Petitioner, Jeffrey Allen Judkins, appeals the denial of his post-conviction petition, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in finding that he received the effective assistance of counsel at trial. Following our review of the entire record and the briefs of the parties, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

The trial court dismissed Appellant’s lawsuit for failure to comply with discovery. Tenn. R. Civ. P. 37.02(C) and 41.02(1). Because Appellant’s brief fails to comply with the requirements of Tennessee Rule of Appellate Procedure 27 and Tennessee Court of Appeals Rule 6, we do not reach Appellant’s issues and dismiss the appeal.

The second annual Raising the Bar series, produced by TBA's Women in the Profession Committee, centered on the theme of "Advocating for Each Other and Ourselves." All eight sessions are now available online as webcasts. Learn from attorneys across the state as they discuss the roadblocks that diverse women lawyers face, how to effectively advocate for raises and project assignments, how to maintain a solid work-life balance, recent rule changes and new laws affecting women attorneys.

Frederick Agee, district attorney for Tennessee’s 28th Judicial District and who is prosecuting Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9 Judge Melissa Boyd’s criminal case, said Thursday he would file an amended motion to revoke Boyd’s bond after she tested positive for cocaine and alcohol on March 12. According to the Daily Memphian, Boyd has been out of custody on a $5,000 bond since Dec. 13, 2023. If her bond were revoked, she would be held in custody until trial, which is set to start on April 24. Agee’s office had previously moved to revoke Boyd’s bond after she tested positive for marijuana on Jan. 3.

The U.S. Supreme Court today set a new standard for determining if public officials acted in a governmental capacity when blocking critics on social media — a test to be applied in lawsuits accusing them of violating the Constitution's First Amendment. Reuters reports that the justices, in a pair of unanimous rulings, threw out decisions by lower courts in cases from California and Michigan involving lawsuits brought by people who were blocked after posting criticisms on the social media accounts of local officials. The justices directed the lower courts to revisit the cases based on the new standard. First Amendment protections for free speech generally constrain government actors, not private individuals. Under the new test, officials are considered engaging in governmental action if they had "actual authority to speak on behalf of the state on a particular matter" and "purported to exercise that authority in the relevant posts."

Diversity Law Week high school students in Memphis today observed a motion docket in Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Gina C. Higgins' courtroom. Afterwards, they were able to discuss what they observed with the judge and ask questions about her life and career. Thanks to Judge Higgins and YLD President Quinton Thompson for leading today's activities.

Join the Vanderbilt Social Justice Reporter for its 2024 inaugural symposium "Capitalism & The Carceral State," focused on bridging academics, practitioners and impacted individuals. 2023 MacArthur Fellow Andrea Armstrong will be the keynote speaker. The event will take place March 21 from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CDT in Flynn Auditorium at Vanderbilt University Law School, 131 21st Ave. S., Nashville 37203. Learn more and register here.

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is the "preferred candidate" to be the next dean of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, according to an email obtained by the Commercial Appeal. David J. Russomanno, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost for the University of Memphis, said in the email to faculty, "We have reached an extraordinary moment with a tremendous need for a collaborative dean who will demonstrate exemplary leadership and focus on initiatives and priorities to significantly increase enrollment, bar passage rates and philanthropic support to our law school to ensure its continued viability and vitality." The current dean and the first woman in the law school's history to hold the position, Katharine T. Schaffzin, announced in an August 2023 email to the law school community that she will step down at the end of this academic year.

A bill blocking local governments from passing police reform on traffic stop policies is heading to Gov. Bill Lee's desk after it passed the Senate. The Commercial Appeal reports that the bill passed with 26 "yes" votes and six "no" votes along party lines, with all Memphis and Nashville Democrats voting against it. The bill would directly nullify an ordinance passed by the Memphis City Council in the wake of Tyre Nichols being fatally beaten by now-former Memphis Police Department officers. The ordinance prevents police from conducting low-level traffic stops, often called "pretextual traffic stops." Nichols' parents have objected to the bill throughout the legislative process. According to the Daily Memphian, they now have requested a meeting with Lee and asked him to veto the bill.

A new episode of the Legislative Updates podcast is live! Join attorney and TBA lobbyist Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley as they discuss committees closing for this legislative session, as well as TBA's upcoming Day on the Hill and Big Shrimp Legislative Reception, which will be held in Nashville on March 20. These events give Tennessee lawyers an opportunity to meet with their legislators and talk to them about issues important to the profession, including funding for indigent representation. Registration for the events will close on Monday. Legislative Updates airs each week on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.