On March 17, the Tennessee Supreme Court directed Georgia lawyer Meredith Gardial to complete outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education by May 1 or it would dismiss her petition for reinstatement. Gardial filed the petition on Feb. 23.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law will hold its annual Orr Symposium on April 16 from noon to 4:45 p.m. EDT. The event, sponsored by the law school’s legal clinic and Tennessee Law Review as well as the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, will focus on “Closing the Rural Justice Gap: Innovation and Regulatory Reform.” Speakers will address the shortage of legal services in rural communities and examine solutions to expand legal help in underserved areas. The free program will be presented in person and virtually. Register here. Contact Joy Radice at legalclinic@utk.edu with any questions.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts recently spoke at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston. His comments included expressing concern about how artificial intelligence (AI) might impact the legal profession, especially for new lawyers, as well as the potential for AI to be involved in court decisions or to pressure judges. On another issue, Roberts rejected the idea that Supreme Court justices are solely carrying out the agendas of those who appointed them. “You’ve got eight other views to factor in …” he said. Finally, Roberts addressed criticism of judges, saying that while opinions by judges are fair game for criticism, personal attacks cross the line. “Personally directed hostility is dangerous, and it’s got to stop,” he said according to Bloomberg Law. The Houston Business Journal has more on the appearance.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s (AG) Office is warning consumers about scam websites posing as legitimate classic car and heavy equipment dealerships. These scams often involve sophisticated websites advertising vehicles or heavy machinery at extremely low prices. Fraudsters may go to great lengths to appear legitimate — answering phone calls, sending videos and even providing fake business licenses. But consumers who send money will ultimately lose it because the vehicles or equipment do not exist. In a news release, AG Jonathan Skrmetti says consumers should be cautious when shopping online and recommends inspecting items in person and taking precautions to verify the seller’s legitimacy before purchasing anything.

A divided Rutherford County Library System Board voted to move 132 books to adult sections in an effort members said is meant to protect children from gender confusion and violence. The move comes after a review of nearly 3,000 titles. The board defended its decision saying parents still can allow their children to have access to the books. Prior to the meeting, the national Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in Philadelphia wrote to members opposing any book bans. "Neither state nor federal law requires such removal, and removing books based on disagreement with their message would violate the First Amendment," the letter from FIRE said. The Tennessean has more on the story.

Tennessee Republicans have asked election officials to exclude 40 candidates from the primary ballot in August, according to the Nashville Banner. The list of names includes former legislative aide Cade Cothren, who is seeking to challenge Rep. Kip Capley, R-Summertown. Cothren ran afoul of the party by donating to Democratic Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin J. Pearson of Memphis. Cothren reportedly donated $100 to each representative after they were ousted from the House in 2023 for their involvement in gun safety protests. Cothren was convicted, and then pardoned, in a public corruption trial alongside former House Speaker Glen Casada.

President Donald Trump will be in Memphis on Monday to "highlight the incredible achievements of the Memphis Safe Task Force," according to a White House spokesperson. The Commercial Appeal reports that the visit comes about six months after the task force began working in Memphis. Last November, U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi, U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn were in the city to tout the work of the task force, which is made up of Tennessee National Guard and a dozen federal agencies.

The TBA’s annual Immigration Law Forum will take place May 15 at the new TBA office, located at 3010 Poston Ave., Nashville 37203. The in-person program will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT and offer up to six general credit hours. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.

The Tennessee Bar Association is now accepting nominations for a number of awards that will be presented at its 2026 Annual Convention. The Claudia Jack Award honors an outstanding public defender or court-appointed private practitioner who has served the legal community and clients in an exemplary fashion. It is named for the late Claudia Jack, a public defender and long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged. The Justice Frank F. Drowota III Outstanding Judicial Service Award is given to a judge or judicial branch official of a federal, state or local court in Tennessee who has demonstrated extraordinary devotion and dedication to the improvement of the law, the legal system and the administration of justice, as exemplified by the career of former Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Frank Drowota. Submit nominations for either of these two awards by April 6.

The 2026 Public Service Awards recognize outstanding commitment to access to justice in three categories: work performed by an attorney employed by an organization primarily involved in providing legal representation to the indigent, pro bono work performed by a private or corporate attorney and pro bono service by a Tennessee law student or recent graduate. Nominations for these awards are due April 17.

Finally, the Fourth Estate Award honors courageous reporting on justice and the law. Nominees must be Tennessee-based journalists and work must have been published in 2025. Read more about the award in TBA's press release. Nominations are due by April 30.

The Judicial Ethics Committee released an ethics opinion on March 6 in response to a request for guidance on whether a part-time judge or a pro tempore part-time judge may function as a legal analyst providing “gavel to gavel” coverage of pending cases for a local television news station. The committee found that such a role would not be allowed under the Rules of Judicial Conduct. In the opinion, the committee cites Rule 2.10, which allows a judge to make public statements in the course of official duties, such as explaining court procedures, but prohibits “any public statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court … .” The committee concludes that allowing a judge to comment on how a case should proceed, is handled or was resolved “allows both the public and the judiciary to question our judicial system and could reasonably affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a pending or impending matter.” Read the full opinion.