The American Bar Association (ABA) will consider a proposal during its annual meeting next week in Toronto that would end the practice of reserving five seats on its governing board for women, racially and ethnically diverse, LGBTQ+ and disabled lawyers. If adopted, the board instead would set aside three board seats for lawyers committed to “advancing the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” regardless of the individuals’ demographic backgrounds. Reuters reports the change is part of a larger proposal to reduce the size of the board, which oversees management of the association, from 43 members to 32 members. The ABA says the changes are needed to help the organization become more nimble and efficient amid declining membership.

The TBA Construction Law Section will host the inaugural Joint Georgia/Tennessee Construction Conference Oct. 9-10 in Chattanooga. The two-day event will kick off with a welcome networking reception followed by a day of high quality CLE sessions for both Georgia and Tennessee lawyers. Topics include regional differences in construction law, a view from the bench session featuring judges and arbitrators, a case study session and more. Speakers confirmed so far include Atlanta lawyer Mark Carter with Buchalter, Cobb County Superior Court Judge Julie Jacobs, Memphis lawyer Regan Steepleton with Evans Petree, and Chattanooga lawyers William G. Colvin and Elisa Fox and Timothy Gibbons with Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel. The program will offer 6.75 total CLE hours, including one dual hour. CLE credit will be submitted to both Georgia and Tennessee. Get more information and register on the TBA website.

About 40 law students from Belmont University College of Law met with leaders of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) today. YLD Board Members Patrick Morrison, John Murphy and Jennifer Safstrom participated in a lively panel to discuss the many benefits of getting involved with the TBA. The panel was moderated by Alix Rogers, TBA YLD Middle Tennessee governor and director of career and professional development at the law school. The lawyers encouraged students to volunteer at clinics to help others, attend CLEs to increase their professional knowledge and apply for the YLD's Rural Judicial Fellowship and DLI programs. Belmont Law students Harry Crane and Clark Hill from the Rural Judicial Fellowship program and Samantha McCrory and Mary Martha Willson from DLI also participated and shared their experiences. See photos from the event.

The Nashville law firm Neal & Harwell will close at the end of August as many of the lawyers remaining at the firm join the Nashville office of Womble Bond Dickinson. The move follows the decision of firm co-founder Aubrey Harwell and his son Trey Harwell to join Adams & Reese in May. According to a press release from Womble, 18 of the 20 lawyers joining the firm will serve in the Business Litigation Group while two will join the Finance, Bankruptcy and Restructuring Group. According to the Nashville Business Journal, Womble opened its Nashville office in 2022. The firm had seven attorneys in the office before the addition of the Neal & Harwell team.

July 28, 2025 - August 1, 2025.

Defendant, Joshua Wilson, appeals the Shelby County Criminal Court’s decision to deny judicial diversion in his guilty-pleaded conviction of tampering with evidence, a Class C felony. See Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-16-503. Following our review, we affirm.

This appeal arises from a chancery court petition for interlocutory judicial review of an intermediate agency decision in a contested case proceeding before the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. The petition sought judicial review of the administrative law judge’s denial of a motion to dismiss. The department moved to dismiss the petition for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The chancery court construed the challenge as a factual challenge to subject matter jurisdiction and determined that an adequate remedy would be available to the petitioners in the form of subsequent judicial review of a final administrative decision. Accordingly, the chancery court granted the motion to dismiss. Petitioners appeal. We affirm.

The Tennessee Bar Association is accepting applications from candidates interested in the position of director of access to justice and strategic initiatives. This full-time position is responsible for leading the association’s efforts to expand access to legal services and improve the justice system, while advancing strategic initiatives that support organizational priorities, including policy advocacy, public service collaborations and leadership-driven projects. Access the full job description here. To apply, send a cover letter explaining interest in the position and a resume by email to Human Resources and Administrative Coordinator Tanja Trezise. The position is currently held by Liz Slagle Todaro, who is transitioning from the TBA this fall after 13 years. She will remain active in Tennessee’s access to justice and larger non-profit communities, including serving on the boards of the Nashville Urban Debate League and Family Reconciliation Center.

Lenoir City Judge Gregg Harrison has been reinstated to the bench and will serve through the end of his original term in 2030, the News Herald reports. Harrison was removed from the post in March after city councilmember Robin McNabb — his opponent in the 2022 judicial election — won a Tennessee Supreme Court decision that Harrison, along with more than a dozen other municipal judges statewide, were disqualified under newly clarified residency requirements. In response to that decision, the General Assembly passed legislation (SB255/HB490) permitting judges elected or appointed before March 7, 2025, to retain their seats through their current terms, even if they no longer meet the revised residency criteria. In light of the new law, 9th Judicial District Chancellor Tom McFarland restored Harrison to the bench with back pay. McNabb has continued to challenge Harrison’s return, filing a new lawsuit claiming the statute is unconstitutional. City attorney Walter Johnson, who was named to the court when Harrison was removed, has returned to his original duties.

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance has rejected a $2,500 settlement offer from the Civic Engagement Forum to resolve a complaint involving unregistered ads it ran against Rep. Michele Reneau, R-Signal Mountain, during her 2024 primary race. Registry Chair Tom Lawless said the fine was too low, noting political operatives should be held accountable for violating campaign laws. According to Tennessee Lookout, the group admits it should have registered as a political committee and filed expenditure reports. It proposed the offer "to settle the matter and avoid further costs and uncertainty." The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office determined the Civic Engagement Forum and a second group, Citizen Engagement Forum, shared identical content opposing Reneau and likely were connected though the group denies any connection.