The Tennessee Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division has distributed nearly $900,000 in grants to local law enforcement agencies participating in federal immigration enforcement efforts, according to a report obtained by the Tennessee Lookout. The division, established in 2025 under the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, oversees coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through 287(g) agreements, which authorize local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. Between August and December, the division allocated $866,843 in funding for equipment and operational expenses, though it has not disclosed the agencies receiving the grants. The office, led by Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer Ryan Hubbard, was created by state lawmakers to support expanded immigration enforcement. It has faced criticism over limited transparency, as some records are exempt from public disclosure under state law.

Brett Windrow has announced that he will run for the Tennessee House of Representatives District 13 seat. Windrow, an attorney and graduate of Belmont University College of Law, said he is seeking the office to address economic, infrastructure and education challenges facing the district, which includes parts of Rutherford County. Windrow has prior experience working with the General Assembly and said he aims to improve affordability, support public schools and represent the interests of working families. “Government’s most basic job is to make people’s lives better. For too long in Tennessee, it has failed to do so. I’m running to change that,” Windrow said. Read more in a press release and on his campaign website.

A Tennessee law that went into effect Jan. 1 is the nation's first registry to track repeat domestic violence offenders, but there are holes in the system, according to Knox News. Under Savanna's Law, a "persistent domestic violence offender” — defined as someone with more than one domestic violence offense — is required to register in a public database maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. But if the person has an offense expunged, the record no longer shows up and a new conviction would not trigger the registration requirement. Legal experts say the intersection of diversion, expungement and registry requirements exposes limitations of the law as judges cannot consider expunged offenses in setting bond or identifying repeat conduct.

Gov. Bill Lee has proposed that the state cover a funding shortfall for the Tennessee Poison Center following the loss of a federal grant, according to the Tennessee Lookout. The center, based at Vanderbilt University, operates a call service that provides free emergency poison information, reportedly handling more than 50,000 calls annually. Officials estimate the center saved taxpayers $44.6 million in 2024 by reducing unnecessary emergency room visits, particularly among underinsured populations. The center also serves as a surge backup call center for the Tennessee Department of Health during public health emergencies. Lee included funding for the center in his annual budget amendment, which must be approved by state lawmakers before the end of the legislative session.

Fired University of Tennessee (UT) professor, Tamar Shirinian is asking a judge to add specific state and federal legislators to her lawsuit against the university in a new court filing. According to Knox News, the new motion zeroes in on people Shirinian says defamed her and directly intervened with UT leaders to urge that she be fired. Shirinian was fired after her private Facebook comment criticizing Charlie Kirk after his assassination was shared online by another individual. Shirinian added Rep. Chris Todd, R-Jackson, and U.S. Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, along with an anonymous donor who allegedly threatened to pull a $10 million gift to the university's engineering department if she was not fired. The motion also refines Shirinian's claims against university administrators, alleging they “did not rely on, ignored, or purposely failed to seek legal guidance before acting." UT System spokeswoman Melissa Tindell responded to the report saying, “As a matter of practice, the university does not comment on pending or active litigation."

The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (YLD), alongside students from Belmont University College of Law, recently hosted an essential documents clinic for the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department. During the event, five attorneys and three law students worked together to prepare wills, advance directives and powers of attorney for 12 individuals affiliated with the sheriff’s office. In total, the clinic delivered approximately $10,000 in pro bono legal services to dedicated members of the community. The initiative was led by YLD District 8 Representative Grace Burnett.

The TBA LGBT Law Section directory is a great place to find colleagues with a similar focus. The directory provides a list of section members with contact information and a list of any other sections or TBA groups to which they belong. This resource provides a great way to connect with like-minded lawyers and cross-reference attorneys well-versed in other practice areas as well. View the section directory here.

The TBA Health Law Section directory is a great place to find colleagues with a similar focus. The directory provides a list of section members with contact information and a list of any other sections or TBA groups to which they belong. This resource provides a great way to connect with like-minded lawyers and cross-reference attorneys well-versed in other practice areas as well. View the section directory here.

The April 10 virtual Elder Law Basics Forum will feature a presentation exploring how seniors will pay for healthcare in retirement. Expert elder law attorney Barbara Moss will discuss the sources of payment, including private assets, long-term care insurance, Medicare, Veterans' Affairs aid and Medicaid. The session also will provide an outline of the requirements to qualify for benefits. Other topics at the forum include estate planning basics, powers of attorney, TennCare, conservatorships, ethics and more. Register now.

The TBA Intellectual Property Section will present its 2026 CLE offerings as a series of one-hour webcasts scheduled throughout the spring. The series kicks off on April 1 with a session on post-grant patent strategies. Rhett Sexton of Merchant & Gould will discuss the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO)'s recent procedural updates and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different post-grant proceedings. The series will continue on April 8 with Elizabeth Shah of Bookoff McAndrews discussing changes to the obviousness test for design patents. Then on April 29, section chair Ryan Levy will present on zombie trademarks. Looking for more topics? Watch for more sessions coming in May on copyright issues with AI deepfakes and an IP 101 presentation.