Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is mobilizing the National Guard to assist with the Trump administration’s mass deportation plan, WKRN reports. The governor’s office told News 2 the decision followed a request for assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “As Gov. Lee has said many times, Tennessee stands ready to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our nation’s borders and remove the most violent criminals from our streets,” said Elizabeth Johnson, the governor’s spokesperson. The governor’s office said the mission is still in the planning stages. The soldiers will remain under state command but will be paid by the federal government.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators — including Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee; Peter Welch, D-Utah; Josh Hawley, R-Missouri; and Adam Schiff, D-California — have introduced a bill that aims to give musicians, artists, writers and other creators the ability to see whether artificial intelligence (AI) is being trained on their work. The Transparency and Responsibility for Artificial Intelligence Networks, or TRAIN Act, would allow creators to access the courts to protect their copyrighted works, The Tennessean reports. Under the TRAIN Act, copyright holders could examine training records to determine whether AI companies have used their work to develop models, which rely on data to make predictions and decisions, and to generate content. The act has been endorsed by several music organizations, including the Recording Industry Association of America, the Recording Academy and Nashville Songwriters Association International.

The TBA Immigration Law Section will host the “Immigration Law Basics: Overview” webcast on Sept. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will offer a high-level overview of various areas of immigration law, including employment-based, humanitarian and family-based immigration. More details will be announced soon on the TBA website. Discounted registration is available for Immigration Law Section members. Not a member? Join today!

Following a report from Politico yesterday that the federal court filing system was the target of a cyberattack in early July, the U.S. Administrative Office of the Courts released a statement that it is "strengthening cyber security measures." The reporting states that it is not immediately clear how the hackers got in, but the incident affected the judiciary’s federal core case management system, which contains two overlapping components: Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF), which legal professionals use to upload and manage case documents; and PACER, a system that gives the public limited access to records. In addition to information about witnesses and defendants cooperating with law enforcement, the filing system includes other sensitive information such as sealed indictments, arrest records and search warrants. Reuters has more on the story.

Vanderbilt Law School's Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic has filed a federal complaint on behalf of First Amendment scholar Eugene Volokh. The complaint challenges the constitutionality of state's public records law, which restricts access to Tennesseans only. After being denied court records by the Williamson County Archives due to his California residency, Volokh sued, arguing that the restriction violates his rights. The clinic’s complaint agrees, stating that federal courts have consistently recognized a qualified First Amendment right of access to judicial records. The clinic's complaint also argues that any purported privacy interest in the records is undermined by the fact that Tennessee residents — including potentially the litigants’ neighbors — are permitted access. Read more in a press release from the law school.

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) recently announced that it has entered into a new agreement with Kentucky State University (KSU) to strengthen academic collaboration and expand opportunities for KSU students to pursue a legal education. Under the agreement, LMU Law will reserve up to five seats each year in its incoming class for qualified KSU students who meet the admissions criteria outlined in the agreement. The partnership is designed to promote a clear and supportive pathway to law school and to encourage increased interest in the legal profession among KSU students. “This agreement reflects a shared commitment to access to opportunity and into preparing the next generation of legal professionals who will go out and serve their communities with purpose and integrity,” said LMU President Dr. Jason McConnell. Read more in a press release from the school.

Nearest Green Distillery in Shelbyville, maker of the popular Uncle Nearest whiskey, is facing a $108 million lawsuit from lender Farm Credit Mid-America over alleged loan defaults. The lender claims the company failed to repay over $102 million in principal, misused funds to purchase a $2 million Martha’s Vineyard home and overstated whiskey inventory by $21 million. According to the Tennessean, Uncle Nearest attributes the financial issues to fraud by a now-terminated former chief financial officer and argues that appointing a receiver is an excessive response. Despite the lawsuit, the company, which has grown rapidly since launching in 2019 and is now valued at $1.1 billion, says it has continued making significant loan payments and is working to resolve the default. The Nashville Post also reports on the lawsuit.

Defendant Jaquan Bridges challenges his conviction for possessing a machinegun in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(o), arguing that the statute violates the Second Amendment, facially and as applied to him, under New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022). For two independent reasons, we disagree. First, controlling Supreme Court and Sixth Circuit precedent—that predates Bruen but remains good law—compels our conclusion. In addition, applying Bruen’s text-and-history methodology, we conclude that § 922(o) is consistent with our Nation’s historical tradition of prohibiting private possession of dangerous and unusual weapons. We thus hold that 18 U.S.C. § 922(o) is constitutional both on its face and as applied to Bridges. Accordingly, we affirm the district court’s judgment.

Petitioner, Antonio James, appeals the denial of his post-conviction petition, arguing that the post-conviction court erred in denying his claim that he received the ineffective assistance of counsel because the sufficiency of the evidence was not challenged on appeal. Following our review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties, and applicable law, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

The Defendant, Ivan Antjuan Burley, appeals from his Sumner County conviction for attempted possession with the intent to sell or deliver twenty-six grams or more of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance. He contends that the trial court erred by admitting evidence of his contemporaneous drug-related activities in Davidson County in violation of Tennessee Rule of Evidence 404(b). Additionally, the Defendant raises several other constitutional and evidentiary claims. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.