Next month's TBA Estate Planning & Probate Forum features a probate panel comprised of judges and clerk & masters from the state’s three grand divisions. This year's panelists include Chancellor Bill Cole, Judge Toby Gilley and Clerk & Master Jared Smith who will discuss best practices and answer general questions from attendees. Other topics at the forum include will and trust litigation, AI in estate planning, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, public receivership, a legislative update and ethics. Learn more and register here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently reinstated six lawyers who had been suspended for failing to pay the state professional privilege tax. They include two lawyers suspended in 2025, one suspended in 2020, one suspended in 2019, one suspended in 2018 and one suspended in 2010. View these lists and all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005 on the TBA website.

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. pleaded guilty to five federal charges of tax evasion today. His trial was set to start in March. As part of the deal, Ford will resign his position on the commission and will never again run for elected office. Ford was charged last year with seven federal bribery and tax evasion charges related to an alleged scheme during which he awarded grant money to local nonprofits, which then, in turn, made purchases from his personal computer business. According to the Daily Memphian, Ford faces up to five years in prison on each charge. Sentencing will take place on June 12.

A federal judge will allow a group of taxpayers to intervene in a lawsuit from a Christian nonprofit seeking to open a religious charter school in Knox County. U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley Jr. last week granted a motion allowing a group of citizens to oppose the lawsuit from Wilberforce Academy, Knox News reports. The judge said the group’s motion is timely and of legal interest because the members oppose using tax dollars to support religion. Wilberforce is suing the board to obtain approval for a faith-based school in Cedar Bluff. The board argues that it cannot authorize a religious charter without a state waiver. It will meet Thursday to discuss a resolution asking the Tennessee Commissioner of Education to grant such a waiver.

Gov. Bill Lee will deliver his final State of the State address this evening before the Tennessee General Assembly beginning at 6 p.m. CST. According to a news release issued today, Lee will focus on education freedom, the work of the Memphis Safe Task Force, rural health, economic development and Tennessee’s Nuclear Fund. The address will be streamed live on the governor's official Facebook account and YouTube channel. Watch a preview on the governor's Facebook account.

The Human Artistry Campaign has announced the launch of its “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” campaign, backed by nearly 800 American creators, including actors, authors and musicians. Many Nashville artists have signed on in support, The Tennessean reports. The campaign calls for authorization and licensing agreements so artists can be compensated if their work is used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. As generative AI evolves and competition grows, technology companies are accused of using copyrighted content to power AI models and boost profits. Without proper licensing, copying creative works is illegal and can financially harm artists, the group says. Last month, the Copyright Alliance reported more than 70 copyright infringement lawsuits by copyright owners against AI companies.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 1 in a case testing President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to redefine birthright citizenship under the Constitution, Bloomberg Law reports. The order challenged the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which granted citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil. The order directed federal agencies not to recognize the citizenship of children born to mothers not legally in the country or here temporarily, and whose fathers were not citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of the birth. The court will take up a U.S. Justice Department appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the policy saying it violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment as well as federal law.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) announced it will offer free legal advice for veterans through clinics held throughout the year. The first clinic will take place Feb. 11 from noon to 2 p.m. EST at the Knox County Public Defender’s Office, WVLT reports. The clinics will provide legal advice, but wills will not be drafted. Veterans unable to attend in person may use a telephone clinic option and can preregister by calling Legal Aid of East Tennessee at 865-637-0484. Additional clinics are scheduled for April 8, June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9. Learn more from the KBA.

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 will host its 30th Annual Labor & Employment Law Forum on May 1 in Nashville, featuring a full-day program focused on key workplace and regulatory issues facing employers and practitioners. The forum, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT at the Tennessee Bankers Association, will include sessions on return-to-the-workplace challenges, Federal Trade Commission noncompetes and trade secrets, wage and hour issues, and ethics topics addressing sexual harassment and assault. Attendees may earn up to five general and one dual CLE hours. Participants will include Maha Ayesh of Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, Heather Collins of HMC Civil Rights Law, Jason Ensley of Forward Air Corp., John Edwin Gerth of Epstein Becker Green and Greg Grisham of Fisher & Phillips. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.