Bruce McMullen of Baker Donelson and Van Turner of Turner Field Law. Additional highlights included a welcome from TBALL co-chairs Geoffrey Lewis and John Wilks, a Myers-Briggs leadership assessment led by Linda Bailey, a “Lunch & Learn” with Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby and a caucus with Justice Mary Wagner. An optional tour of the National Civil Rights Museum was also offered. See photos from the events.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Tuesday that the state owes the county millions for housing state inmates at the Shelby County Penal Farm, claiming the unpaid costs contributed to the county’s budget deficit, Action News 5 reports. Harris said it cost nearly $30 million last year to house inmates and that money had to be drawn from the county’s general fund. Shelby County Division of Corrections currently has 959 Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) inmates. “Shelby County taxpayers are being asked to pay a bill that is not theirs,” Harris said, adding that if the state does not pay, the county could face a tax increase. County attorneys said negotiations with the state broke down in July 2024, and the TDOC has not paid for any inmates since. The news outlet said TDOC could not be reached for comment.

TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast is new this week with TBA attorneys and lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese. In this episode, they discuss the state of the legislature after Winter Storm Fern, bills being assigned to committees and the timeline for this year's legislative session. Tune in to the podcast on the TBA website or through this link.

North Carolina lawyer John Charles Bircher III was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Feb. 9. Bircher was placed on inactive status more than five years ago on Sept. 5, 2018. The Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed his petition for reinstatement and found it be appropriate. The court issued the order on Feb. 12.

TBA members received two versions of TBA Today on Thursday. The first version sent at 5:41 p.m. CST had the incorrect deadline for voting in TBA's 2026-2027 election. The second version sent at 5:59 p.m. contained the correct time. Ballots are due tonight by 11:59 p.m. CST. TBA members were sent an email on Jan. 30 with a ballot for the two candidates running for TBA vice president. The email was sent from Intelliscan Inc. Members also were sent an email with profiles of the two candidates running for vice president. That email was sent from elections@tnbar.org. The candidate profiles also are available on the TBA website.

A Metro Council resolution filed this week calls for the removal of Nashville Electric Service (NES) CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin after Winter Storm Fern left nearly 250,000 customers without power, the Nashville Post reports. The nonbinding measure, sponsored by Councilmembers Emily Benedict and Courtney Johnston, urges the NES Power Board to terminate Broyles-Aplin. Mayor Freddie O’Connell said during a news conference last week that he does not have unilateral authority to remove members of the NES board or the CEO, noting that responsibility rests with the Metro Council. O’Connell said the council will hold hearings and seek assistance from the Metro auditor, with initial findings expected within six months. The council is scheduled to consider the resolution Feb. 17.

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the status of a small amphibian found in Tennessee, WPLN reports. The conservation group alleges the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service failed to determine whether the yellow-spotted woodland salamander should be listed as an endangered species. The salamander lives in shale and sandstone rock faces, areas often targeted for mountaintop removal mining, which has destroyed more than 500 mountains and 1.4 million acres of Appalachian forest over the past 40 years. Regional Director Will Harlan said the species, identified in 2018, could be wiped out by mining and road construction in the coming years if action is not taken.

Gov. Bill Lee, joined by business leaders and legislative partners, has announced the formation of a committee to build support for a constitutional amendment that would ban a state property tax. According to the Daily Memphian, Amendment 2 would prohibit the General Assembly from enacting a future statewide property tax and will appear on the November ballot. Tennessee has not levied a statewide property tax since 1949, and currently only local governments impose such taxes. If approved, the measure would make Tennessee the first state in the nation to repeal the authority to enact a state property tax. Amending the Tennessee Constitution requires passage in two consecutive General Assemblies and approval by voters in a gubernatorial election year.

Lawyers for Metro Nashville and for the state presented arguments Thursday in two cases before the Tennessee Supreme Court concerning a potential reduction in the size of the Metro Council and a possible state restructuring of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority. According to the Nashville Banner, the cases reflect ongoing tensions between the state legislature and the metropolitan government. One law would cut the 40-member Metro Council in half, while the other would shift appointment power over the airport authority board from the Nashville mayor to a group including the governor and legislative leaders. Attorneys for Metro argued the measures violate the Tennessee Constitution’s Home Rule Amendment by targeting Nashville specifically, while the state contended the laws address matters of statewide concern and apply broadly under legislative authority. Rulings are expected in several months.