U.S. appeals court judges in Washington, D.C., yesterday questioned whether President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting four law firms were a defensible use of his authority. Paul Clement, representing the firms, argued the orders violated the First Amendment and the separation of powers clauses of the constitution. Government lawyers argued that law firm decisions to hire attorneys, who in the president’s view had acted improperly, were not constitutionally protected. Four lower courts earlier struck down the orders against Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey as unconstitutional. The orders targeted lawyers’ access to government buildings and security clearances as well as law firm clients’ government contracts. Bloomberg Law reports on the proceeding.

TBA Director of Access to Justice and Strategic Initiatives Chelsea Bennett, along with members of the TBA Access to Justice Committee and representatives from Tennessee legal aid organizations, attended the 2026 Equal Justice Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hosted annually by the American Bar Association and the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, the conference brings together legal services and pro bono advocates from across the country to share developments, strategies and innovations in providing legal services to low-income individuals. Through plenary sessions, workshops, networking opportunities and special programming, the event provided a wide range of learning and sharing experiences for all attendees.

An inmate at the Shelby County Division of Corrections has died, officials said Wednesday, the Daily Memphian reports. Demarcus Kerr was found unresponsive at the corrections facility near Shelby Farms and taken to Saint Francis Hospital last week. Kerr died on May 10; the cause of death is unknown pending autopsy results. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will handle the investigation. Several inmate deaths were reported in 2025.

Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella recently announced that Candi Henry has been named managing partner of the firm, effective July 1. Henry will succeed Tyler Chance Yarbro, who was selected by Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell to serve as the next director of the Metro Department of Law. Henry, who rejoined the firm in January, most recently served as chief legal counsel for the Greater Nashville Regional Council, advising the 13-county governmental entity and its affiliated organizations on a range of public services. She previously spent more than a decade with the firm and began her legal career clerking for Judge William C. Koch Jr. on the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Tennessee Supreme Court. “Candi typifies the judgment and deep commitment to the community that have defined this firm from its beginning more than 40 years ago,” founding partner Margaret L. Behm said in a press release. As managing partner, Henry will oversee the firm’s day-to-day administration while continuing her litigation and transactional practice.

Tennessee’s unemployment rate held steady at 3.6% in March, even as 93 of the state’s 95 counties reported lower unemployment rates than the previous month, according to data released Thursday by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Williamson County recorded the state’s lowest unemployment rate at 2.5%. Cheatham, Dickson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson counties also ranked among the 10 lowest rates statewide. Davidson County posted a 2.8% unemployment rate, improving from 3.2% in February and narrowly missing the top 10. Tennessee added 12,100 nonfarm jobs in March, with the largest gains in health care and social assistance and accommodation and food services. The state’s unemployment rate remained below the national average of 4.3%.

The office of 4th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Waters Ogle has relocated to the new Sevier County Justice Center, Rex Henry Ogle Courts Building, 127 Commerce St., Ste. 2208, Sevierville, TN 37862. Judge Ogle's office phone and fax number remain the same. Additionally, the Hamblen County Circuit and General Sessions and Juvenile Courts have a new address. They now are located at 440 N. Jackson St., Morristown, TN 37814.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee has been named to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Dunavant joins 17 other federal prosecutors on the committee, which advises the attorney general on matters of policy, procedure and management impacting U.S. attorneys’ offices. The AGAC also may establish subcommittees and working groups in program and subject matter areas that reflect priorities set by the president. Dunavant served on the AGAC during his prior service as U.S. attorney from 2017-2021. Responding to news of his reappointment, Dunavant said he is honored and excited to serve on the committee to advance the department’s efforts to “achieve justice for victims, consequences for criminals, support for law enforcement, respect for the rule of law, protection of the U.S. Treasury, and better public safety outcomes for all citizens.” Read more in a press release.

The TBA encountered an email glitch on April 29 that prevented some members from receiving TBA Today. Those with Gmail, iCloud and Outlook email accounts may have been affected. The problem has been corrected, and all impacted members once again should be receiving TBA Today. To read any issues of TBA Today you may have missed, visit the TBA's archive page. Be sure to be logged into your TBA account to access the page. For help with any future delivery issues please email tbatoday@tnbar.org.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that interest groups have dropped their appeal of a federal court decision blocking Biden administration regulations that would have required schools to allow biological males into girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms, impacted Title IX, and directed teachers and school officials to use students' preferred pronouns. The decision from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to block the rules came in a case filed by Tennessee and a coalition of states. That court blocked the rules in June 2024 and ultimately ruled in early 2025 that the rules were unconstitutional, striking them down nationwide. With the recent decision to drop the appeal, the district court’s ruling will stand according to Skrmetti. After all parties agreed to end the appeal, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal. Read more in a press release from the AG's office.

Nashville Legal Director Wally Dietz says he will retire July 16 after a little more than five years as Metro Nashville’s legal director. As he prepares to step down, Dietz spoke with the Nashville Banner about his career, legal battles with the state and how a stroke last year changed his view of the job. The paper also reports that Mayor Freddie O’Connell has tapped Nashville lawyer Tyler Yarbro as Dietz’s successor. Yarbro, 48, is currently managing partner of Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella where she focuses on employment, probate, business and appellate matters. Prior to entering private practice, Yarbro served as Nashville’s public defender for more than six years. According to a news release from the city, the nomination will go before the Metro Council in June. Yarbro is married to Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville.