Due to inclement weather, Tennessee Supreme Court Buildings in Nashville, Knoxville and Jackson, as well as the Administrative Office of the Courts will be closed today. Oral arguments scheduled in Knoxville for today have been postponed. Visit https://www.tncourts.gov/ for more information. According to the Memphis Bar Association, local, state and federal courts are closed today in Memphis, as is the Shelby County Circuit Court Clerks Office and the federal courthouse in Jackson. The Knoxville Bar Association reports that the U.S district courts in the Eastern Grand Division determine closings and delays on a case-by-case basis, but make every effort to contact attorneys with matters before the court that will be affected. The Chattanoogan reports that multiple Hamilton County government offices will be closed today due to the severe weather. Most local government offices in Nashville are closed today, according to the Nashville Post, as are state offices across the state, according to Gov. Bill Lee.

A federal judge in Florida on Friday ruled that a law barring people from possessing firearms in U.S. post offices is unconstitutional, reports Reuters. U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle ruled the law violated defendant Emmanuel Ayala's right to bear arms under the U.S. Constitution. Ayala, a postal service driver in Tampa, had a concealed weapons permit and was indicted after he brought his gun onto postal service property. Ayala fled federal agents who tried to detain him. Mizelle did not dismiss a separate charge for forcibly resisting arrest.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance is accepting public comments regarding the licensure of court reporters and the sunsetting of the Board of Court Reporting. Written comments will be accepted through Jan. 19 via this form. The department says ]all comments will be shared in full with members of the Tennessee legislature's Government Operations Joint Subcommittee on Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture. Read more about the comment process using this link.

TBA Estate Planning & Probate Executive Council delegates David Parsons and Ashley Stearns will provide a primer on marital deductions at the section's annual forum on Feb. 23. The panelists will detail tips on benefits paid to marital deduction trusts, retirement benefits, pass-thru business interests and more. Other topics examined at the forum include a legislative update, ethics, the annual clerk & master’s panel, wills, public receivership and much more. This premier in-person event offers six general and one dual hours of CLE, along with the chance to meet and network with colleagues from across the state. Breakfast, lunch and free parking are included. Learn more and register here.

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) last week released its annual assessment on how children are faring in the state. The comprehensive report details data on economics, childcare, education, health concerns, general welfare and juvenile justice. Established by the General Assembly, TCCY is an independent, nonpartisan agency created to ensure the policies and programs effectively promote and protect the health and development of youth in Tennessee. View the report here.

Legal artificial intelligence (AI) startup Harvey has successfully garnered funding that brings the company’s valuation to $700 million, BNN reports. The surprise infusion of cash for the fledgling startup “signals a positive shift in the sector” according to the international news source. Harvey, named for a character on the popular legal-themed television show “Suits,” says it plans to use the latest investment to expand its custom model building, scale its team and build out its suite of product features. Other AI-based legal tech companies like Robin AI are also gaining ground, BNN says. In related news, AI chatbots from OpenAI, Google and Meta are particularly likely to provide false or misleading information when answering legal questions, according to new research. A study by Stanford University found that “large language models hallucinate at least 75% of the time when answering questions about a court’s core ruling.” The study looked at 200,000 legal questions, Bloomberg Law reports.

The U.S. Department of Education today said it would fast-track loan forgiveness for low-balance borrowers, implementing a plan to start forgiving loans next month instead of in July as planned. According to Nashville Public Radio, the change will benefit undergraduate and graduate students who borrowed $12,000 or less in federal student loans and have been in repayment for at least 10 years. These loans will be automatically erased in February, so long as borrowers are actively repaying their loans and are enrolled in the Biden administration's income-based repayment plan known as SAVE. For every additional $1,000 in debt, the repayment window increases by a one year. For example, a student who took out $13,000 in loans will have their debts erased if they have been in repayment for 11 years.

A three-judge panel of the Tennessee Court of Appeals last week ruled that a challenge to the state’s pilot school voucher program in Davidson County can move forward, Chalkbeat reports. The court found that the trial court erred when it decided factual disputes during the dismissal stage of the proceeding and when it ruled that plainfiffs lacked standing to challenge the program. The appeals court sent the case back to the trial court for review. Tennessee Lookout has a history of the voucher program and the legal challenges that have played out since it launched in 2019. Read the court's opinion.

Appellant David Hutchins challenges the trial court's denial of his Motion to continue a summary judgment hearing and its denial of his Motion to Alter or Amend the Court's summary judgment. The appeal was referred to the Special Workers' Compensation Appeals Panel for a hearing and a report of findings of fact and conclusions oflaw pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 51. We affirm.

Registration will close Monday for the next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits. The clinic, sponsored by the Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. The clinic will take place next Thursday. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.