The KBA Barristers will hold its 2025 Lawyers Link Up golf tournament on Oct. 13 at the Tennessee National Golf Club, 8301 Tennessee National Dr., Loudon 37774. There will be a shotgun start for all teams this year. Revenue from the tournament goes directly to funding various charitable endeavors of the Barristers, including Mobile Meals, Volunteer Breakfast and the Hunger & Poverty Committee. For more information and to register visit the group's website. 

Matthew Vandergriff, an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail, died last week after going into cardiac arrest. Chattanoogan.com reports that Vandergriff had been routinely treated for a chronic illness. He was being held on charges of arson and violating an order of protection. An investigation by the sheriff's office is pending.

Meta has appointed former Tennessee congressional candidate and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck to help address “ideological and political bias” in its AI systems. The Tennessean reports that the move stems from an August settlement of Starbuck’s defamation lawsuit, which alleged Meta AI falsely linked him to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Starbuck, who has led online campaigns against corporate DEI programs, says his goal is to ensure neutrality and fairness in AI. In a joint statement, Meta and Starbuck said they had resolved the matter to their mutual satisfaction. “Since engaging on these important issues with [Starbuck], Meta has made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias,” the statement reads. “Building on that work, Meta and Robby Starbuck will work collaboratively in the coming months to continue to find ways to address issues of ideological and political bias and minimize the risk that the model returns hallucinations in response to user queries.”

According to the Shelby County Juvenile Court's recently released annual report, data from the past three fiscal years shows that the court is jailing more children for longer periods than in the prior two fiscal years. Despite a decline in serious offenses, detention admissions rose from 872 in FY 2022 to 1,142 in FY 2024, with the average stay lengthening from 34 to 44 days. Critics argue this rollback in progress harms children and increases recidivism, while the court cites factors such as delayed evaluations, lack of guardians and insufficient community alternatives. The trend has strained the Youth Justice and Education Center, prompting Sheriff Floyd Bonner to withdraw his office from managing the facility in 2024 after warning of overcrowding, prolonged stays and inadequate staffing. MLK50 has the story.

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) is now accepting applications for its Master of Science in Legal Studies program with concentrations in entertainment; anti-money laundering, fraud and compliance; and business law. The degree's first cohort will begin in 2026. A non-thesis program for business professionals and others seeking a deeper understanding of U.S. laws and the legal system, participants do not require a law degree to apply and will not be eligible to practice law with the degree. The program is housed in MTSU’s Department of Accounting in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and offered in collaboration with the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment and the Nashville School of Law (NSL). Students will take evening classes for part of the program at NSL and additional classes through MTSU in hybrid, online and in-person formats.

The Spence Wilson Center for Interdisciplinary Humanities at Rhodes College will host a free public lecture on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. CDT by Harvard University professor and Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation Director Dr. Danielle Allen. Pre-registration is required. Allen will talk about her award-winning book "Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality," which revisits the founding document. View a flyer for the event. In advance of the declaration's 250th anniversary in 2026, Allen also is compiling resources to mark the milestone. Check those out on her lab's website.

The 2025 Southeast Complex Litigation Conference will be held Oct. 29 at the Tennessee Bankers Association in Nashville, offering updates on mass torts, class actions and whistleblower cases. National litigators will discuss emerging litigation involving medical devices, pharmaceutical drugs and consumer products, as well as best practices for identifying, prosecuting and defending complex cases. Session topics include class actions and multidistrict litigation basics, whistleblower claims under the False Claims Act and key trends in aggregate litigation. Speakers include Mark Chalos of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein and Tricia Herzfeld of Herzfeld, Suetholz, Gastel, Leniski & Wall, with additional speakers and content to be announced in the coming weeks. For more details, to register and to stay updated, visit the TBA website.

The September/October issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is available online and arriving in mailboxes next week! The cover story by Judge Zack Walden and Alix Rogers highlights the TBA Young Lawyers Division's inaugural Rural Judicial Fellowship, which paired six law students with six judges in rural areas across the state. Read feature stories from Amy Bryant on how well Tennessee is meeting recommendations from the National Guardianship Network and Hal Hardin on his fight for reciprocity to practice law in Texas. Columns include details from Edward Phillips and Brandon Morrow on how the state's civil rights enforcement landscape could be reshaped in the employment space, legislative changes that will affect tort and personal injury attorneys from John Day, and more changes in trusts and estates from Eddy Smith. Read TBA President Heidi Barcus' thoughts on servant leadership, a book review by a familiar name and about TBA's public service awards winners.

The state of Tennessee is appealing a federal judge’s order that permanently blocked a state law making it a crime to “recruit” minors for the purpose of obtaining an out-of-state abortion. The provision, included in a 2024 abortion trafficking law, was blocked by Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Julia Gibbons in July. Gibbons argued the provision was a clear violation of First Amendment rights, noting that is only criminalizes one side of speech about abortion. Gibbons, who sits on 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, presided over the case after several other judges recused themselves. The state has appealed the ruling to the 6th Circuit, Tennessee Lookout reports.

Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder has launched his campaign for the 5th Congressional District, seeking to replace Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Columbia, the Nashville Post reports. Molder has served as mayor since 2018. He announced in July that he would not seek a third term. A graduate of the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Molder practiced law in Columbia before running for office. As a new lawyer he was active in the TBA Young Lawyers Division. According to Molder, his campaign will be “focused on bringing people together to build new coalitions and bring voters from all across the political spectrum.” The Columbia Herald has photos from the announcement.