Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and 20 other state attorneys general have sent a letter to the American Bar Association (ABA) demanding the group immediately stop requiring law schools, as part of the accreditation process, to comply with Standard 206, which addresses diversity and inclusion in hiring and admissions. The standard requires that schools show a “commitment to diversity and inclusion by having a faculty and staff that are diverse with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity.” The group argues that requirement runs afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued an order soliciting comments on a proposed change to Rule 31(15)(a)(5) of the Rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court. On May 16, the Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission filed a petition asking the court to consider adopting an amendment to provide a training waiver to mediators whose credentials have lapsed. Comments on the proposed change should be submitted by Aug. 2 and reference Docket #ADM2024-00714. Comments should be emailed to Clerk James Hivner or mailed to 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219.

The Tennessee Supreme Court is giving Hamilton County lawyer Jennifer Yates Stickley extra time to complete required CLE hours. On April 5, Stickley filed a petition for reinstatement from inactive status. The Board of Professional Responsibility stated that it had no objection to reinstatement but noted outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. On April 16, the court issued an order that the petition would be dismissed if requirements were not met by May 31. On May 29, the commission reported that Stickley had “nearly satisfied” the requirements but likely would not complete all necessary steps by the deadline. In light of her compliance efforts, the court granted an extension of the deadline to July 1.

The law license of Shelby County lawyer Richard Alan Gordon was transferred to disability inactive status on May 31. Gordon may not practice law while on inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court after showing that his disability has been removed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Steven Michael Hodgen from the practice of law on May 31 after finding that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. Hodgen is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by June 30.

The Nashville Davidson County Register of Deeds will begin operations in a new location at 300 Deaderick St. starting June 14. The office is moving from its current office at the Bridgestone Arena to a space across the street from the Historic Metro Courthouse. The last day in its current location will be June 21. The office reports that services will remain available and uninterrupted during the move. This includes filing and recording of all property documents, liens, and releases; e-recording and remote filing; information services (in person, by phone and via email); provision of document and plat copies, and voter registration. Read more in this announcement.

Registration is now open for the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) Equal Justice University Conference. Co-sponsored by the TBA, the conference will take place Aug. 28-30 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. This year’s event, with the theme "Cultivating Civil Justice Leaders to Protect the Promise," will feature award presentations, inspiring keynote speakers, networking opportunities, CLE sessions and other special events. EJU is the largest gathering of Tennessee's equal justice community.

Memphis Area Legal Services Inc. (MALS) has announced that its Board of Directors has selected Memphis attorney Nicole M. Grida as its chief executive officer (CEO). In making the announcement, MALS said that Grida is a longtime supporter of access to justice programs, and will bring her leadership, collaboration and legal skills to the organization to ensure it continues to provide excellence in legal advocacy to those in need, while finding innovative ways to protect the legal rights of low-income citizens in Shelby, Fayette, Tipton and Lauderdale counties.

A native of Hellertown, Pennsylvania, Grida is a graduate of Temple University and The University of Tennessee College of Law, where she completed a concentration in advocacy and dispute resolution. She is a member of the Memphis Bar Association, Ben F. Jones Chapter of the National Bar Association, Association for Women Attorneys and the Tennessee Bar Association. Grida presently serves on the TBA YLD Board as the YLD Fellows Liaison. In July, she will take over as treasurer for the Fellows.

HELENE N. WHITE, Circuit Judge. Plaintiff-Appellant Oakland Tactical Supply, LLC (Oakland Tactical) leased a parcel of land in Howell Township, Michigan (the Township) with the intention of constructing and operating a commercial shooting range offering long-distance target practice. It has been unable to do so, however, because the Township’s zoning provisions limit the parcel to agricultural and residential uses. Oakland Tactical and five Michigan residents who wish to train at its proposed range sued the Township, alleging that its zoning restrictions violate the Second Amendment. The district court granted the Township’s motion for judgment on the pleadings, concluding the zoning restrictions did not violate the Second Amendment. While Plaintiffs’ appeal was pending, the Supreme Court announced a new framework for deciding Second Amendment challenges in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n, Inc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022). We remanded for reconsideration in light of Bruen, and the district court again granted judgment for the Township. We AFFIRM.

Defendant, Mario Rogers, appeals his conviction for second degree murder, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to support his conviction because the State failed to establish his identity as the perpetrator or that he acted with the requisite mental state. Upon review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.