Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced a $52 million multistate settlement with Marriott International to resolve a data breach of one of its guest reservation databases that affected 131.5 million guest records. The breach exposed personal information such as contact details, birthdates, passport numbers, and payment card information. Under the settlement, Marriott agreed to strengthen its data security practices, provide consumer protections and pay $52 million to states. Tennessee will receive $919,043.00 from the settlement, according to a press release.

The list of those applicants who achieved a passing score on the July 2024 Uniform Bar Examination in Tennessee will be released Friday by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Results will be posted by the board by 2 p.m. CDT and will be available on the TBA.org website as soon as they are released. The board also recently announced that applications for the February 2025 exam, originally scheduled to open on Oct. 1, will open later in October due to updates.

Shelby County lawyer Larry A. Weissman has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Weissman was not diligent in checking a client’s case status, which led to him not discovering that the case, which had previously been dismissed, was never reopened. This led to a delay in moving the case forward. Weissman also did not consult with the client about how her case was being handled and did not abide by her decision to set the case for trial. Later in the case, he stopped communicating with the client, stopped doing any work on her case and disregarded the client’s requests that he withdraw. His actions were determined Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2(a), 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.16(a) and 3.2.

Knox County lawyer Kristen Crye Stevenson has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that Stevenson “knowingly and repeatedly” failed to notify her client that the court overseeing the client’s workers’ compensation case had ordered the employer to approve medical treatment while the case was pending. Stevenson also repeatedly failed to appear at court-ordered conferences and hearings and failed to submit required filings. These actions led to her client being assessed sanctions, fines and attorneys’ fees in excess of $16,000. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2, 1.3, 1.4(a), 3.2 and 3.4(c).

Gov. Bill Lee has announced tax relief measures for residents and businesses in eight counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. Residents in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties can receive a sales tax refund of up to $2,500 on essential purchases for repairs, while all taxpayers in those areas will have extended deadlines to file and pay certain taxes until May 1, 2025. Additionally, the department will extend the franchise tax Schedule G refund filing deadline for businesses located in the counties to May 1. The department also will approve, on a case-by-case basis, tax extension requests from affected taxpayers for other taxes. Get details in a press release.

A U.S. district judge last week temporarily overturned a decision by a Tennessee official to place a woman on the sex offender registry for life, despite never being accused of a crime involving sexual misconduct. The Tennessean reports, this has for nearly a decade, kept the woman, who is referred to as Jane Doe in court records, from living with her family or attending her son’s school events. While the order is preliminary, it will be in place while the case proceeds. Tennessee classifies those convicted of kidnapping as sex offenders, even if there was no sexual component to the crime. Jane Doe was convicted of kidnapping in 2011 but claims she was forced to participate. The judge acknowledged the possibility that she might have been a victim, a perpetrator, or both, the paper reports.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a response brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday defending a state law banning gender transition procedures for juveniles. Skrmetti emphasized in a press release that the legislation aims to protect children from "irreversible, unproven medical procedures" and aligns Tennessee with 23 other states that have implemented similar restrictions. The brief argued that states have the authority to regulate medical practices and rejected the federal government's position, asserting that those opposing restrictions can advocate for change through state elections.

The American Bar Association (ABA) has revised the criteria for its Judicial Clerkship Program, which connects law students with judges and law clerks to educate them about the long-term benefits of judicial clerkships. The ABA eliminated references to schools sending students from "underrepresented communities of color" and judges hiring "minority" students after the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty threatened to sue over the program. The new criteria states that law schools are "encouraged to select a diverse group of students" to participate. Judges no longer have hiring parameters, Reuters reports.

Jillian's Law — a Tennessee law enacted in response to the death of Jillian Ludwig, which requires mentally incompetent defendants to be committed for treatment — is raising concerns about the availability of hospital beds in state treatment centers. According to Fox Chattanooga, critics worry about potential waiting lists, especially at the Harold Jordan Center, the state's sole facility for intellectual disabilities. State officials, citing privacy laws, have not disclosed the number of patients awaiting treatment. They say they have taken steps to implement the law but challenges remain in ensuring adequate resources and capacity. Ludwig, a first-year Belmont University student was fatally shot in a park near campus. The alleged offender had been released  just six months earlier after a judge ruled he functioned at a kindergarten level, and was unable to stand trial on shooting charges.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee Reagan Fondren announced Tuesday that two Memphis organizations were awarded federal grants totaling more than $2 million. The Shelby County Office of Reentry received funds to provide safe, affordable housing and comprehensive services to formerly incarcerated individuals. Heal 901 will use the funds to implement an intensive program to reduce violent crime in Memphis. "These organizations have demonstrated their commitment to working with the Department of Justice to decrease crime, advance opportunities for ex-offenders, and protect our community," Fondren said in a press release.