The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has delivered a blow to efforts by state lawmakers and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to force companies to open their employee pharmacy benefit manager plans (PMB) to other providers, the Tennessee Journal reports. On April 7, a three-judge panel held in McKee Foods Corp. v. BFP Inc. that the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) preempts the “any willing provider” and anti-steering provisions in state law. The decision upheld a ruling from the district court and blocks the state from mandating network structures for self-funded worker health plans.

Vanderbilt University Law School has moved up two spots from 14 to 12 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings released April 7. The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law also rose from 146 in 2025 to 140. Two Tennessee schools slipped slightly. The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law ranked 57 this year (down from 55 last year) while Belmont University College of Law ranked 85 (down from 84 last year). Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, which ranked 169 last year, slipped to the 175-194 category for schools in the bottom 10%, but came in 68 out of 78 for part-time schools. Nashville School of Law was not reviewed by the publication. Outside of Tennessee, Stanford Law School bumped Yale Law School from the top spot for the first time since the magazine began its rankings in 1990. Yale is now in second place, tied with the University of Chicago, according to Bloomberg Law. View the full rankings or rankings based on practice area.

Spencer Fane, which has offices in Hendersonville and Nashville, will merge with the Southwest firm Conner & Winters, according to a news release from the firm. The deal will expand the firm by 75 lawyers and add offices in Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas. The firm says the move reflects industry trends in which clients are looking for larger firms that can handle a higher volume of complex work across multiple locations. Law.com has more on the merger.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released a formal opinion on April 8 clarifying the ethical obligations of lawyers who possess information that could lead to a judge’s disqualification. Opinion 522 establishes that a lawyer’s role as an officer of the court requires the disclosure of such information to protect the integrity of the judicial process, provided disclosure does not violate client confidentiality. The rule “reinforces the principle that the legal profession bears a collective responsibility for the appearance of impartiality,” according to the committee. Read more in a press release.

On April 7, Hawkins County lawyer Emily Cross Morley received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Morley was hired to represent a client after a petition to recover personal property was filed against the client. The court found that Morley failed to notify the client of the trial date, which led to the court entering a judgement in favor of the opposing side in September 2024. The Supreme Court also found that Morley failed to communicate with the client about the outcome of the trial and judgment entered for 13 months. These actions were deemed to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 3.2 and 8.4.

The TBA Access to Justice Committee is accepting nominations for the 2026 Public Service Awards through next Friday. The annual awards recognize outstanding commitment to access to justice in three categories: work performed by an attorney employed by an organization primarily involved in providing legal representation to the indigent, pro bono work performed by a private or corporate attorney, and a strong commitment to pro bono service by a Tennessee law student or recent graduate. Awards will be presented during the TBA Annual Convention in June. Submit nominations by April 17 on the TBA website.

A list of those who passed the February 2026 Tennessee bar exam is now available. Those who meet all licensing requirements will be sworn in at events across the state in early June. Ceremonies are set for June 2 at 9 a.m. EDT at the Supreme Court Building in Knoxville; June 2 at 2 p.m. CDT at the Supreme Court Building in Nashville; June 3 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Shelby County Courthouse in Memphis; June 3 at 1:30 p.m. CDT in Jackson (location to be determined); and June 4 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT for two virtual ceremonies. Watch for statistics from this spring's exam coming soon. Access information for test takers on the Board of Law Examiner's website. Download the list in pdf format.

Jefferson County lawyer Agnes Sipple Trujillo received a censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 7. The court found that while handling an appeal, Trujillo failed to (1) file the trial transcript with the appellate court; (2) request an extension to file a response to two dismissal motions — which resulted in the client’s case being dismissed; (3) provide the client with copies of pleadings; and (4) notify the client that the case was dismissed. The court also found that the fee Trujillo charged was not reasonable based on the legal services provided. Finally, the court found that Trujillo did not return the file to the client, which hindered his ability to obtain alternate counsel. These actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4(a), 1.5(a), 1.15(d) and 8.4(d).

Rutherford County lawyer David Bennett LaRoche received a censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 7. The court reports that LaRoche received a private reprimand on July 30, 2025, for violations of Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4 and 1.16. The court also ordered him to refund $500 of a client’s money. The court now has found that LaRoche failed to meet the condition of his private reprimand, did not refund the client’s money and failed to respond to a lawful demand for information from the disciplinary counsel concerning the matter. The censure was imposed for violations for Rules of Professional Conduct 3.1, 8.1 and 8.4.

At its recent spring meeting, the TBA Board of Governors voted to fill two vacancies on the board. Filling the open seat for the Western Grand Division governor will be Geoffrey Lewis, associate general counsel at Memphis Light, Gas & Water. Lewis previously was in private practice and an assistant city prosecutor for the City of Memphis. He also serves in the TBA House of Delegates and as co-chair of the Leadership Law program. Filling the open seat of 7th District governor will be Joshua Dougan with Dougan Law and Mediation in Jackson. Dougan previously was active with the Young Lawyers Division, assisting with the Wills for Heroes program and serving on the Mock Trial Committee. He recently transitioned from the 26th Judicial District Attorney’s office to his own private practice. Both will take office at the board’s June meeting to be held conjunction with the TBA Annual Convention.