The U.S. Supreme Court has added a case to its docket regarding the scope of the federal Video Protection Act. On Jan. 26, the court granted certiorari in Salazar v. Paramount Global, a case originating in Tennessee. The decision has the potential to limit class action lawsuits against websites that share their customers’ video viewing habits with third parties. The outcome will turn on the definition of who qualifies as a “consumer” for purposes of the act, according to legal observers. Learn more about the case from JD Supra or read the decision from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews Jr. deals with young people who most consider “troubled.” His own life was profoundly changed by violence when his younger brother was shot and killed in a drug deal gone bad. As such, a keen understanding of the fine line that separates the “troubled” from others shapes his approach to the job. Matthews was recently named co-chair of a new Community Safety Task Force, which brings together leaders and community members from across the city of Nashville and gives him a different avenue to pursue the work that has shaped his adult life. Learn more about his plans for the role in this interview with the Nashville Banner.

Legislation to increase bankruptcy fees and extend the terms of temporary bankruptcy judges has been signed into law, Bloomberg Law reports. The Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025 was signed by President Donald Trump on Feb. 6. It increases compensation for Chapter 7 trustees in no-asset bankruptcies for the first time since 1994. The rate will raise from $60 to $120 per case. The law also extends the terms for some temporary bankruptcy judges from five years to 10 years. The bill, S. 3424, cleared the U.S. House in a voice vote last month and passed the U.S. Senate in December.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee approved two of Gov. Bill Lee's recent judicial nominations: Kyle Hixson of Knoxville to replace retiring Justice Holly Kirby on the Tennessee Supreme Court and Madison County Chancellor Steven Maroney to replace Judge Kenny Armstrong on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, according to a TBA representative who attended the meeting. The nominations still must be considered by the full Senate and House. The meeting also included a budget review for the Administrative Office of the Courts and the state Attorney General's Office. In related news, Lee’s choice for another open position on the Court of Appeals has withdrawn from consideration. The Tennessee Journal reports that Rachel Park Hurt, who would have replaced retiring Judge D. Michael Swiney, withdrew after Republican legislators raised questions about her past support of Democratic political candidates. Hurt, a partner with the Knoxville law firm of Arnett, Baker, Draper and Hagood and president of the Knoxville Bar Association, was nominated by Lee on Jan. 22. The committee did not consider her nomination.

Robert William “Bob” Godwin died Jan. 26 at the age of 84. A graduate of the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, Godwin joined the JAG Corps and later practiced law for 55 years in Fountain City. He referred to himself as “a simple country lawyer.” A celebration of life was held Feb. 7 at Hexagon Brewing. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Young Williams Animal Center, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, the ACLU or National Immigrant Legal Service.

The Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) will host its second annual Student Public Interest Fellowship (SPIF) Auction on March 26 at 5 p.m. EDT. The event raises funds to support students who take summer internships at public defender and district attorney offices and legal aid organizations. Live and silent auctions will be held and Bridgett McMahan, president of the LMU Law Alumni Association, will serve as the evening’s speaker. McMahan is the president of Broadway Electric Service Company (BESCO) and Engert LLC. Read more about the event in Knox TN Today.

All four law firms fighting President Donald Trump’s executive orders will make their arguments against the directives on the same day now that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has consolidated the cases, Bloomberg Law reports. The firms — Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey — did win their request to file separate response briefs. They argued they needed to make separate arguments because their cases involve different facts and laws. The firms will brief the court from March 6 to April 10 prior to making oral arguments. All four won injunctions against the orders last year. The U.S. Justice Department is appealing those decisions.

Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s largest law firm by revenue, announced it is opening an office in Nashville. “Nashville offers an ideal environment for our continued growth by enhancing our ability to attract exceptional legal talent in a vibrant and growing city with talented lawyers and a strong law school community,” said Jon A. Ballis, chair of the firm’s executive committee. “We’re excited to open our doors in the Music City with a terrific group of lawyers across our litigation and transactional practice areas.” The office opens with four litigation partners — Tara Blake, Matt Smith, Paul Rosenblatt and Travis Swearingen, who will focus on complex commercial disputes, class actions, product liability and mass tort matters. The Nashville Business Journal looks at their backgrounds. A number of additional partners and associates also have joined the office with more to be added. The office location has not yet been announced.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force will host a series of virtual town halls this month. Friday's event will start at noon CDT and focus on non-lawyer ownership and fee sharing. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

True crime doesn't just happen in dark alleys and abandoned warehouses. It also happens in conference rooms and courthouses. And when it's lawyers who perpetrate those crimes, they have another problem: ethics issues. Nationally renowned educator Stuart Teicher explores bad barrister behavior and the ethics lessons that lie beneath. Teicher will talk about real missteps committed by actual lawyers, explore why lawyers make bad decisions and the ethics lessons for everyone. Visit the TBA website to register for this one-hour webinar on Feb. 12 beginning at noon CST.