The defendant landowner appeals the trial court’s finding that the restrictive covenants applicable to her property prohibited the construction of a second residence. We affirm.

Over ten years ago, Commerce Union Bank, d/b/a Reliant Bank (“the Bank”) obtained a deficiency judgment for a property owned by Dr. Byron V. Bush and Kelly D. Bush (“Plaintiffs”) that Plaintiffs used to secure a loan. Since then, Plaintiffs have filed and lost four appeals related to this case. In March 2024, Plaintiffs filed a complaint for fraudulent breach of contract against the Bank; the late Devan D. Ard, Jr., the former Bank president; Rick Belote, Senior Vice President of the Bank; and William Ronald DeBerry1 (collectively, “Defendants”). Defendants filed a motion for sanctions pursuant to Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 11.03. The Chancery Court for Williamson County (“the Trial Court”) granted the motion, dismissed Plaintiffs’ complaint with prejudice, awarded Defendants attorney’s fees and expenses incurred in filing the motion, and imposed a screening mechanism on any future filings by Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs appeal. Discerning no reversible error, we affirm.

The American Bar Association (ABA) has voted to extend the deadline for law schools to apply for permission to admit students without requiring an admissions test, including the LSAT, Above the Law reports. The move follows a November decision by the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar to allow schools to seek variances from Standard 503, giving them the option to admit up to 100% of students without a test score, a major shift from the prior 10% limit. Since then, more than a dozen law schools have applied for the variance, which is expected to reshape admissions policies nationwide.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its September docket on Sept. 4 at the Supreme Court building in Knoxville, with proceedings livestreamed on the TNCourts YouTube page. Beginning at 9 a.m. EDT, the court will hear Kendall Collier v. Pericilis Roussis and State v. Ronald Lacy. At 1:30 p.m., the court will hear two related consolidated appeals, Sarah Woodruff ex rel. Ethan Woodruff et al. v. Dorel Juvenile Group Inc. and Sarah Woodruff ex rel. Ethan Woodruff et al. v. Ford Motor Company, while a fifth case, Elliott Schuchardt v. Board of Professional Responsibility, will be submitted on the briefs. Read more about the cases in a press release.

The Tennessee Highway Safety Office, a division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, on Thursday announced $33.5 million in federal grant funds to be distributed statewide from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 2025–2026 federal fiscal year. Over 415 federal grants exceeding $33 million in total have been awarded to law enforcement agencies and highway safety partners across Tennessee and $3 million in media grant funds will be allocated for statewide highway safety education and public awareness campaigns. “These funds will be used to increase traffic safety education, public awareness, advocacy, training, and enforcement initiatives to improve driver behavior and protect Tennessee roadways. These partnerships are essential to saving lives as we strive toward zero deaths,” said Commissioner Jeff Long. To view the list of grant awards and recipients, click here.

President Donald Trump said during an interview with a conservative Memphis radio host that he would consider deploying the National Guard or federal troops to Memphis to help reduce crime, Action News 5 reports. Trump said Memphis would be “early on the list” of cities where the federal government could step in. State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, who launched the #MakeMemphisMatter initiative to raise awareness about crime-reduction efforts, told the news outlet he would welcome federal assistance, citing the impact of a federal takeover in Washington, D.C. But Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, said such intervention would not solve the root causes of crime: “We need to truly make an investment on making sure families can feed themselves, clothe themselves and have affordable housing and what you will see is crime going down.”

Reports of gambling addiction in Tennessee have climbed since the state legalized online sports betting five years ago. According to WKRN, calls to the state’s REDLINE — a resource for substance misuse treatment referrals — jumped from 477 in fiscal year 2023 to 746 in 2024 before dipping to 659 in 2025. Tax revenue from sports betting, which rose from $1.2 million in fiscal year 2023 to $4.3 million in the most recent budget, funds treatment through the University of Memphis Gambling Clinic. Across its three locations, 40% of the clinic’s clients are from Middle Tennessee.

A Shelby County department head and his wife allegedly “misappropriated” more than $625,000 in public funds, the Tennessee Office of the Comptroller said Aug. 28. DeAndre Brown and his wife Vinessa Brown were both arrested Wednesday on 12 felony charges related to theft, money laundering and computer crimes, The Daily Memphian reports. The office also said its investigation identified more than $755,000 in “questionable disbursements” made by the couple that had no supporting documentation. DeAndre Brown, a convicted felon who was pardoned by Gov. Bill Lee in 2023, was appointed head of the Shelby County Office of Re-Entry in 2021, a department that helps formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society. Investigators said the Browns diverted funds from their nonprofit, Lifeline to Success, to pay themselves improper compensation, make personal purchases such as meals, retail goods and a trip to Jamaica, and transfer money to other entities, including a church founded by DeAndre Brown. The comptroller’s report cited loose financial controls and violations of funding agreements as factors that allowed the misuse of money. Both Browns remained jailed Thursday on $100,000 bonds each.

The Tennessee Bar Association will be closed Monday in observance of Labor Day. The office will reopen on Tuesday at 8 a.m. CDT. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs and for staff contact information.

The 2025 Equal Justice University (EJU) was held this week at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro with the theme "Moving Forward Together." The event included award and recognition events, CLE programs, committee and task force meetings and networking events. EJU, hosted by the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), is the annual gathering of hundreds of lawyers, advocates, social worker professionals and pro bono attorneys involved in providing civil legal assistance and access to justice across Tennessee. Speakers during the conference included TBA President Heidi Barcus, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary L. Wagner and Sharon Roberson, president & CEO of the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee. Past TBA President Jim Barry also shared brief updates from the Drowota Trust.

Barcus was the featured speaker at EJU's Leadership Luncheon, sponsored by the TBA, where she thanked those working in the access to justice field and said the TBA is proud to be part of a collaborative effort to provide quality and accessible legal services across the state. Barcus acknowledged that legal aid is currently navigating growing client needs amid threats to funding. She recognized legal service organizations in the state for working together to build long-term strategies to help support clients and their families. "Through these challenges, you — and your teams, staff and volunteers — are continuing to provide life-changing legal services to those in need, every day," she said.

Barcus closed by noting the importance of educating and engaging Tennessee lawyers around the many ways to support legal services. She said "there is no shortage of needs or opportunities for attorneys, mediators, paralegals, students, to actively engage in support for legal services. We want to promote and help lawyers engage with meaningful opportunities to support" legal aid organizations. See photos from the luncheon and look for a wrap up of awards presented at the conference in TBA Today next week.