The TBA will host the “Using AI to Accelerate Your Writing” webcast on June 24 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT, focusing on how attorneys can use artificial intelligence to improve efficiency in legal writing without sacrificing accuracy or professional judgment. Presenter Ryan Standil of Write To Excite will discuss effective prompting techniques and demonstrate how AI can help lawyers identify weaknesses in drafts, including faulty logic, ambiguity, inconsistency and tone issues. The program will also address the limitations of AI in legal communication, including verbosity, overreach and lack of human nuance, while offering strategies for using AI tools more effectively in practice. More information and registration are available on the TBA website.

Bring your lunch and join colleagues for the second Sandwiches & Sidebars, a quarterly networking meet-up hosted by the TBA Mentoring Committee. This casual gathering is a great opportunity to meet new people, expand professional networks, exchange ideas and connect with fellow members of the legal community in a relaxed setting. The next event will take place Nov. 2 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. CST at the TBA office located at 3010 Poston Ave., Nashville 37203. Free parking is available. TBA Members should drop in as their schedule allows — stay for a few minutes or the full two hours. From experienced to mid-career attorneys to young lawyers to law students, all members of the TBA are encouraged to attend. This event is supported by the Young Lawyers Division. Hope to see you there!

Join Memphis tax attorney and financial educator Brooke Benjamin Kelley on Sept. 24 for "Beyond the Billable Hour: Building Financial Freedom Throughout Your Legal Career." This one-hour webcast will air from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. While law school teaches how to analyze risk, very few lawyers are taught how to analyze financial risk. Yet, the financial decisions made every day can have a lasting impact on careers, family and overall well-being. According to PwC's 2026 Employee Financial Wellness Survey, 57% of employees identified finances as their greatest life stressor, ranking above work, health and relationships. For a profession already known for high levels of stress and burnout, financial wellness is more than a personal issue — it is an important part of building a sustainable and fulfilling legal career. Whether managing student loans, thinking about buying a home, planning for retirement, or simply trying to make more confident financial decisions, this session is for you. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law recently held its 2026 Orr Symposium. This year’s theme, “Closing the Rural Justice Gap: Innovation and Regulatory Reform,” examined the causes of legal deserts and explored practical solutions. According to Knox TN Today, speakers focused on how the legal profession can rethink legal service delivery to ensure that people in underserved communities are not left behind. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner spoke about the court’s recent call for public comment on regulatory reforms, saying it was designed to “have a conversation” about unmet legal need across Tennessee. Other panels explored alternative licensing, the role of non-lawyer legal professionals and what other states are doing to help fill the justice gap. Learn more about the symposium or watch a recording of the program.

The law school also unveiled the Legal Desert Incubator Program, which will provide graduates who commit to spending five years in a legal desert with training, mentoring, business support and financial incentives. And it announced that Briana Rosenbaum, associate dean for access and community engagement and associate professor of law, has been appointed to the Law School Admission Council’s new Rural Access to Justice Workgroup. That group will investigate innovative approaches to expanding the pipeline of future rural attorneys.

Want to learn more about these issues? Join the TBA on July 29 for a discussion with lawyers and judges. Learn more and register here.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has named Matthew McClanahan as general counsel, the Nashville Post reports. McClanahan will assume the role on Aug. 3 and provide legal counsel to the department and oversee other legal matters. He previously worked as a managing partner at his law firm McClanahan & Winston in Crossville, where he focused on government relations, civil litigation, agricultural and environmental issues and business matters. He also formerly served as executive director of the Tennessee Association of Conservation Districts. "Matthew's legal experience and understanding of Tennessee agriculture make him an outstanding addition to our leadership team," Tennessee Department of Agriculture Commissioner Andy Holt said in a press release. McClanahan earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee and his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Tennessee Tech University.

President Donald Trump quickly reversed a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decision to pause most U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle stops after expressing frustration with the policy, Axios reports. The temporary suspension, which lasted just a few hours, followed two fatal ICE shootings within a week and was intended to allow additional training for agents conducting vehicle stops. Trump publicly ended the pause, saying ICE officers should have all enforcement tools available, prompting DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to resume the practice. According to the Associated Press, the shootings renewed scrutiny of ICE's enforcement tactics, prompting protests, calls for investigations and questions about the agency's use of force.

The Republican nominee for Shelby County sheriff is proposing the construction of a separate jail for misdemeanor offenders, nonviolent defendants, inmates with mental health needs and those requiring medical care, according to the Daily Memphian. Brad Less, a lieutenant with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, said the existing Shelby County Jail should be reserved for individuals charged with violent crimes. He argues that a lower-security facility could improve access to treatment while reducing inmate transportation needs. Less, who faces Democratic nominee Anthony Buckner in the Aug. 6 general election to succeed term-limited Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr., also voiced support for the Memphis Safe Task Force and said he would continue the sheriff's office's cooperation with federal immigration authorities as required under state law.

The mother of an Ole Miss football player who was shot and killed at a party in Cordova last year has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit, marking the second such lawsuit filed in recent days. According to the Daily Memphian, Chantrel Bernhart filed the suit Thursday in Shelby County Circuit Court, two days after the player’s father filed a similar claim. Corey Adams was attending a for-profit pool party in Memphis in 2025 when as many as 40 gunshots were fired. Five people, including Adams, were wounded in the shooting, which remains unsolved. Details of Bernhart’s lawsuit were not immediately available, but the suit names Calvin Wooten, the former owner of the Fern Glade Cove home, as a defendant. In a separate lawsuit, Adams' father is seeking at least $1 million in damages, plus punitive damages. That one names Wooten, along with his wife and son — who organized the party — as defendants.

Three attorneys are seeking to succeed retiring Johnson City Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Green in the Aug. 6 election. Candidates Dustin David Jones, Stephanie A. Sherwood and Lisa A. Witherspoon highlighted their experience in juvenile and family law and outlined priorities for the court during interviews with WJHL. Jones, a longtime family law attorney and current juvenile court magistrate, said he hopes to continue Green’s work by focusing on the individual needs of children and families while maintaining community safety. Sherwood, who has served 17 years as an associate municipal court judge, emphasized protecting children through initiatives such as Safe Baby Court and addressing dependency, neglect and delinquency cases. Witherspoon pointed to her nearly two decades of juvenile law practice and experience as a foster parent, saying she wants to connect children and families with resources. Early voting began July 17 and runs through Aug. 1, with Election Day set for Aug. 6.

The Tennessee Attorney General's (AG) Office is facing Meta in court as its challenge to the social media company's Instagram platform began today in Nashville. The Tennessean reports that the state sued Meta in October 2023, alleging Instagram is "unfairly and deceptively addictive and harmful, particularly to young people," and that the company violated the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair and deceptive business practices. The trial is expected to last six to seven weeks and include testimony from dozens of witnesses. Meta has denied allegations linking Instagram's design to poor teen mental health, pointing instead to safety features and arguing that any harms stem from user-generated content. The AG's office contends Instagram's design features and notification systems foster compulsive use among young people and that Meta failed to adequately warn users about the risks of exposure to sexual or self-harm-related content and potential mental health impacts. Tennessee is one of 42 states that filed lawsuits against Meta on the same day.