Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the TBA Young Lawyers Division is hosting a Power of Attorney Clinic via Zoom on March 4 at 4:30 p.m. EST. Click here for more information and to volunteer.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee and the TBA Young Lawyers Division will be holding a virtual Name Change Clinic on March 6 at 4:30 p.m. EST via Zoom. Click here for more information and to volunteer.

The Washington County Bar Association (WCBA) announced its 2025 officers on Friday. They are: President Jerome Cochran, President-elect Brady Smith, Vice President Hunter Shepard; Secretary Thomas J. Smith; and Treasurer Jesse J. Campbell. In addition, three board members were elected. They are: Nora Koffman, Sarah Larkin and Solange McDaniel.

Two Tennessee mothers are urging lawmakers to increase oversight of juvenile detention centers, alleging their sons were subjected to prolonged solitary confinement and coerced into fighting by guards at the Richard L. Bean Juvenile Service Center. A 2023 WPLN and ProPublica investigation alleged the facility violated seclusion laws, a pattern also documented in other county-run juvenile centers across the state. Despite repeated violations cited by the Department of Children's Services (DCS), corrective action has been ineffective, and the Bean Center remains noncompliant with licensing standards, according to WPLN news. Last year, state Sen. Kerry Roberts, R-Springfield, introduced legislation to transfer oversight from DCS to a third-party entity, citing the need for greater transparency and accountability. The measure did not pass but was sent to a summer study committee.

A third federal judge said today he would block President Donald Trump’s effort to curtail automatic birthright citizenship for babies born to undocumented parents. According to Reuters, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante in New Hampshire  issued a preliminary injunction preventing the executive order from taking effect. The move comes after federal judges in Maryland and Washington state issued separate injunctions last week blocking the order's enforcement nationwide. A lawyer for the ACLU, which brought the case, argued the order violated the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause and a 1898 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that recognized citizenship regardless of parents' immigration status. A U.S. Justice Department attorney contended that the plaintiffs were relying on non-binding parts of the ruling, which only guaranteed citizenship for children of parents who permanently resided in the country.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (DOT) will receive $9.6 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state officials to clear more than 450,000 cubic yards of debris following Hurricane Helene, officials announced Friday. According to WBIR, the funding, authorized under FEMA's Public Assistance program, is expected to conclude by Feb. 28. The debris removal is taking place across roads and public property in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties.

Gov. Bill Lee will deliver his annual State of the State address this evening before the Tennessee General Assembly, discussing the state’s past successes and future challenges, WBIR News reports. He will speak from the House Chamber, and the address will be streamed live on his official Facebook page and YouTube channel. The speech is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. CST. In advance of the speech, the governor outlined his themes in a release and accompanying video.

A bipartisan bill in the state legislature aims to make it easier for Tennesseans convicted of crimes to present new evidence of their innocence in court, the Nashville Banner reports. The proposed reform, backed by the Tennessee Innocence Project, is sponsored by Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville, and Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga. The HB601/SB256 seeks to expand and simplify access to court for convicted individuals and prosecutors who have often struggled to get a hearing on compelling new evidence. It would close the gap between the treatment of scientific and non-scientific evidence and establish a process for district attorneys to present courts with new evidence of a wrongful conviction. Under current law, prosecutors are obligated to act on such evidence but have "little way to do so," the bill sponsors argue.

U.S. law firms saw an 11.5% increase in profits in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared with the previous year, reaching near-record highs, according to Reuters. The report found that while law firm services grew more than 3% in the quarter, demand slowed, lawyer productivity declined by 0.4% and both direct and overhead expenses increased due to year-end bonuses and significant technology investments. The Thomson Reuters Institute, which tracks financial metrics from 195 large and mid-sized law firms, suggested firms may face more challenges in 2025 as transactional growth may not offset declining demand in counter-cyclical and other practices.

The most recent installment of TBA's Indigent Representation Primer is now available. The post provides an overview of national organizations and agencies that provide support and advocacy for lawyers working in the criminal justice system, with a focus on resources for those who represent low-income or vulnerable clients facing criminal charges. These organizations provide education and training, research, best practices, advocacy and other resources to help these professionals effectively advocate for their clients. Read past primer posts.