As part of Help4TN Month, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands Executive Director DarKenya Waller is highlighting the importance of civil legal aid and the resources available through the Help4TN initiative. The campaign aims to raise awareness about free and low-cost legal services across the state, offering Tennesseans support on issues like housing, family law and consumer rights. Check out the Instagram post where Waller shares more about this vital work at and learn more at Help4TN.org.

A former Tennessee state trooper is suing private prison operator CoreCivic after he was allegedly beaten by a cellmate at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, The Tennessean reports. Nicholas Collins claims in the lawsuit that he was denied medical attention for more than three days following the attack, which required two surgeries for multiple facial fractures and left him with six metal plates in his head. In 2023, Collins was sentenced to more than six years in prison for aggravated domestic assault and vandalism. He alleges he warned correctional officers that his cellmate had threatened to stab him in his sleep, but no action was taken. A Tennessee Department of Correction report states the day of the assault the two men were “observed engaging in a physical altercation,” resulting in minor injuries to both, and both were charged with fighting. Collins is suing CoreCivic for negligence, seeking $1 million for future medical expenses and suffering, as well as $2 million in punitive damages.

The man charged with attempting to murder U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022 pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court after previously entering a not guilty plea, Axios reports. Nicholas John Roske admitted to one count of attempting to assassinate a U.S. justice without reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors and could face life in prison. His attorneys wrote in a court filing last week that Roske told law enforcement he had traveled to Maryland with the intent to kill Kavanaugh and then himself. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 3.

A proposal that passed the Tennessee Senate on Monday could add specific language to the state’s law that effectively bans abortion, Local Memphis reports. Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, proposed SB1004, which initially required the state to report annually on gifts, grants or donations made toward constructing a monument dedicated to terminated pregnancies. The bill was amended to revise the state’s Human Life Protection Act, which currently allows abortion care only if a physician determines the pregnancy poses a “serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” The amendment would define that phrase as “any medically diagnosed condition that so complicates the pregnancy of a woman as to directly or indirectly cause the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” Critics have said the law forces physicians to make legal as well as medical judgments. Rep. Bryan Terry, R-Murfreesboro, who introduced the House bill, said it was introduced as a way to improve the state's law after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade decision. The proposal passed the Senate in a 25-3 vote and must now pass the House before becoming law.

Yoga, Mindfulness and Meditation for Legal Professionals will be held on April 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT and offer attorneys evidence-based meditation and yoga techniques to reduce stress and improve professional performance. Designed specifically for legal professionals, the program will provide practical strategies to enhance focus, maintain composure in high-pressure situations, and cultivate a sustainable work-life balance. No prior experience in yoga or meditation is necessary. For more information and to register, visit TBA’s website.

In a news conference outside the federal courthouse in Nashville, members of the federal public defender’s office and advocates said they have asked Gov. Bill Lee to pause executions until March 2026 to allow courts time to review the state’s new protocol. “This protocol is a sham,” said Kelley Henry, a supervisory assistant federal public defender who represents a number of people on Tennessee’s death row. “It’s a mere shadow of the previous protocol. They haven’t put in more safeguards. They’ve made it worse.” The governor responded to criticisms saying he does not plan on calling for a reprieve for all executions, but he does review each case individually, the Tennessean reports. "It was a lengthy process in making sure we had the right protocol here," Lee said. Four people are set to be executed this year under a new, single drug protocol.

Bass, Berry & Sims has announced that former state official Ginna Winfree Burrell has joined the firm as counsel and will lead its alcoholic beverage law practice team. According to the firm, Burrell will focus on federal liquor license requirements, regulatory and enforcement matters, and administrative hearings related to alcoholic beverage ordinances and statutes. A 2006 graduate of the Nashville School of Law, Burrell previously served as the assistant director and interim director of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). She also worked at Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin and as a regional vice chair for the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators. Read more from the firm.

A bill that would allow school districts to charge tuition from noncitizen students narrowly passed the Senate today, reports the Tennessee Journal. The measure passed by a 19-13 vote. A companion bill is moving through the committee process in the House. The House Education Committee approved a similar bill in March. The House Finance Subcommittee is scheduled to consider that measure on Monday.

The state Senate Government Operations Committee has passed HB910/SB861, a bill that would dissolve the Tennessee Human Rights Commission and transfer its functions to the state attorney general. Established in 1963, the commission is an independent state agency in charge of enforcing civil rights laws and prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations. The commission employs investigators, attorneys and other personnel and is run by a nine-member board of commissioners appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House. The bill now goes to the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, where it is scheduled to be considered next week. In the House, a companion bill passed the Ways and Means Subcommittee and is scheduled to be heard by the full Finance, Ways and Means Committee next week as well. The Nashville Post has more on the proposal.