The Tennessee Attorney General’s (AG) Office reportedly is investigating Deloitte, the contractor managing TennCare’s eligibility system, over potential “unlawful discrimination” tied to its hiring practices and former diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. The Tennesseean reports that the AG's office ordered Deloitte to turn over records related to applicant evaluations, compliance with anti-discrimination laws and its decision to end DEI initiatives earlier this year. Deloitte, which holds a nearly $1 billion contract with TennCare, has not commented. Critics argue the probe is politically motivated and a misuse of taxpayer resources.

Kentucky-based Cornbread Hemp has sued Tennessee over new hemp regulations set to take effect in 2026, arguing they unfairly discriminate against out-of-state businesses by requiring wholesalers and retailers to be physically located in Tennessee and banning direct-to-consumer shipping. The Tennessean reports that the company, which made nearly $1 million in Tennessee sales last year, says the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s Interstate Commerce Clause and also infringes on the First Amendment by banning all health-related claims in marketing hemp-derived products. Cornbread Hemp is represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation, which argues the rules force companies to either abandon customers or incur costly in-state operations.

Law firms are increasingly adopting generative AI tools and law schools are under pressure to prepare students for this shift. Cat Moon, professor and founding co-director of Vanderbilt Law School’s AI Law Lab, tells Inside Higher Ed: “Law schools have to prepare students to be intentional users of this technology, which will require them to have foundational knowledge and understanding in the first place. We have to preserve that core learning process so that they remain the human expert and this technology complements and supports their expertise.” About 30% of law offices now use AI, while 62% of law schools have integrated AI into first-year courses and 93% are considering further updates, though many programs remain basic. Experts stress that lawyers need not just access to AI but training to use it responsibly, since early misuses have shown the risks. Reuters reports that some schools, including Suffolk University, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of San Francisco, have embedded AI instruction into required introductory legal writing and research courses.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2025 Health Law Primer and Health Law Forum this fall. The primer will take place Nov. 12 at Barnes & Thornburg in Nashville. Designed for those new to health practice, that program will provide a general health law overview and practical tips to identify and avoid the pitfalls of real-life situations in the heavily regulated health care industry. Then on Nov. 13 and 14, the forum will take place at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. Hear from keynote speakers Adam Herbst, former deputy commissioner at the New York State Department of Health, now at Sheppard Mullin; Dr. David Reich, chief clinical officer at Mount Sinai Health System; and Aidoc CEO Elad Walach. Get more information and register here.

Henry Ford said customers could have any color so long as it’s black. At least you have two choices when it comes to core email, communication and office productivity applications. This comparison chart highlights the strengths and weaknesses of Google and Microsoft’s bundled, subscription offerings. Find this and more in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

The Defendant, Mikal B. Morrow, appeals the trial court’s revocation of his effective six-year probationary sentence for aggravated assault by strangulation, false imprisonment, and interference with a 911 call. On appeal, he alleges that (1) the State failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that he violated the terms of his probation and (2) the trial court abused its discretion by fully revoking his probation after finding the Defendant had absconded. Following our review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Juvenile Court for Hamblen County (“the Juvenile Court”) terminated the parental rights of Josue O. (“Father”) to his daughter Neyra S. (“the Child”), finding multiple grounds applicable to a putative father, pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(9), and the ground of failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody, pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(g)(14). Father does not contest the Juvenile Court’s findings of statutory grounds for termination but appeals the Juvenile Court’s determination that termination of his parental rights was in the Child’s best interest. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

September 15, 2025 - September 19, 2025.

The frame of Nashville's new juvenile justice center off of Brick Church Pike was completed last week, marking a milestone celebrated by city leaders. The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment is designed to reimagine how the city cares for young people in trouble with the law, News Channel 5 reports. Organizers said the trauma-informed campus will focus on healing, restoration and rehabilitation. “What we’re going to have here is something more restorative. We will be able to house up to about 64 youth if we need to. Hopefully, we will not have to need that many. They will have space where they can do job training. They will do their schooling in an actual building part that looks like a school. They will have counseling services,” Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway said. The campus also will provide resources for families, with partner organizations operating on site. The facility is expected to open in 2027.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed John Squires, a former chief intellectual property attorney at Goldman Sachs, to lead the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) under President Trump. Squires was confirmed as part of a push by the Senate to approve dozens of Trump nominees at once. The USPTO is responsible for issuing U.S. patents and trademarks and advising the government on intellectual property policy. The office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board reviews the validity of existing patents. Squires will head the USPTO as it faces increasing competition with China on innovation and questions about the role of artificial intelligence in inventing, Reuters reports. Trump nominated Squires in March to lead the office. He succeeds Kathi Vidal, who served as director during the Biden administration.