The University of Tennessee (UT), Knoxville College of Law has been renamed the Frank Winston College of Law following approval by the UT Board of Trustees. The recognition honors Frank Winston, an alumnus of the college and former Tennessee lawmaker who served as counsel to Carol Martin “Bill” Gatton and supported numerous initiatives, including The Bill Gatton Foundation, where he also served as a trustee. The foundation’s $32.5 million gift establishes the Frank Winston Public Interest Law Fellows and the Frank Winston Business Law Fellows. These fellowships will award full scholarships covering three years of studies plus a generous stipend, paid summer work experience, and numerous enriching educational and professional activities. The gift also introduces Frank Winston Law Grants. These three-year scholarships will provide $1,000 annually to at least 50 students in each class to provide additional support for costs associated with law school. “UT has produced some of the brightest legal minds in our state and our country for well over a century. We are proud to have the Winston College of Law bear the name of one of our most distinguished alumni and look forward to the incredible impact a gift of this magnitude will have on our students for generations to come,” said UT Chancellor Donde Plowman. Read a news release from the school.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate declined for the second consecutive month, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.5% in April, down one-tenth of a percentage point from March. Tennessee’s rate remained well below the national unemployment rate, which held steady at 3.9% in April 2024. Total nonfarm employment in Tennessee increased by 8,600 jobs between March and April, with the largest gains in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, followed by professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality.

The General Sessions Court Clerk’s Office will host an expungement clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT on May 24 at the Levi Branch of the Memphis Public Libraries, 3676 S 3rd St., Memphis 38109. Sponsored by the TBA Young Lawyers Division and other local groups, the event aims to help eligible individuals navigate the process of having certain criminal records sealed or erased from public view. Expunged records are generally inaccessible to the public, including employers, landlords and educational institutions, FOX13 reports. Participants will receive assistance determining eligibility, completing paperwork, understanding the legal process and connecting with legal resources. See a flier for the event.

The TBA YLD has an opening on its board for the 2025-26 bar year. Those interested in applying to be the District 12 representative should send a letter of interest and a bio to YLD and Law School Development Coordinator Laura Labenberg by June 1. District 12 covers Benton, Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion and Weakley counties. Learn more about the YLD board and this position.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case involving President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. At the center of the case is the question of whether federal judges can issue nationwide orders to block policies as legal challenges move through lower courts. According to SCOTUSblog, no clear picture emerged of how the justices will resolve that dispute. The administration in March asked the court to weigh in on preliminary injunctions imposed by lower courts. A decision in the case is expected by late June or early July according to the news source.

The winners of the Seventh Annual Federal Court Civics Essay Contest were honored at a celebration this week at the Howard H. Baker Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Knoxville. The first place winner was Gabriella D’Agostino, a freshman at Chuckey Doak High School in Afton. Marteze Simpson, a junior at Knox County’s Fulton High School, won second place. Third place went to Jefferson County High School junior Alexa Longmire. Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Suzanne H. Bauknight, U.S. Magistrate Judge Cynthia R. Wyrick and U.S. District Judge Katherine A. Crytzer were on hand to congratulate the students. The essay contest is sponsored by the court’s Civics and Outreach Committee and the Federal Bar Association chapters in Knoxville and Greeneville. This year’s contest asked students to consider the meaning of the term “reasonableness” as applied to the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable force by law enforcement. Read more from Chattanoogan.com.

This healthcare liability case comes before the court on appeal from the trial court’s granting of a Rule 12.02(6) motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The defendants asserted that the plaintiff failed to comply with Tennessee Code Annotated section 29-26-121, part of Tennessee’s Health Care Liability Act. The trial court found that the plaintiff failed to establish that unsigned medical authorizations attached to the complaint were sufficient to satisfy the mandatory requirements of section 29-26-121 and dismissed the case. The plaintiff appealed. Upon our review, we reverse the judgment of the trial court.

Janie Varnell will be Hamilton County's next attorney following a vote by the county commission, the Times Free Press reports. She will take office on July 1, replacing Rheubin Taylor who has held the role for over 30 years and is retiring. Varnell, previously a private practice attorney who has worked extensively on legal cases concerning police, has been serving as a special adviser to the county mayor and commission. County Mayor Weston Wamp last year named Varnell as his pick to succeed Taylor and attempted to have her installed early. A judge sided with Taylor saying his contract with the county protected his position until his contract expires in July.

JANE B. STRANCH, Circuit Judge. Sean Hart and Tiffany Guzman appeal the district court’s dismissal of their excessive force claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the City of Grand Rapids, Sergeant Brad Bush, and Officers Benjamin Johnson and Phillip Reinink. Hart and Guzman claim that the officers employed excessive force during a 2020 Black Lives Matter demonstration in Grand Rapids and that the City ratified this unlawful conduct. The officers moved for summary judgment based on qualified immunity, and the City moved for summary judgment based on the failure of Hart and Guzman to establish municipal liability. The district court granted the motions, dismissing the federal claims and declining to exercise jurisdiction over Hart and Guzman’s state law claims. For the reasons that follow, we AFFIRM the grant of summary judgment based on qualified immunity as to Officer Johnson and Sergeant Bush and AFFIRM the grant of summary judgment in favor of the City, but we REVERSE the grant of summary judgment based on qualified immunity as to Officer Reinink, and REMAND for further proceedings on that claim.

THAPAR, Circuit Judge. Brandi Goodwin worked as a part-time nursing assistant at a hospital. After she contracted COVID-19, she filed for short-term disability benefits. Unum Life Insurance Company, the administrator of the hospital’s employee-benefits plans, approved her claim. But the short-term disability benefits soon ran out. When it came time to decide whether Goodwin would receive long-term disability benefits, Unum denied her claim. The district court upheld Unum’s denial. Because Unum’s decision was neither procedurally nor substantively unreasonable, we affirm.