The TBA is now accepting applications for its award-winning Public Service Academy, a nonpartisan, statewide effort to encourage attorneys to run for office and take on public service leadership roles in their communities. Those selected for the academy will take part in the program Nov. 14-15 in Nashville. The program will feature top political and campaign experts who will provide attorneys with the tools they need to run for local public offices such as school board, city council and county commission. Applications are due by Oct. 6. Access the application form here.

More than 150 patients have been admitted in Middle Tennessee under Jillian’s Law since it took effect in July 2024, prompting the state to expand hospital capacity, FOX 17 reports. The 2024 legislation — named after Jillian Ludwig, a Belmont University student who was killed after she was hit by a stray bullet while walking near campus in Nashville — requires defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial to be committed for treatment rather than released. To accommodate the additional patients, the Harold Jordan Center increased its staffed beds from six to 12, and the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute added 25 beds, funded through more than $6 million in new state allocations. Officials said there is currently no waiting list, and about 125 of the admitted patients would likely have been hospitalized even without Jillian’s Law. Lawmakers and mental health advocates say the expansion improves public safety and ensures the law is implemented effectively.

Cade Cothren, who resigned as chief of staff to former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada in 2019, on Tuesday was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme using the state’s constituent mailer program. The Tennessee Lookout reports he was ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and will also be required to remain on probation for one year after serving his time in federal prison. Cothren was convicted alongside Casada of secretly running Phoenix Solutions, a company that funneled taxpayer-funded mailer business for profit. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson handed down the sentence after rejecting defense objections, finding Cothren used “intricate” money laundering to conceal the scheme. Attorneys for Cothren said they plan to appeal. Casada’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 23.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee on Tuesday announced the appointment of Miriam R. Nemeth as its new executive director. Nemeth, a civil rights attorney and nonprofit leader, began the role Monday, succeeding Phyllida Burlingame, who has served as interim executive director since November 2024. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Nemeth most recently was deputy litigation director and chief counsel at Rights Behind Bars, a legal advocacy group focused on eliminating inhumane conditions of confinement for incarcerated people. “I am honored to lead the ACLU of Tennessee as we navigate the critical civil rights challenges facing our state and country,” Nemeth said in a press release. “I look forward to partnering with the dedicated staff, board, supporters and community members to champion the rights and dignity of all in Tennessee.”

The city of Memphis, in a countersuit from a legal fight with the Memphis Fire Fighters Association, claimed city employees do not have "the right or authority to collectively bargain with the city" and requested a chancellor invalidate all of the city's agreements with its unions, the Commercial Appeal reports. The countersuit was filed Aug. 20, expanding the named respondents from just the firefighters union to the Memphis Police Association. In its filing, the city argues that past agreements were only valid under Mayor Paul Young, who signed them during his time in office and contends no state or federal law grants the authority to enter binding collective bargaining agreements. The police union has asked the court to strike the city’s filing, while its attorney, Deborah Godwin, described the move as a “scorched earth approach” and a potential act of retaliation. The case is currently being appealed before the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order delaying a ban on TikTok for a fourth time. The Hill reports that this extension pushes back the deadline to enforce a law — which requires TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance to divest from the app or face a ban on U.S. networks and app stores — until Dec. 16. An earlier extension was set to expire Wednesday. On Monday, the administration announced it had reached a "framework" deal during trade talks with Chinese officials.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti recently announced that Tennessee has joined a coalition of 25 states in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, urging it to strike down a Massachusetts firearm licensing requirements for nonresidents. “No American should ever face criminal charges for simply exercising their constitutional rights while traveling,” the group argues. The brief supports a challenge to a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that upheld the state’s license-to-carry regime, even when applied to law-abiding out-of-state travelers. Read more in a press release from the AG’s office.

Adams & Reese recently announced the addition of Holt Whitt to its Government Relations team in the firm's Nashville office. Whitt will serve as an advisor within the Intersection of Business & Government (IBG) practice group. Whitt has over 15 years of experience in state government, including most recently as the assistant commissioner for legislative affairs for the Tennessee Department of Health. “Holt is a home run hire for our Government Relations Team in Tennessee,” said Brad Lampley, IBG practice group leader and partner in Nashville. “[He] has built a career as a long-trusted advisor, leader and go-to resource in both the executive and legislative branches, and he will be an outstanding partner to our clients.” Adams & Reese also has offices in Memphis and Chattanooga, as well as nine other states and Washington, D.C. Read more in a press release from the firm.

Memphis police officer Valandria McKinnie, who testified for federal prosecutors during last year’s Tyré Nichols trial, has recanted parts of her testimony in a new affidavit. The Commercial Appeal reports that McKinnie now says former officers Tadarrius Bean and Justin Smith were not present at the initial stop, did not provide information for her report, and were neither misleading nor dishonest. McKinnie also now is claiming that prosecutors’ questioning was misleading and pressured her to implicate Bean and Smith in witness tampering. Defense attorneys argue these revelations undermine the government’s case and that the tampering charge should be dropped, especially since a new trial has already been granted for Bean, Smith and Demetrius Haley.

Robert Edward Millsaps of Chattanooga was sentenced to seven years in prison after identifying himself as a "terrorist" and threatening to bomb the courtroom of Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes as well as the federal building in Chattanooga. Chattanoogan.com reports that Millsaps, who earlier was termed a violent criminal and member of the Aryan Nation gang, had been charged with retaliation against a judge, juror or office, commission of an act of terrorism, and three counts of filing false reports. Speaking about the case, Starnes said, "Threats and attacks against state and federal judges have significantly increased over the past four years. The states and federal governments are taking these threats very seriously. The Tennessee Supreme Court is also taking it very seriously. I believe that this represents the largest sentence to date in the state of Tennessee concerning the making of such threats."