The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has agreed to implement a sexual misconduct policy proposed by the Community Review Board last August. Metro lawyers and human resources officials spent months reviewing the policy, which aims to better define misconduct, expand reporting options and enhance protections for those who report it, the Nashville Banner reports. While the current police department manual addresses sexual harassment and coercion in the workplace, the new policy provides a more detailed list of prohibited conduct, covering both workplace interactions and officer-community relations. According to the news outlet, the department’s adoption of the policy follows years of allegations and debate over its handling of sexual misconduct, harassment and discrimination. “I am grateful to leadership at MNPD for the way they’ve received and implemented the recommendations from the Community Review Board’s report,” Mayor Freddie O’Connell said in a statement.

The TBA will host the “Applying for Clemency in Tennessee: Process and Practical Tips” webcast on March 27 from 1 to 3 p.m. CDT. The event will feature a panel discussion on the clemency process, offering practical guidance and key considerations for those seeking clemency in the state. For registration, speaker details and the agenda, visit the TBA website.

Gov. Bill Lee has announced that two artificial intelligence (AI) tools with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, Manus and DeepSeek, are now banned from Tennessee’s state network due to data privacy and cybersecurity concerns, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Tennessee is the first state in the nation to prohibit the Alibaba-owned Manus platform, which launched Thursday. Security risks cited include censorship, propaganda, bias, discrimination and data privacy threats. Following the statewide ban on DeepSeek, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued a consumer warning, urging Tennesseans to exercise caution and consider the risks of using DeepSeek over an AI product from a non-communist country. "DeepSeek creates real risk for both our country and our consumers," Skrmetti said.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate remained steady at 3.7% in January, matching the revised December rate, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state’s seasonally adjusted rate was three-tenths of a percentage point below the national rate of 4%. Over the past year, Tennessee employers added 21,500 jobs, with the government sector seeing the largest gains, followed by mining, logging and construction and leisure and hospitality.

It's time for another round of #TeamTBA! Meet the people behind the scenes and learn more about the moving parts, projects and staffers of the Tennessee Bar Association. Lanny Brown is TBA's assistant executive director and he oversees the day-to-day operations of the organization. Lanny came to the TBA last year after serving as vice president of the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee and as curator of the Nashville Zoo. (His behind-the-scenes stories of the zoo are fascinating.) He says his favorite part of his job is working with an amazing staff of professionals who don't take themselves too seriously. Lanny is an amateur dendrologist, he can stop his own hiccups after no more than two and he prefers function over fashion — cargo shorts all the way. The #TeamTBA series offers members a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the TBA and how each staff member makes the association run. Check back next week for a new staff profile in TBA Today and on the TBA's Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Feb. 27 suspended 16 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; eight of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. Recent reinstatements for fee or IOLTA violations include 11 in 2025, three in 2024, one in 2023 and one in 2015. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2025 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated four lawyers who were placed on inactive status more than five years ago: South Carolina lawyer John Errett Buis was reinstated on Feb. 26; Virginia lawyer Shannon H. Chierichella was reinstated on Feb. 18; Georgia lawyer Courtney Christian Sharp was reinstated on March 3; and Shelby County lawyer John Rolfe Windsor Jr. was reinstated on Feb. 27.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has amended Rule 21, section 4.08, subsections (a) and (c) to clarify how continuing legal education (CLE) credit may be earned for various activities. The rule currently allows the CLE Commission to award up to half of the required credits to attorneys who serve on governmental commissions, committees or other governmental bodies involved in formal sessions for review of rules or regulations. The new language specifies that the commission may award up to six general credits and up to three ethics credits for this work. It also expands eligible activities to include service on local commissions, committees or other governmental bodies and to work involving the drafting of legislation. The new language also requires that CLE hours earned for pro bono work must be done with a Tennessee organization approved by the court.

Registration is now open for the next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits, set for March 20 in Nashville. The clinic, sponsored by the Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Register by March 17 to participate. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order naming one law firm, Perkins Coie, for specific activities and directing a federal review of other law firms over diversity and inclusion initiatives. The order directs the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to “review the practices of representative large, influential, or industry leading law firms for consistency with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including whether large law firms: reserve certain positions, such as summer associate spots, for individuals of preferred races; promote individuals on a discriminatory basis; permit client access on a discriminatory basis; or provide access to events, trainings, or travel on a discriminatory basis.” It also directs the U.S. attorney general, in coordination with the EEOC, to investigate the “practices of large law firms who do business with federal entities for compliance with race-based and sex-based non-discrimination laws and take any additional actions” deemed appropriate "in light of the evidence uncovered."