A federal three-judge panel has denied an injunction in a combined case that included constitutional challenges to Tennessee’s new congressional map, the Daily Memphian reports. The combined case was the last of a number of suits — including one from Democratic congressional candidates and one from the state chapter of the NAACP  — following the Tennessee General Assembly’s approval of the new map in May. The panel was made up of two judges from the Middle District of Tennessee — Chief District Judge William Lynn "Chip" Campbell Jr. and District Judge Gregory Stivers — and Judge John B. Nalbandian of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. The panel said in its order that the ACLU of Tennessee and Memphis clergy failed to prove their 1st Amendment rights had been violated by the new map. It also ruled there was no evidence that the map was created with racial animus. Plaintiffs now have 30 days to file an appeal with the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. In a press release issued after the ruling, the ACLU said it would “continue litigating the case and pursuing permanent relief.”

The American Bar Association (ABA) released Formal Opinion 524 on July 22 to clarify government lawyers’ obligations when knowing of a public official’s or employee’s violation or intended violation of a legal obligation or the law. The opinion states that government lawyers should look to Model Rules of Professional Conduct 1.13(b) and (c) when they know of an intended or ongoing violation that would be “imputed” to the organization and likely or reasonably certain to result in “substantial injury to the organization.” The opinion concludes that credibility of government depends on compliance with the law and that lawbreaking by the government causes injury not just to third party victims, but also to the public’s trust in government and, ultimately, to the government entity itself. Read more in a press release from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics And Professional Responsibility.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has appointed a three-judge panel to hear a dispute over control of the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority, Chattanoogan.com reports. The panel includes Hamilton County Chancellor Jeff Atherton, who will serve as chief judge, along with 21st Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Joseph Woodruff and 28th Judicial District Chancellor Michael Mansfield. The appointment comes as the new state-appointed airport board seeks to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the locally appointed board and replace that board's attorney, John Konvalinka with Grant Konvalinka & Harrison. Chattanooga lawyer and former U.S. Attorney Sandy Mattice with the Mattice Group filed a motion to represent the new state-appointed board, dismiss the suit and dismiss Konvalinka.

A new Memphis group has joined a network of local organizations supporting the state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS). According to Chalkbeat, Together4Students launched in May and advocates for using the state intervention to pursue ambitious achievement goals, including doubling the number of students in high-performing schools by 2035. The group also is seeking 2,500 signatures for a petition calling on MSCS to drop its lawsuit challenging the state takeover, with more than 300 signatures collected as of Tuesday. Although the group supports the new oversight board, founder Henry Jones said Together4Students is committed to improving the district regardless of who is in charge. In early July, a federal judge temporarily blocked the state board from beginning operations.

Retired Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Thomas T. Woodall was honored July 14 with the unveiling of his official judicial portrait at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville. Woodall, who served on the Court of Criminal Appeals for 24 years, including six years as presiding judge, retired in 2020 after a legal career that included private practice, service as an assistant district attorney and leadership on the appellate bench. During the ceremony, Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Court of Appeals Judge Tim Easter praised Woodall's collegial leadership, mentorship and commitment to justice, while portrait artist Frank Morris reflected on the role judicial portraits play in preserving the history of Tennessee's courts. Read more about the ceremony or about Woodall's career from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Access to courts at the Walter L. Bailey Criminal Justice Center in downtown Memphis continue to be affected by a recent water main break. According to the Daily Memphian, on nine of the past 17 weekdays, parts of the building have been closed, often with little public notice for residents appearing for scheduled court dates. Most recently, the city closed Memphis Municipal Courts Divisions 1, 2 and 3 and the Memphis City Court Clerk’s Office on Monday and Tuesday of this week. The Shelby County Mayor’s Office chief of staff said Tuesday that Divisions 1 and 2 should reopen today. Ongoing repairs are being made on the building’s lower level after a water-main break flooded portions of the facility. The city said residents should “contact the appropriate court directly” for information about rescheduling their cases.

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) declined to respond to a lawmaker's request for details about the failed execution of death row inmate Tony Carruthers. According to WJHL, Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, requested information from the department about what changes, if any, had been made to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. Barrett gave TDOC until Monday to respond. In the request, he asked whether the department had implemented new training, revised procedures, strengthened oversight or adopted additional safeguards before the scheduled Aug. 13 execution of Darrell Hines. TDOC responded in a letter Tuesday, saying it would not comment because the issues are the subject of ongoing litigation. The department also said it remains committed to fulfilling its legal obligations and complying with state law.

The Tennessee Supreme Court continued its longstanding SCALES (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) program this year, engaging with rising high school seniors at both Volunteer Girls State and Volunteer Boys State. Justices Sarah Campbell and Mary Wagner took part in the 80th American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Volunteer Girls State (VGS) session at Lipscomb University, where they held a candid fireside chat that ALA VGS Chair Jenise Gordon said gives the roughly 500 attendees "permission to be ambitious and uncertain at the same time." Meanwhile, Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and colleagues visited the 87th Volunteer Boys State at Tennessee Tech University, where 400 young men observed oral arguments and interacted with justices off the bench. Since 1995, SCALES has brought the state's judiciary directly to these mock-government programs — which together have educated tens of thousands of Tennessee students since the 1940s — with organizers crediting the experience for inspiring many delegates to pursue law careers. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has nominated newly retired Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz to the locally appointed Metro Nashville Airport Authority, a pick that needs Metro Council approval at its July 21 meeting and would run through 2031. The Nashville Post reports that the nomination comes as a new state law took effect July 1 replacing the local board with a state-appointed one. O'Connell has declined to name anyone to that panel, and the original Metro-appointed board continues operating. Metro Nashville is suing over the takeover, arguing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cannot recognize the new state board without Metro's consent. The state-appointed board recently voted to withdraw from that lawsuit. A preliminary ruling is expected by month's end.

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (GRSM) recently announced the opening of a Memphis office, expanding its Tennessee footprint from its current Nashville and Knoxville locations. “Opening our Memphis office represents another important milestone in GRSM’s continued strategic growth across Tennessee and the Southeast,” said Heather Gwinn, managing partner of the Memphis office. “With more than 40 attorneys serving clients from this location, we are well-positioned to deliver the responsive, local counsel our clients expect while leveraging the resources and collaborative strength of our national platform.” The new office is located at 1331 Union Ave., 7th Floor, Suite 1023, Memphis 38104.