U.S. District Judge Aleta A. Trauger earlier this week denied a bid to file an amicus brief from the Indian Gaming Association, the National Congress of American Indians, gaming associations from four states and 21 federally recognized tribes. The Nashville Post reports that the groups had expressed support for the Tennessee Sports Wagering Council’s effort to block sports betting company Kalshi from offering sports event contracts in the state, arguing the contracts amounted to illegal sports wagering under the Tennessee Sports Gaming Act. Kalshi sued the council on Jan. 9 after receiving a cease-and-desist letter threatening civil and criminal penalties. Trauger granted a temporary restraining order, preventing the council from taking regulatory action while Kalshi’s preliminary injunction motion is pending, with Kalshi maintaining that the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission has exclusive authority over its contracts.

Davidson County voters will decide three judicial primary races May 5 as recently appointed judges seek to retain their seats against challengers, the Nashville Banner reports. The contests include Criminal Court Division III, Circuit Court Division III and General Sessions Court Division VI, all filled in late 2025 after retirements, with appointees Jim Todd and Bethany Glandorf selected by Gov. Bill Lee and Jodie Bell appointed by Metro Council. Todd, the Criminal Court incumbent, faces challengers Dawn Deaner, a longtime public defender, and former assistant district attorney Ron Dowdy, while Glandorf, who oversees family law matters in Circuit Court, is challenged by Audrey Anderson, Corletra Mance and Tusca Alexis. In the General Sessions race, Bell, a defense attorney, will run against magistrate Michael Robinson. According to the Banner, several challengers previously applied for the same vacancies but were not selected, setting up primaries that will determine who serves the remainder of the judges’ eight-year terms.

Less than a year after two lawmakers considered a government effort to dissolve the state’s high school athletics association, Sen. Adam Lowe, R-Calhoun, said he is no longer pursuing that option, and that he and the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) are now more aligned, the Commercial Appeal reports. Lowe said the association has responded to concerns from parents and students, citing the creation of a student advisory committee, and that a majority of member schools now support state legislation to loosen high school transfer rules. During the 2025 legislative session, the TSSAA opposed efforts by Lowe and Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, to codify transfer rules in state law, though the association later amended its constitution to allow a one-time transfer with exceptions while maintaining concerns about legislative involvement in its bylaws. Since then, the sides have worked together on a proposal that would allow student-athletes one transfer during their four-year varsity careers without a bona fide change of address if the move occurs between school years, while leaving eligibility standards and enforcement of recruiting rules to the TSSAA; the changes would likely take effect in the 2026-2027 school year if approved.

Federal prosecutors on Jan. 23 charged two American citizens connected to a Hardin Valley construction site after an immigration raid, alleging they harbored undocumented workers for financial gain and interfered with federal agents, Knox News reports. Tyler Shane Wells of Morristown and Alexander Bonilla-Servin of Smyrna were indicted on charges including harboring undocumented immigrants for commercial advantage and forcibly impeding federal officers. Prosecutors allege the pair conducted counter-surveillance and that Bonilla-Servin used his truck to strike an agent’s vehicle as it entered the site, a claim disputed by witnesses who say an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent struck his vehicle and agents then drew weapons and removed him. Bonilla-Servin also faces a separate obstruction charge filed Jan. 13, according to the news outlet. U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Poplin ordered him released pending trial, finding he was not a danger.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals, following the appointment of Judge Kyle A. Hixson to the Tennessee Supreme Court. Applicants must be licensed attorneys who are at least 30 years of age, have been residents of the state for five years, and must reside in the Eastern Grand Division of Tennessee. Applicants must complete the application and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) by noon CST on Feb. 17. Questions about the application process should be submitted to AOC Assistant General Counsel Laura Blount at (615) 741-2687 or laura.blount@tncourts.gov.

The TBA will host the Federal Practice Forum 2026 on July 14 as a live virtual event, with programming scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT. Additional details about the forum and its agenda will be coming soon on the TBA website.

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. Each town hall will focus on specific issues outlined in the order, starting with a discussion about Alternative Education and Licensure Pathways on Feb. 10 at noon CST. Additional sessions will address Nonlawyer Ownership and Fee Sharing on Feb. 13 at 11 a.m., Paraprofessionals on Feb. 19 at noon,  ABA Accreditation on Feb. 23 at noon, and Interstate Mobility and Reciprocity on Feb. 26 at noon. All times are central time zone. 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.

The TBA Pro Bono Portal provides a centralized source for lawyers and law students to find pro bono opportunities across Tennessee, like the following case through West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS). A client in McNairy County needs assistance with bankruptcy advice. The work can be performed remotely or in person. Get more information about the requirements associated with this opportunity and browse other pro bono needs. A free half hour CLE is available on the TBA’s website to introduce attorneys to this innovative platform. The webcast includes a live demonstration of the portal and shows attorneys how to search and sign up for pro bono opportunities in their practice areas.

Memphis attorney Robert Miles Mason Sr. died Feb. 1 at age 61 after a long battle with cancer. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1994. A Memphis native, Mason founded Miles Mason Law Group PLC and was a certified public accountant. Mason served on the Tennessee Bar Journal's Editorial Board from 2003-2006 and as chair of the TBA's Family Law Section. He received the Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing in 2024 for his article “You Are the Father!: Untangling Custody Rights in Tennessee Between Unmarried Parents,” which appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of the Journal. Mason’s father-in-law, the late Judge Joe B. Jones, was the first recipient of the award in 1981. A funeral Mass will be held Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church, 190 Adams Ave., Memphis 38103, preceded by the rosary at 11:30 a.m. and visitation at noon. Burial will take place at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38119. All times CST. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mason's name to Christian Brothers High School or the Orpheum Theatre Group.

Thousands of legal immigrants will lose access to TennCare beginning in October under a new Trump administration policy, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. Tennessee officials also separately are considering barring pregnant women without legal immigration status from publicly funded prenatal care, the paper reports. The director of TennCare told lawmakers last month that about 8,500 refugees and asylum-seekers would be removed from the state’s Medicaid program beginning Oct. 1. The changes stem from federal policy provisions included in a federal bill signed into law last year. State officials also are reviewing whether Tennessee’s Child Health Insurance Program could exclude pregnant women without legal status from receiving prenatal care.