President Donald Trump has announced plans to nominate former Ohio Solicitor General Benjamin “Ben” Flowers to a seat on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Flowers is an attorney at Ashbrook Byrne Kresge Flowers LLC in Cincinnati. He previously worked for Jones Day and Sidley Austin. If confirmed, he will fill the seat currently held by Chief Judge Jeffrey Sutton, who plans to take senior status on Oct. 1. As solicitor general, Flowers won three cases before the en banc 6th Circuit as well as a challenge to the Biden administration’s COVID vaccine mandate for certain businesses before the U.S. Supreme Court. He clerked for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Judge Sandra Ikuta of the 9th Circuit. Bloomberg Law has more on his career.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill into law that will ease the process of restoring voting rights for those convicted of felony offenses. SB336/HB687 removes a requirement that individuals returning from incarceration pay off all outstanding court fees before seeking voting rights restoration. The law also changes the requirement with regard to paying child support. The new law requires that individuals be compliant with all child support orders for the previous 12 months, including orders related to child support arrearages. The previous law required individuals to be current in all child support obligations. The new law does not change the requirement that court-ordered restitution to victims must be paid before seeking voting rights restoration. Last year, lawmakers decoupled restoration of voting rights from restoration of gun rights. WPLN looks at the history of the previous law and how the changes won bipartisan support.

Tyre Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells has requested that Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis be dismissed from a civil lawsuit in an effort to speed the case toward trial, according to the Commercial Appeal. Last month, Chief U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman of the Western District of Tennessee ruled that she will not split the civil case. Attorneys for Wells filed a motion to separate claims against Davis from the broader case and then dismissed her as a party, a move that came one day after Wells sought to dismiss former officers who faced criminal charges related to Nichols’ beating. In both filings, Wells’ attorneys argued that stays tied to those parties have delayed proceedings and that removing them would allow the case to move forward. Attorneys for the city of Memphis have objected to the motions, while attorneys representing the officers did not.

A federal judge has denied a request by Lutheran churches seeking to temporarily block a Tennessee law that makes it a crime to harbor immigrants without legal status, according to the Tennessee Lookout. The 2025 Human Smuggling Act created a felony offense for knowingly transporting or harboring individuals without legal status and a misdemeanor offense for those who “harbor or hide” people in the country illegally. The Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church filed a lawsuit arguing the law forces churches to choose between religious values and the risk of criminal prosecution. U.S. District Judge William Campbell wrote that the law’s text is “plagued by undefined terms, quixotic comma splices and redundancies that render the precise scope of the prohibited conduct less than clear.” But, he concluded there was “no evidence” the law was intended to apply to charitable services cited in the suit. State attorneys have said church leaders and staff would not be prosecuted for providing such services.

The TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast returns this week with TBA attorneys and lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese. They discuss the family law bill SB2324/HB2429, Gov. Bill Lee’s amended budget, the legislature’s final budget debates and the approaching end of the 2026 legislative session. Tune in on the TBA website or through this link. Attorneys interested in supporting the TBA’s lobbying efforts can contribute to LAWPAC.

Close to 90% of Tennessee counties — 84 out of 95 — recorded unemployment rates below 5% in January, even as most saw increases from the previous month, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Unemployment rates rose in 90 counties from December to January, decreased in three counties and remained unchanged in two. Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5% in January, down one-tenth of a percentage point from December and eight-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate of 4.3%. Additional details are available in the department’s press release.

Leadership Middle Tennessee (LMT) has named Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jill Bartee Ayers as the recipient of its 2026 Jack B. Turner Regionalism Award. The award will be presented at the organization’s annual Ignite fundraiser Saturday at the Hilton Nashville Airport Terminal. The award recognizes an alumnus or alumna who demonstrates exceptional leadership, a commitment to regional collaboration and a lasting impact on the Middle Tennessee community. Ayers is a graduate of LMT's 2010 class and a past board chair. “Judge Ayers represents the very best of Leadership Middle Tennessee,” said Board Chair Leisa Byars in a press release. The Ignite Unplugged event brings together regional leaders for an evening of connection, storytelling and celebration.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), LMU Duncan School of Law and the law firm of Egerton McAfee, Armistead & Davis will hold an estate planning legal advice clinic on April 18 from 9 a.m. to noon p.m. EDT. The clinic will assist legal aid clients draft and execute wills, advanced directives, healthcare powers of attorney and durable powers of attorney. The event will take place at the Duncan School of Law, 601 West Summit Hill Dr. SW, Knoxville 37902. Lawyers who would like to volunteer should indicate their interest by emailing rkeller@laet.org.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) held its inaugural Business College in Nashville. YLD Membership Committee Chair and Nashville attorney, Patrick Morrison, moderated the event. YLD District Representative Claire Tuley from Chattanooga and YLD District Representative Jack Wagster from Nashville presented along with Laura Chastain from the Board of Professional Responsibility. The Business College: Transactional Law Essentials program was designed as a practical refresher and foundation course for new and young attorneys — or any lawyer who wanted to brush up on the basics of transactional law. Special thanks to Baker Donelson for providing space for the program. See photos from the event.

Register now for the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention, set for June 10-13, in downtown Knoxville. Annual favorites such as the Public Service Breakfast, Lawyers Luncheon, compelling CLE and swearing in of TBA’s new president will return, as will the Wednesday night welcome reception and a Thursday evening reception at Knoxville’s minor league ballpark. This year’s gathering also will include TBA’s first-ever Tech Showcase and lunch and learn opportunities with tech vendors on June 11. Day passes for Thursday are available for those who unable to attend the full convention.