Tomorrow, Sept. 17, is recognized as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day to commemorate the 1787 signing of our nation’s founding document and to celebrate those who have become U.S. citizens. Speaking about the importance of the day, TBA President Heidi Barcus said, "As attorneys in Tennessee, we have all taken an oath to 'support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Tennessee,' tangible foundations of our profession and the justice system." Constitution Day honors the vision of the founders and serves as a reminder that lawyers are uniquely positioned to uphold the ideals embedded in the Constitution — including through zealous advocacy, service to clients and pro bono work that expands access to justice. The TBA website includes a page of resources designed to assist in the presentation of Constitution Day concepts. Celebrate the Constitution tomorrow and Thursday at events in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. Additionally, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee hosted the annual reading of the Constitution in Chattanooga last Friday, and continues to host events all week, including a naturalization ceremony for 100 new U.S. citizens at Tusculum University in Greeneville.

The 22nd Annual TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) program has launched its annual call for nominations for the 2026 class. Nominees should have from five to 15 years of experience in practice. Nominations are due Sept. 19 and should be submitted using this online form. Candidates from rural communities are especially encouraged, as their perspectives are vital to representing the full scope of Tennessee’s legal profession and maintaining the success of this impactful program. Last year, 35 lawyers from across the state were accepted into the program. The new class will kick off in January 2026 with an opening retreat at Montgomery Bell State Park and end next June with a commencement ceremony during the TBA Annual Convention in Knoxville. Email TBALL coordinators Tanja Trezise or Jarod Word with any questions.

Tennessee lawyers gathered Friday at Topgolf Nashville for the TBA’s 2025 Estate Planning Tee-Off, featuring three hours of CLE programming focused on new attorneys interested in estate planning and lawyers looking to expand their practice. The day gave attendees the opportunity to build their practice knowledge while enjoying a round of Topgolf. Speakers included Robert Malin of Pinnacle Financial Partners; Grayson Cannon of Gullett, Sanford, Robinson & Martin PLLC; Branch Howard of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.; and Christopher Kelly of Argent Trust Company. They addressed topics such as estate, gift and fiduciary income tax planning. Thank you to our sponsors Pinnacle Financial Partners, Diversified Trust, Southeastern Trust Company, Argent Trust and Guardian Trust. See photos from the event.

A new public safety dashboard launched by the Nashville Police and Public Safety Alliance allows residents to track crime statistics citywide and by neighborhood. The tool, developed in partnership with the Sycamore Institute, shows violent crime and homicides have declined in 2025 compared to last year, with 5,023 incidents reported through August versus 8,468 in all of 2024, Axios Nashville reports. Alliance CEO Pat Shea said the goal is to make data more accessible and help residents gain a clearer picture of safety trends in their communities.

The University of Tennessee (UT) System suspended and is pursuing the firing of an assistant professor at the Knoxville campus who criticized conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media after Kirk was shot to death last week. The assistant anthropology professor posted the comment in response to a post about Kirk's killing saying, “the world is better off without him in it," Knox News reports. UT campus leaders suspended Tamar Shirinian today and initiated termination proceedings. Separately, a Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) assistant dean of students also has been fired after commenting on Kirk's death on social media. According to The Tennessean, a university spokesperson confirmed that Laura Sosh-Lightsy was fired for “inappropriate and callous” comments.

Davidson County voter rolls lost 80,170 voters between December 2024 and June 2025, according to the latest report from Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett. The Davidson County Election Commission Facebook's page indicates that a major voter purge occurred between February and March of this year, when the county’s total eligible voters dropped from around 530,000 to 460,000. According to the Nashville Scene, most of the removals — about 66,000 — were inactive voters who failed to respond to registration confirmation notices or vote in two consecutive general elections. Another 13,710 active voters also were purged, leaving the county with 442,852 active voters ahead of this fall’s special election in the 7th Congressional District. The same report lists 25,973 voters purged in Shelby County, 18,367 in Rutherford County, 14,375 in Knox County, 14,335 in Hamilton County and 14,115 in Williamson County.

President Donald Trump on Monday signed a presidential memorandum creating the Memphis Safe Task Force, which, according to the Daily Memphian, will bring together federal law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Guard to “restore public safety and get dangerous career criminals off of [the] streets.” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the state’s two U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty were at the Oval Office for the signing.  Read more in a fact sheet or watch the remarks. Last Friday, Trump announced that the National Guard would be deployed to Memphis to address what he called the city's persistently high crime problems, Axios reports. Also Friday, Gov. Lee released a statement, saying his office had been in “constant communication” with the Trump administration to “work out details” for the plan. According to the Commercial Appeal, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he was not happy about the decision but would work "strategically to ensure that this happens in a way that truly benefits and strengthens our community." Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris called the move an "obliteration of America’s most important norms." That paper has reactions from other elected officials and local residents.

Less than a month after Mason city officials approved contracts to reopen the West Tennessee Detention Facility to house detained immigrants, the facility has already received its first detainees, the Daily Memphian reports. A spokesperson for CoreCivic confirmed that the facility, which can house 600 people, was receiving detainees arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ICE representatives responded Wednesday with a statement saying the first detainees arrived Monday and there are about 20 in the facility so far. Mason Mayor Eddie Noeman said he was unaware they had already arrived. The decision to reopen the center has drawn opposition and legal challenges from the ACLU of Tennessee, which contends the city’s approval vote was invalid under its charter.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has received five applications for a vacancy in the 20th Judicial District following the retirement of Judge Phillip R. Robinson on Oct. 17. The 20th Judicial District covers Davidson County, and the circuit court seat will be assigned domestic relations cases. Applicants for the vacancy are Audrey L. Anderson, Bethany P. Glandorf, Harold E. Rushton, Morgan E. Smith and John R. Wilks. A public hearing for the position will be held Oct. 15 at 9 a.m. CDT at the Nashville School of Law, 4013 Armory Oaks Drive, Nashville 37204. The commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward nominees to Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. For more information, contact John Jefferson, assistant general counsel at the Administrative Office of the Courts, at john.jefferson@tncourts.gov.

The City of Memphis has contracted with a private company to install 30 new traffic cameras to target speeders, primarily in 15 school zones. According to the Daily Memphian, beginning Sept. 30, the cameras will be used to issue warnings to drivers who are speeding in those 15 areas, officials said. On Oct. 30, the grace period will end, and citations will begin with violators being mailed a ticket for $50. The cameras will be installed at 15 different locations. A 2015 state law classifies citations from unmanned cameras as nonmoving violations, meaning they carry no license points, insurance consequences or credit impact. City officials say the goal is to encourage safer driving, particularly in school zones and S curves, despite the limited penalties.