In this zoning matter, the trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the respondent county and property development company and dismissed the petitioners’ declaratory judgment action. The petitioners had challenged a sector plan amendment and rezoning as illegal. Contrary to the petitioners’ argument, the trial court specifically found that the county zoning body maintained the authority under Tennessee Code Annotated § 13-7-101 to impose conditions on the rezoning of the subject property. The petitioners have appealed. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

Estefany Rodríguez, a Nashville news reporter arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was granted a $10,000 bond Monday but remains detained in Louisiana after government lawyers reserved the right to appeal, the Tennessee Lookout reports. If ICE appeals, she will remain in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center until the Board of Immigration Appeals reviews the case; if they do not, she can be released on bond, according to the Nashville Banner. Rodríguez’s attorneys asked in their latest filing for her immediate release and an injunction preventing re-detention. The filing also detailed some of what she has endured since her detention on March 4, including five days in isolation in Alabama before her transfer late last week.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the Trump administration’s authority to end temporary immigration protections for migrants from countries facing extraordinary conditions, taking up cases involving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and Syria, The Hill reports. The justices left in place lower court rulings that block the administration from terminating the protections while the case proceeds, with oral arguments expected the week of April 27 and a decision likely by summer. Created by Congress in 1990, TPS allows foreign nationals to remain in the United States and obtain work authorization when conditions such as armed conflict or natural disasters make it unsafe to return home.

Tennessee has joined 20 other states in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review and overturn a federal appellate decision that struck down a Pennsylvania law requiring voters to handwrite the date on mail-in ballots. According to a press release, the brief supports a petition filed by the Republican National Committee and argues that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit wrongly invalidated the rule in Eakin v. Adams County Board of Elections. The states contend the decision interferes with the authority of state legislatures to regulate elections and oversteps constitutional limits on the judicial role. In the filing, the states argue the ruling undermines federalism and the separation of powers by giving federal courts undue authority over election administration. The coalition also noted that the Supreme Court has never held that a neutral ballot-casting regulation imposes a severe burden on the right to vote when it applies equally to all voters and asked the court to grant review and ultimately reverse the Third Circuit’s decision.

Metro Councilmember Zulfat Suara's federal lawsuit against her former employer, Meharry Medical College, now has a tentative schedule. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, on Friday, the court set a date of Sept. 21, 2027. Suara sued last year, alleging that her 2024 dismissal from a finance position at the historically Black medical college was discriminatory, as she contended that other similarly situated employees not of her national origin and religious beliefs were treated differently when they were dismissed. Meharry is seeking dismissal and has responded by claiming that Suara has put nothing on the record to substantiate the claim that Suara's treatment was due to her religious beliefs or national origin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expanded public assistance eligibility for impacts from Winter Storm Fern to more than 20 additional counties, including Shelby County, the Commercial Appeal reports. The program provides grant funding to eligible applicants to support emergency response, debris removal and the repair or restoration of damaged public infrastructure. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, called the funding “essential” to help the county recover from the storm’s effects, which he said caused “extensive damages,” in a Feb. 9 letter to Gov. Bill Lee.

Entries for the TBA Administrative Law Section's Annual Writing Competition for law students currently enrolled in a Tennessee law school are due April 30. The section hosts the competition to promote an interest in and understanding of administrative law in the state, and to strengthen the relationship among administrative law professors, students and practitioners in Tennessee. The winning submission will be published in the Administrative Law Section newsletter and the winner will be awarded $1,000. View the competition rules for more information.

Lawyers representing Tennessee foster children have filed a motion in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee, for an emergency preliminary injunction in a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), the Nashville Post reports. The legal team is urging the court to end alleged “inhumane conditions” in transitional housing. A Better Childhood, a New York-based nonprofit watchdog organization, filed the lawsuit last year. The nonprofit is being assisted by lawyers at Bass Berry & Sims, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and the Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center. The new motion outlines “inhumane and unconstitutional conditions,” including physical abuse, overcrowding, lack of showers and medical care based on a December 2025 state audit of DCS. The motion seeks to correct these conditions for youths living in transitional housing and seeks ongoing monitoring of the facilities.

The TBA Animal Law Section directory is a great place to find colleagues with a similar focus. The directory provides a list of section members with contact information and a list of any other sections or TBA groups to which they belong. This resource provides a great way to connect with like-minded lawyers and cross-reference attorneys well versed in other practice areas as well. View the section directory here.

The TBA Animal Law Forum 2026 will take place Oct. 9 at the Nashville Zoo. This annual favorite provides updates on trends and advancements in animal law and related practice areas. Participants can meet with other animal lovers and enjoy the fun the zoo offers. Zoo admission, breakfast, lunch and an animal meet and greet are included with the program. Topics and more information coming soon. Do not miss this event, you never know who is going to show up! Register now.