March 9, 2026 - March 13, 2026.

A bill that sought to charge women who seek abortions with homicide, and potentially the death penalty, died in a Tennessee House subcommittee on March 10, The Tennessean reports. HB570, sponsored by Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, would have removed legal protections currently in state law for pregnant women and classified harm done to an unborn child as equal to assaults on a person “born alive.” No member of the House Population Subcommittee made a motion to hear the bill, which effectively killed the legislation. Barrett said the bill was intended to align with the state’s Human Life Protection Act, a trigger law that took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. The Nashville Banner has more on Barrett's comments.

Marion Scudder Griffin, the first woman licensed to practice law in Tennessee, is now honored with a historical marker in Memphis recognizing her legal career. According to Local Memphis, Griffin made history in 1907 after the Tennessee legislature passed a law clarifying that women could obtain law licenses. She previously had passed an oral law examination but was denied a license by the Tennessee Supreme Court because state law did not explicitly permit women to practice. Griffin later enrolled at the University of Michigan Law School, completed her studies and reapplied as supporters lobbied lawmakers to change the law. She went on to practice law for more than 40 years and later became the first woman to serve in the Tennessee General Assembly before retiring in 1949. Historians say her achievements helped pave the way for future generations of women in the legal profession.

Estefany Rodríguez, a Nashville journalist detained earlier this month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, was scheduled to appear in a Louisiana immigration court for a bond hearing today. Separately, a federal judge in Nashville has set a hearing for Tuesday to consider constitutional challenges to her detention from her attorneys, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Rodríguez, a reporter for the Spanish-language outlet Nashville Noticias, was arrested by ICE agents March 4. Government attorneys say she is subject to deportation after allegedly overstaying her visa.

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has been accused in a new lawsuit of practicing law without a U.S. license and helping a former disability claimant breach a settlement and flood a federal court docket with meritless filings. Reuters reports that Nippon Life Insurance Company of America alleges that OpenAI wrongfully provided legal assistance to a woman who sought to reopen a lawsuit that had already been settled and dismissed. Nippon claims OpenAI encouraged the woman, an employee of a logistics company insured by Nippon, to continue pursuing the already-settled disability case and that it spent significant time and resources responding to filings generated with the help of ChatGPT. The lawsuit is believed to be among the first to accuse a major AI developer of engaging in the unauthorized practice of law through a consumer-facing chatbot.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled Feb. 25 that trial judges may prohibit a defendant and their attorney from discussing the defendant’s ongoing testimony during an overnight recess, while still allowing discussions on other matters such as trial strategy or plea negotiations, Bloomberg Law reports. The case arose from the Texas murder trial of David Villarreal, whose testimony as the defense’s only witness was paused for a 24-hour recess during which the judge instructed attorneys not to “manage his testimony,” though other discussions were permitted. Writing for the court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the restriction strikes a balance between a defendant’s Sixth Amendment right to the assistance and advice of counsel and and a defendant’s responsibility when they become a witness to offer sworn testimony that is free of any improper influence. The court affirmed the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals’ decision upholding the order, concluding that judges may impose limited restrictions on discussions about testimony itself while a defendant remains on the stand.

The Mid-South Commercial Law Institute recently named new officers and directors to its 25-member board. Officers are: President Wendy Geurin Smith with Evans Petree; Vice President/President-Elect Justin Campbell with Thompson Burton; Secretary Maggie Reidyn, a staff attorney with the Chapter 13 Trustee; Treasurer R. Bradley Banks with Richard Banks & Associates; and Immediate Past President Cara Alday with Patrick, Beard, Schulman & Jacoway. New directors elected to five year terms are: Michael G. Abelow with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison; Shanna Fuller Veach, a law clerk to Bankruptcy Chief Judge Suzanne H. Bauknight; Erin Wallin, a law clerk to Judge Nicholas W. Whittenburg; Elisabeth Donnovin with Johnson & Mulroony; and R. Campbell Hillyer with Butler Snow. Joining the board to fulfill the remaining term of a departing director is Locke Houston Waldrop with Baker Donelson. See the list of the full 2026 board.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation has opened the 2026–2027 grant application process for the Tennessee Legal Initiatives Fund (TLIF). Launched in 2018, the grant program focuses on projects that broaden the capacity of organizations across the state that help break the cycle of poverty and overcome barriers to justice through civil legal services and education. The 2026-2027 application features three distinct funding categories designed to meet the diverse needs of service providers. Prospective grantees may apply in the Rapid Innovation, Capacity Building & Readiness, or Implementation & Scaling categories. Interested organizations may review eligibility requirements and information on the foundation’s website. The deadline to submit grant applications is May 8 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Read more in a news release from the foundation and email info@tnbarfoundation.org with any questions.

The Tennessee Bar Association is now accepting nominations for three 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 after 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 Fourth Estate Award honors courageous reporting on justice and the law. Nominees must be Tennessee-based journalists who have shown exemplary courage in exercising First Amendment rights in the promotion of public understanding of how the law and our legal system works, or how it should work, as demonstrated by a story or series of related stories published in 2025. Read more about the award in TBA's press release. Submit nominations for the Fourth Estate Award online by April 30. Access the submission forms for each award on the pages linked above.

The Tennessee Bar Association again this year will honor the work of Tennessee journalists through the Fourth Estate Award, which honors courageous reporting on justice and the law. This year's prize, honoring reporting in 2025, includes a $250 honorarium for the winner. The TBA strongly supports freedom of expression under the First Amendment, as exercised by lawyers on behalf of their clients and by journalists on behalf of the public, and particularly wants to recognize and encourage journalists who promote public understanding of the rule of law and our system of justice through vigorous exercise of their First Amendment rights. The deadline for entry is April 30. Submit a nomination here. Attorneys who have relationships with reporters or observed a particularly compelling piece of journalism in 2025 are encouraged to submit a nomination. Read about past recipients here and read the TBA's full press release.