Environmental groups have filed suit against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over its approval of a pipeline that will supply methane gas to a new Tennessee Valley Authority power plant near Clarksville. Tennessee Lookout reports that the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to set aside the federal agency’s January order approving the 32-mile pipeline through Dickson, Houston and Stewart counties. The groups, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, argue that the pipeline poses avoidable risks to the communities and natural resources that lie in its path.

Disk encryption keeps client data safe even on lost or stolen devices. Find a comparison chart that shows features and benefits of top providers, in addition to other resources, in the Building a Firm section of TBA’s Law Practice Management Center.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2024 Annual Convention, set for June 12-15, at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. In addition to CLE and leadership meetings, there are multiple social and networking events on the agenda. On Wednesday evening, a welcome reception is followed by casual dine-around for all attendees. Thursday begins with the Public Service Breakfast and law school breakfasts, and wraps up with a Tennessee Legal Community Reception open to all and joint bench & bar event featuring Memphis-based band "Soul Shockers." All of these events are included with full registration. Individual tickets will be available for purchase in the next few weeks.

Marlene Eskind Moses and Ansley Owens Tillett tackle a complicated case around child support obligations in "Family Matters."

Jeanne Bigham Heaton has been named the new executive director of the Nashville Bar Association. She will begin her duties on May 20. Heaton is a lawyer who served as the director of continuing legal education for the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) for more than 17 years. In that role, she directed the association’s CLE program, working with more than 50 sections and committees. She also represented the ISBA on the CLE Advisory Committee to the Illinois Supreme Court’s Commission on Professionalism. Heaton previously practiced environmental law in Illinois. Read more from the NBA.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that Tennessee and five other states are suing the federal Department of Education (DOE) to challenge its overhaul of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act. The Tennessean reports that Title IX is a longstanding federal law that bans sexual discrimination against students, employees and others at public schools, colleges and universities that receive federal funds. Earlier this month, the Biden administration introduced updated Title IX rules that include protections against all sex-based harassment and discrimination, including discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity and sexual characteristics. The lawsuit claims that the changes would harm Tennessee students, families and schools.

The Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission, Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS), West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS), Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS), The University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic, Free Hearts and United Way are recruiting pro bono volunteer attorneys for their rights restoration project. The project's aim is to aid Tennesseans with criminal records in restoring their rights. View a flyer for more information and a link to register to help.

Chief Deputy Clerk Lisa Marsh retired from the Tennessee courts after 25 years. She began working in the clerk's office in 1976 and left in 1983 after the birth of her son. She returned in 2003. "You will not find a more dedicated or reliable public servant in the judiciary than Lisa Marsh,” said Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge Neal McBrayer. “So many of us, especially me, have come to rely on her intimate knowledge of the inner workings of clerk's office. It is difficult for me to imagine coming to the courthouse without her steady presence." Read this tribute from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Pass rates on the February 2024 bar exam are trending up, following what has been a multi-year slide in many states. Reuters reports that among the 42 jurisdictions that have reported February results thus far, 31 have a higher overall pass rate than in February of 2023 according to data, compiled by the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE). However, only 15 had pass rates above 50%, according to the NCBE data. Tennessee had a 40% pass rate. Nationwide, 19,496 people took the February bar.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that it will move to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I drug (like heroin and LSD) to a less dangerous Schedule III drug (like ketamine and some anabolic steroids). The Associated Press reports that the proposal would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. Schedule III drugs are controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and those who traffic them without permission still can face federal criminal prosecution.