December 1, 2025 - December 5, 2025.

Belmont University College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzales will step down May 31, 2026, after 12 years of leadership, the university announced in a news release. Gonzales joined Belmont in 2014 and helped elevate the law school nationally. "In just over a decade, Dean Gonzales has positioned Belmont's College of Law among the top law schools in the nation," said Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones. Under his tenure, Belmont Law has achieved a 96.9% first-time pass rate on the July 2025 Tennessee Bar Exam, maintaining an average bar passage rate above 90%. Gonzales also emphasized practice-ready, purpose-driven training through field placements, clinics, pro bono initiatives and partnerships with organizations such as the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and Tennessee Justice Center. A national search for his successor is underway according to the school.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to decide the legality of President Donald Trump’s directive to restrict birthright citizenship in the United States, Reuters reports. The order, signed on Trump’s first day back in office, directs federal agencies not to recognize the citizenship of children born to mothers not legally in the country or here temporarily, and whose fathers are not citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of the birth. The court will take up a U.S. Justice Department appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the policy. The lower court found that the order violated the 14th Amendment and a federal law codifying birthright citizenship. The executive order was challenged in a class-action lawsuit brought by parents and children affected by the directive. The justices are expected to hear arguments this term and issue a ruling by June, the news source reports.

Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Peck has announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination for the Division II seat on the 11th Judicial District Circuit Court in Hamilton County, according to a press release. Peck currently serves in the position, having been appointed by Gov. Bill Lee on May 9 to succeed Circuit Court Judge Mike Dumitru, who was appointed as a federal magistrate earlier this year. Peck grew up on Signal Mountain and earned her law degree from Regent University. Before her judicial appointment, she ran a law practice focused on domestic relations, litigation and mediation. The Republican primary for the seat set for May 5, 2026.

In the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order soliciting comments from the legal community, the court asks whether it should "modify, reduce, or eliminate its reliance on ABA accreditation in setting minimum educational requirements for applicants to the Tennessee Bar" and (2) whether "there are any practicable alternatives to ABA accreditation" it should consider. At least three other states are considering this issue as well. Two states, Florida and Ohio, are reviewing their current accreditation requirements, and Florida has formed a workgroup that recently released a report proposing accreditation alternatives. The Supreme Court of Texas in September said it intends to end its reliance on the ABA for law school oversight and instead have the court determine which schools’ graduates can be admitted as lawyers. Feedback on Tennessee's potential modification of law school accreditation may be sent to TBA's newly formed Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force at townhall@tnbar.org as well as directly to the court. Watch TBA Today through the month of December to learn more about the seven points in the Supreme Court’s order and specific ways to engage with the task force. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page for more information.

The TBA Administrative Law Section will host its annual Administrative Law Forum as a live virtual program on Dec. 11 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST. This year’s agenda features a session on warrantless searches by administrative agents, an ethics update and additional presentations from speakers including Ethics Counsel Laura Chastain, Administrative Judges Mary Collier and Phillip Hilliard, and attorneys William Penny and Jerry Taylor. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The TBA is offering a six-hour CLE package designed to help Tennessee lawyers quickly complete their remaining hours before the Dec. 31 deadline. The package includes a mix of ethics updates; AI,  practice management and attorney wellness programs; professional skills training; and a 2025 legislative update. Check out the specific courses included in the package on the TBA website. Looking for something else? TBA also has eight, 10, 12 and 15-hour packages, packages based on specific topics or practice areas, live webcasts and on-demand video all month long. Explore all the Year End options to complete your CLE requirement by Dec. 31.

The TBA Attorney Well Being Committee will host a “Seasonal Support for Lawyers: Helping with the Holiday Blues” webcast on Dec. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon CST. The free session will offer an empathetic discussion about the increased pressures many legal professionals face during the holiday season and provide guidance on navigating stress for a healthier experience. Panelists will address real challenges confronting lawyers today and highlight resources available to support attorney well-being. Contact TBA staff member Jarod Ward at jword@tnbar.org with any questions.

Knox County Assistant District Attorney Andrea Kline has been appointed to serve as the newest judge on the county's General Sessions Court, Division IV. The Knox County Commission selected Kline in a special election to replace retiring Judge Andrew Jackson VI, according to a press release. Kline has spent 25 years with the District Attorney General’s Office, prosecuting thousands of cases across all areas of criminal law. She earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.