The Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims is partnering with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS) on a project to expand legal access and promote community investment in South Nashville. The initiative, focused on the Napier-Sudekum area and the 37210 ZIP code — which includes the Glencliff and Woodbine neighborhoods — was launched through a financial gift from the law firm’s leadership cabinet to LAS. Support will be offered through clinics scheduled for the first Thursday of every month. The first clinic will be held Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon CST at the Nashville Public Library’s Pruitt Branch, 117 Charles E Davis Blvd, Nashville 37210. Read more in a press release from the firm.

Mediation in Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert's ouster case has ended, the Commercial Appeal reports. A notice filed Oct. 21 by former federal Judge Bernice Donald was brief and said one of the parties withdrew from the voluntary mediation. It did not say who had withdrawn. A notice that mediation was underway was filed Oct. 10 and was scheduled for Oct. 30. Both parties agreed to join in the mediation and the Tennessee Court of Appeals agreed to put its ruling on hold pending the outcome of that mediation. Halbert's term as clerk ends in fall 2026. She is term-limited and cannot run for the office this upcoming election cycle. The first ouster attempt was dismissed because the appointed special attorney does not live in the jurisdiction where Halbert was elected. A second ouster petition was dismissed by Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson in 2024, but an appeal was later filed in January this year.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is now accepting applications for its Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Class of 2026. DLI is a six-month leadership, professional development and networking program for all Tennessee law students in their second, third or fourth years of study. There are no costs to participate in the DLI program. Class size is limited to 8-10 students selected from across the state. Learn more about the program. The application deadline is 5 p.m. CDT on Nov. 2. There will be a mandatory Zoom meeting on Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. CST for all applicants. All are encouraged to apply. This year's DLI coordinators are TBA YLD Board Members Morgan Hanna and John Murphy.

The room block to reserve a room for the 37th Annual Health Law Forum at a discounted rate ends tomorrow. This must-attend event for Tennessee health care lawyers allows you to fulfill all necessary CLE requirements for the year and meet with colleagues from across the state. Health Law Section members receive a discounted rate to attend. Reserve your room now.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division Mock Trial Committee is looking for attorneys willing to volunteer their time to assist high school mock trial teams across the state.  Attorneys assist with teaching students the rules of evidence, how to make and respond to objections, how to enter an exhibit, and general courtroom decorum. The committee asks that attorneys volunteer a minimum of 4-6 hours in January and/or early February. Attorneys may assist teams in person or virtually. Those with questions or who are interested in volunteering should contact Mock Trial Vice Chair Bridget Pyman at bpyman@arnettbaker.com.

JOHN K. BUSH, Circuit Judge. In this appeal we consider whether a federal district court had subject matter jurisdiction to compel arbitration of a pending state court proceeding to probate and determine the assets of a decedent’s estate. We hold that it did not and AFFIRM.

This appeal stems from the dismissal of a premises liability action. The trial court dismissed Appellant’s first amended complaint as time-barred by the one-year statute of limitations, finding that the amended complaint, which was filed more than a year after the incident, did not relate back to the original complaint under Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 15.03. Discerning no error, we affirm.

This action arises from the Tennessee Board of Parole’s revocation of an inmate’s parole. Following the inmate’s filing of a petition for a writ of certiorari seeking judicial review, the trial court dismissed the action for failure to make partial payment of the required filing fee. We conclude that the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction. Accordingly, we vacate and remand for dismissal on this basis.

Existing hemp businesses in Tennessee will have more time to operate under current rules and temporarily avoid a new law banning the sale of THCA products and changing state regulations. According to WBIR, the Tennessee Healthy Alternatives Association (THAA) and the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) reached an agreement allowing businesses with hemp-derived cannabinoid licenses issued on or before Dec. 31 to continue operating under the state’s 2023 law until their licenses expire. The agreement gives suppliers and retailers more time to adjust before new regulations take effect. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, a law passed earlier this year will place oversight of hemp-derived products under the TABC and effectively ban THCA sales. The new law establishes a three-tier system—similar to the alcohol industry—dividing the market into suppliers, wholesalers and retailers. The agreement followed a petition by THAA seeking clarity on how the new law would affect existing license holders. All hemp-derived cannabinoid licenses issued on or after July 1 will expire on June 30, 2026.

Tennessee lawmakers are calling for a special legislative session to address a lack of federal funding as the federal shutdown enters its 23rd day. With around 690,000 Tennesseans poised to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other benefits if the shutdown continues into November, lawmakers are asking Gov. Bill Lee to intervene, according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. “Standing idly by while children go hungry is simply not an option. The time to act is now,” Caucus Chair Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, said in a release Thursday. In the statement, the caucus noted that the governor has called numerous special sessions in his two terms, including earlier this year to approve storm relief for approximately 10,000 people impacted by Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health and Human Services warned earlier this week that funding for programs like SNAP will not be available next month if the shutdown continues into November.