A story in the Dec. 23 issue of TBA Today has been updated to reflect new information. Knox News reported on Tuesday that Diego Hernandez Garcia of Maryville was deported to El Salvador in violation of an order from U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker. After TBA Today was published, the news outlet updated its reporting to reflect that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had returned Hernandez Garcia to ICE custody in Louisiana late that same day.

In the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order soliciting comments from the legal community, the court asks whether "any legal services currently provided by lawyers could be competently provided by paraprofessionals and, if so, what qualifications, limitations, or subject matter restrictions the court should consider imposing." Some mandatory bar states, such as Arizona and Washington, have created or are piloting programs to license paraprofessionals, often called Legal Paraprofessionals or Limited License Legal Technicians (LLLTs), allowing these individuals to provide legal advice and representation in specific, defined areas of law. Indiana — a voluntary bar state — is piloting a regulatory sandbox program to address legal deserts and more. Feedback on Tennessee's potential modification of the role of paraprofessionals in the practice of law may be sent to TBA's newly formed Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force at townhall@tnbar.org as well as directly to the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page for more information.

The webcast replay of Legislative Update 2025 will be Dec. 29 from 3 to 4 p.m. CST . The session, presented by TBA's Government Affairs team, reviews key legislation from the most recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly affecting Tennessee lawyers. It features Ashley Harbin and Brad Lampley of Adams & Reese LLP in Nashville, along with Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC. Visit the TBA website to register. 

The TBA will offer a webcast replay of Ted Lasso and Attorney Ethics: Lessons in Life, Law, and Leadership from noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 29, featuring ethics educator Stuart Teicher, known as The CLE Performer. The program uses scenes from the first season of the television series "Ted Lasso" to examine the Rules of Professional Conduct, including communication, competence, integrity, supervisory responsibilities and conflicts of interest, and connects themes of leadership, collaboration and perseverance to real-world ethical challenges faced by attorneys. See the TBA website for more information.

A legal fight is brewing over religious charter schools in Tennessee after Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued an opinion that the state’s law blocking them is “likely” unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Now a Christian nonprofit in Knox County, Wilberforce Academy of Knoxville, has sued the local board of education. It wants to open an "explicitly" Christian charter school. Nationally, backers of religious charter school have argued that state bans are unconstitutional and amount to religious discrimination, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedents that found states could not block private schools from receiving public funds because of their religious affiliation. According to the Tennessee Journal, Gov. Bill Lee has said he will defer to Skrmetti’s opinion that the ban is likely unconstitutional. The Daily Memphian has more on the issue from Chalkbeat.

Launched in 2015, Memphis Children’s Health Law Directive (Memphis CHILD) is a medical-legal partnership (MLP) that helps low-income families in Shelby County with legal matters affecting the health or well-being of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital patients. MLPs place attorneys into health care settings to address legal issues impacting the health of patients. Top case areas for Memphis CHILD include Social Security Income (SSI) benefits, education concerns, housing issues, conservatorships and family law. Each partner — including Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS), University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, Le Bonheur, University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) — plays a unique role in the collaboration to provide comprehensive legal services for kids and families. Read more in an article from the Winter 2025 issue of Le Bonheur's "Securing the Promise" publication.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is continuing its program to address the critical shortage of attorneys in rural Tennessee counties, while providing law students an opportunity for meaningful and enriching clerkship experiences. The Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF) will give six rising 2L, 3L or 4L law students attending Tennessee law schools the opportunity to spend six weeks of the summer as a judicial law clerk in a legal community in rural Tennessee. The program will provide a $1,000 stipend and the opportunity to work directly with judges, gaining practical legal experience and fostering connections in underserved areas. Fellows also will be invited to attend the TBA's Annual Convention in June. View a flyer and access the application for more information. The deadline to apply is Feb. 27.

Judge D. Michael Swiney officially retires from the Tennessee Court of Appeals on Jan. 12, 2026. In this profile from the Administrative Office of the Courts, he looks back on his career and ahead to what retirement might bring. Swiney views his time on the bench as an important civic duty. “I don’t want to say I was called to be a judge, but I’ve always thought that public service is important and it’s something that those of us that have the opportunity to do it need to consider it.” As for post-retirement life, Swiney and his wife Suzann continue to take that matter "under advisement." “We decided we are going to wait and then decide when the time actually arrives,” he said. “I know I’d like for at least a little while not to have anything scheduled, even if it’s supposed to be something that’s fun.” Swiney is a 1978 graduate of the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. He worked in private practice in Knoxville from 1979 to 1999. Beginning in 1994, he served as a certified mediator with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee until he was appointed to the Court of Appeals in July 1999. He also served as an adjunct professor at Winston College of Law from 1997 to 2006.

Nashville School of Law (NSL) 3L Scott Vincenti has been awarded the inaugural Bill Koch Harry Phillips American Inn of Court (AIC) Scholarship. The scholarship, years in the making, honors NSL Dean William C. Koch Jr.’s three decades of service as president of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court in Nashville. “I am grateful for the many contributions that funded this scholarship, and I am delighted that Scott Vincenti is its first recipient,” said Koch. Each year, the scholarship will be awarded to a full-time third or fourth-year student who has worked hard to stay in good academic standing, ranks in the top 20% of the class, and shares a statement of financial need. Read more in a press release from the law school.

U.S. District Judge Thomas A. Varlan previously announced he would assume senior status on Oct. 5, 2026, after more than two decades on the federal bench in East Tennessee, allowing him to hear a reduced caseload. According to a new opinion piece in Knox News, his tenure has left a lasting imprint on Knoxville’s legal community, where he has been recognized for his public service, mentorship and long-standing civic involvement. Varlan earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and has served as a district judge for 22 years following a legal career. Varlan served as Knoxville’s law director for a decade before entering private practice and later being confirmed to the bench by the U.S. Senate.