Democratic state Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, has been removed from the one committee that meets during the off-session as punishment for a protest mounted on the last day of the special session on redistricting. The Tennessean reports that the Oliver also has been informed by Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, that she will not qualify for per diem payments for office work until next year. The move comes after House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, stripped committee assignments from every House Democrat in response to what he called disruptive behavior in the chamber during the special legislative session. Democrats will remain on the Government Operations Committee and the Calendar & Rules Committees though since House rules require that members of both parties serve on those panels. The Tennessean also reports that additional “punishments” may be coming when the legislature reconvenes in January. Local Memphis has responses from several Democratic members.

Gov. Bill Lee and legislative leaders have named their appointments to a nine-member oversight board that will review operations of Memphis schools. The move comes after the state legislature approved legislation establishing the board, which will operate through 2030. Lee named businessman Tyrone Burroughs, education professional Dorsey Hopson, UT Board of Trustees member Shanea McKinney, Tennessee Board of Regents member Nisha Powers and former National Civil Rights Museum President Beverly Robertson. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally appointed Memphis attorney Dedrick Brittenum Jr. and businessman Billy Orgel. House Speaker Cameron Sexton selected just one of his appointees: David Mansouri, the president and CEO of the education organization SCORE. The Daily Memphian reports on the selections.

Death row inmate Tony Carruthers’ attorneys are criticizing the qualifications of the doctor who participated in his failed execution on May 21 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. The Tennessean reports that Mark Walton Fowler is a family medicine doctor in Union City. He has an active Tennessee medical license but does not have hospital privileges. Fowler previously said he had not performed a central line procedure since 2013. Carruthers reportedly was pierced more than 12 times in an attempt to access his veins. Prison officials called off the procedure and Gov. Bill Lee granted Carruthers a one-year reprieve from execution. Fowler has participated in at least two other executions: Oscar Smith in May 2025 and Byron Black in August 2025. A lawsuit challenging the state’s execution protocols is scheduled to go to trial in February 2027.

Knoxville lawyer William Pennebaker “Boone” Dougherty died May 24 in Iowa. He attended Vanderbilt University and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1961. Following law school, Dougherty moved to Knoxville and practiced law with several firms, including Ambrose, Wilson and Saulpaw; Poore, Cox, Baker & McAuley; Bernstein, Dougherty & Susano; and Dougherty and Alliman. For more than 30 years he handled criminal defense, labor, environmental and coal mining matters. In 1965, Dougherty was appointed deputy law director for the city of Knoxville and served as city trial counsel and counsel for the city council until 1972. After retiring from private practice in 1991, he moved to Atlanta where he worked as an investigative reporter for a local newspaper. In 1993, he began a second career with the State of Georgia, trying cases for the Department of Human Resources. He retired for good in 2004, and in 2006, he moved to Iowa to be closer to his daughter.

Tennessee has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court challenging an effort by Colorado local governments to wield Colorado state tort law to control energy policy nationwide. Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti announced that the case, Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, raises significant constitutional questions about the authority of a single state to regulate conduct occurring entirely in other states. In the brief, Tennessee argues that the Constitution protects each state’s territorial sovereignty and prohibits one state from imposing its policy preferences beyond its own borders. Tennessee warns that allowing Boulder’s lawsuit to proceed would permit individual states to effectively dictate national energy and environmental policy for the entire country. Read more in a news release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 27 issued an order seeking comments on a proposal to amend Supreme Court Rule 21. The changes, requested by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE), would combine Sections 6 and 7 of the rule and revise the applicable deadlines and fee structures related to attorney noncompliance with annual CLE requirements. The deadline for submitting comments is July 21. Comments should reference docket number No. ADM2026-00693 and be sent to Clerk of the Appellate Courts, 401 Seventh Ave. N., Ste. 321, Nashville, TN 37219-1407 or be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. View the proposed changes in the attachments to the court’s order.

The 2026 Convention CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit, including a presentation from Tara Cheever, co-founder and chief product officer of LIT SOFTWARE. Since 2010, Cheever has helped lead the design and development of technologies to serve litigators, focusing on practical, accessible technology that supports legal professionals in trial preparation, case analysis and courtroom presentation. Her applications are used by a broad range of legal organizations, including solo practitioners, large law firms, corporate legal departments, prosecutors, public defenders and government agencies. The software also is incorporated into legal education programs at law schools throughout the country. Cheever’s presentation in Knoxville will focus on using technology to transform the way litigators prepare, organize and present their cases from managing discovery to preparing depositions, presenting evidence and collaborating with co-counsel. Learn more about the convention and register here. Can’t make the full convention? Day passes for Thursday’s Tech Showcase are available and include access to this CLE session.

A watchdog group has filed a complaint with the New York Bar against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for his role in the government’s case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the Campaign for Government Accountability accuses Blanche of violating ethics rules in bringing human smuggling charges against Abrego Garcia. A federal judge in Nashville last week determined that prosecution of the man — who previously was deported and then brought back to the United States after alleging wrongful removal — was vindictive. A Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson called the allegations “baseless” and said the department would be appealing the dismissal of criminal charges. The group also says it shared the complaint with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, questioning the role then-Acting U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire played in the prosecution.

Memphis lawyer Ronald D. “Ronnie” Krelstein died Feb. 10 at the age of 83. Krelstein earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and returned to Memphis where he established a 58-year legal career, first as the city's police legal adviser and then at his own law firm as a criminal defense attorney. Long-time legal friend and colleague, Richard Glassman, recalled that Krelstein loved trying lawsuits and loved the company of other lawyers. "Ronnie was an addict of the law. He was the No. 1 authority on contempt of court and always impressed judges with his legal knowledge." Krelstein was a member of Temple Israel and the Lawyers Journal Club of Memphis. He also was a frequent contributor to TBA Talk, the TBA’s group mailing list software that allows members to share knowledge and experiences with each other. The family asks that memorial donations be made to The Savior Foundation — a charitable agency for animals — or a charity of the donor's choice.

A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Washington, D.C., based law firm Wiley Rein of failing to detect a cyberattack, which gave hackers access to sensitive consumer data that was stolen and sold on the dark web. According to Bloomberg Law, hackers gained access to the firm’s systems for eight months as early as July 2024, but Wiley Rein did not discover the breach until June 2025 and waited until March 2026 to notify victims. Florida resident Derrick Burkett is suing the firm for negligence, breach of third-party contract, unjust enrichment and invasion of privacy on behalf of himself and similarly situated individuals. Burkett says he has had at least 19 fraudulent charges on his MetLife estate account due to the breach.