Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) and Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) both have open positions to fill. LAET is hiring a staff attorney to help oversee the administration of its Pro Bono Project in the Knoxville area. View the job description and get instructions on how to apply on the LAET website. MALS is hiring for several positions: an attorney for its Low Income Taxpayer Clinic funded by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, staff attorneys to join its Consumer/Housing and Elder/Family Units, and a part-time bilingual intake specialist. Visit the MALS website for job descriptions and more information.

The plaintiffs were injured by gunfire when the police were called to their residence to stop a domestic incident and burglary in progress. The plaintiffs sued the defendant city, arguing that their employee police officers were negligent in failing to adhere to department policies and rules. Some years after the case had been filed, the city filed a motion for summary judgment on the basis that the claims involved civil rights and that the city’s governmental immunity was not removed under the Tennessee Governmental Tort Liability Act. The trial court agreed and granted the city’s motion, dismissing the case. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

The trial court terminated a mother’s parental rights to her minor child based on several statutory grounds. The mother appeals. Discerning no error, we affirm the trial court’s decision.

This appeal arises from a declaratory judgment action regarding whether one homeowner in a subdivision has the exclusive right to access a private road within the subdivision. The homeowner asserted that it had exclusive access to the road pursuant to a contractual agreement between the homeowner’s association and a previous owner of the property, so it maintained a gate across the road, preventing other homeowners from accessing it. The trial court ruled, in the context of various summary judgment motions, that the contractual agreement did not give the homeowner exclusive access to the road, and it ordered the homeowner to provide access to all HOA members. The trial court also awarded attorney fees to the respondents, which included the homeowner’s association and the owners of a neighboring property. The petitioning homeowner appeals. We affirm and remand for further proceedings.

On Sept. 5, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Mitchell Ray Miller, who now works in Williamson County, from the practice of law for two years with four months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with conditions, including engaging a practice monitor and obtaining additional continuing legal education. The court found that in seven separate matters, Miller accepted payment for attorney fees but then either failed to perform the work for which he was retained, failed to appear at scheduled hearings, failed to reasonably communicate with clients or unreasonably delayed matters through a pattern of neglect, resulting in actual or potential harm to multiple clients. Additionally, Miller on repeated occasions failed to respond to BPR inquiries in a timely manner; however, he did ultimately refund all unearned attorney fees. Miller agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16, 3.2, 8.1 and 8.4(d).

This is an appeal of an order granting summary judgment to the employer. The employee reported an injury to her left shoulder, and the employer provided a panel of physicians. Although the employer scheduled two appointments with the physician the employee chose from the panel, she attended neither. She further refused to cooperate in written discovery. The employer filed a motion for summary judgment, and the employee responded by submitting pictures, bills of lading, and medical summaries and reports. Determining the employee had provided no medical proof establishing her entitlement to any further benefits at the summary judgment stage, the trial court granted the employer’s motion for summary judgment. The employee has appealed. Having carefully reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s decision and certify the order as final.

Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, has announced that he will not seek reelection to the statehouse but will instead run for Rhea County mayor, according to the Tennessee Journal. In a Facebook post, Travis says, "After much reflection, I have decided not to seek re-election when my term ends in 2026. Serving District 31 has been the honor of my life." Current Mayor Jim Vincent recently announced that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Travis as his successor.

Conservative activist Gary Humble has launched a 2026 campaign for Tennessee’s District 27 state senate seat, setting up a rematch with Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, who narrowly defeated him in 2022. The Nashville Post reports that Humble is framing the race as a battle between establishment and grassroots conservatives, pledging support for term limits, transparency measures, gun rights and governing from a “Biblical worldview.” He also highlights opposition to federal health agencies, calls for responsible growth in Williamson County, and ties his platform to his history of leading anti-lockdown protests and faith-based activism.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett defends her 2022 vote to overturn Roe v. Wade in her forthcoming memoir, "Listening to the Law," arguing that abortion rights were never deeply rooted in U.S. history or tradition. According to Reuters, Barrett frames the court’s role as respecting choices made by the people rather than dictating them. She reportedly also reflects on criticism of her Catholic faith and addresses expanded use of the “shadow docket," saying the court is obligated to act on emergency applications. The book is set to be released on Sept. 9.

The Nashville Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division will hold its 22nd Annual EpiOn Race Judicata on Oct. 11 from 8:30 to 11 a.m. CDT. The race, which will be held in Edwin Warner Park, offers 5K and 10K distances for runners and walkers, as well as team competitions and exciting post-race activities such as yoga, a beer garden and non-alcoholic mimosas. All proceeds benefit ABLE Youth and the Nashville chapter of Achilles International. For more details and to register visit the group's website.