Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez has alleged in federal court that her recent arrest by federal immigration authorities was retaliation for her reporting on local enforcement activities, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Rodríguez was arrested March 4 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and released March 19 on bond. In a declaration filed this week, Rodríguez said ICE officials appeared aware of her work covering immigration enforcement in Middle Tennessee. She also described what she characterized as abusive and retaliatory treatment during her detention, including isolation and denial of access to counsel. Her legal team has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her arrest was unconstitutional and seeking to block any further enforcement actions against her. Government attorneys have argued those claims should be dismissed, questioning whether such constitutional protections apply in her case.

On March 24, Barry Steelman, senior judge of criminal court, swore in Curtis L. Bowe III as judge of the City of Collegedale. Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) Board President Keith Grant presented Bowe with his robe. See photos from the CBA. Bowe will serve as city judge until the next election in 2030. He was selected as the new judge in March after the death of Judge Kevin Wilson in December 2025.

The family of an inmate who died at the Shelby County Jail in 2025 has filed a federal lawsuit alleging negligence and inadequate medical care, the Daily Memphian reports. Courtney Berry died March 30, 2025, after he was found unresponsive in a jail bathroom, more than a month after being booked for an alleged violation of a suspended sentence. An autopsy found he died from heart complications. The suit alleges that Berry had complained of chest pain and made multiple requests for medical assistance that were ignored or inadequately addressed. The complaint further claims his death reflects a broader pattern of neglect of inmates’ medical needs at the facility. Filed March 17, the suit names Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., the jail’s medical provider WellPath, and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris as defendants. The suit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages. Neither the sheriff’s office nor Harris commented on the allegations.

A federal judge has dismissed most claims in a class action lawsuit involving families who lost loved ones in the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires, narrowing the case against the National Park Service, Knox News reports. U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer tossed claims that park officials failed to follow fire protocol. In his opinion yesterday, Greer said park officials made a judgment call and they did enough in their firefighting efforts, though they made errors in their assessment of the fire. The final focus of the lawsuit will center on claims that the park's command structure, namely Fire Management Officer Greg Salansky, was wearing too many hats to properly handle the constantly changing conditions of the fire. Those claims from victims' families and insurance companies will continue through the federal courts.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its April docket on April 8 at Union University in Jackson, with proceedings beginning at 9 a.m. CDT. Oral arguments will be heard at the Harvey Auditorium in the Barefoot Student Union Building and will be accessible by livestream. The court is scheduled to hear three cases addressing issues including class certification and legal malpractice claims, statutory interpretation in a negligence dispute, and the obligations of district attorneys general in municipal court proceedings. Read more about each case in a press release.

Sessions from the 2026 Estate Planning & Probate Forum are available now as a 1-Click package — a comprehensive CLE bundle providing seven hours of programming, including six general hours and one dual hour. The sessions cover a range of timely topics, including probate litigation strategy, the growing role of artificial intelligence in estate planning workflows, legislative updates, ethics and conflict-of-interest considerations, public receiverships and a probate panel featuring experienced practitioners, judges and court officials. The programming aims to equip estate planning attorneys with immediately applicable tools and help them stay current on developments impacting the field. Purchase the package or individual sessions.

A lawsuit seeking to remove Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office will proceed even as her term is set to end in September. The Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert’s appeal of a lower court decision allowing the ouster case to move forward and found that the county attorney has the authority to bring the lawsuit, according to Action News 5. Halbert has faced repeated scrutiny in recent years, including calls for her removal over audit findings and concerns about management of the clerk’s office.

Volunteers are needed for an Essential Documents Clinic at the Cannon County Senior Center located at 609 Lehman St. in Woodbury on April 20 from noon to 2 p.m. CDT. The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennesseee and the Cumberlands and the TBA Young Lawyers Division will be assisting seniors will simple wills, durable power of attorneys and advance medical directives. For more information see the attached flyer. To volunteer email Alyssa Fox at afox@las.org.

Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Sumner, confirmed he will run to become Tennessee’s next speaker of the Senate and lieutenant governor, Gallatin News reports. Haile, a Gallatin native who has represented District 18 — which includes Sumner and Trousdale counties — since 2013, will seek the Republican nomination for speaker. Under the Tennessee Constitution, the Senate speaker also serves as lieutenant governor and is next in line should the governor’s office become vacant. Haile currently serves as Senate speaker pro tempore, a position he has held since 2018. Meanwhile, three candidates have entered the race to succeed Lt. Gov. Randy McNally in Senate District 5. McNally announced in February he would not run again.

The Tennessee Bar Association’s online renewal for 2026-2027 is now open! Renew your membership to continue your access to TBA Today, the Tennessee Bar Journal, three free hours of CLE, resources for starting and building a new firm, and free legal research tool, as well as savings on a range of products and services. Be sure to check out TBA's new pro bono portal, solo health insurance plan and expanded discounts on travel. Attorneys not participating in the TBA's firm billing program can log in and renew through their MyTBA dashboard. The TBA membership team will be working with firm administrators for those participating in firm billing so check with your firm administrator if you have questions about that process.