The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board granted the district’s attorney Justin Bailey an early contract extension during a special-called meeting on May 12. The move comes as the board is preparing a legal challenge of the state’s takeover of the school district. Bailey’s contract was set to expire in December 2026. The extension ensures his involvement through February 2029, with an option to extend for one year after that. “I’m grateful to the board and superintendent for their continued trust and confidence in me and my team, and I look forward to continuing to serve the district in partnership with them,” Bailey said in a statement to The Daily Memphian.

A federal judge will allow the state's newly-redrawn congressional district map to remain in place while a lawsuit against it moves forward, WRKN reports. Chief U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell Jr. in the Middle District of Tennessee issued an order today denying a temporary restraining order requested by congressional candidates and voters. Campbell had set a hearing in the suit for May 20. Because the new filing date for redrawn districts is May 15, the plaintiffs asked Campbell to either rule on their request for a temporary restraining order or reschedule the hearing for this week. In related news, the state has asked Campbell to consolidate the congressional candidates' suit with one from the ACLU, according to the Nashville Banner, and a three-judge state court panel has set May 21 as the first hearing date for a suit from the NAACP,  according to WKRN.

A Chattanooga nonprofit has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new congressional redistricting plan, alleging it unlawfully dilutes the voting power of minority and opposition-party voters, News Channel 9 reports. The suit from The I AM Foundation claims the map divides communities with shared political, cultural and economic interests into multiple districts, alleging violations of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, the 15th Amendment’s protections against racial discrimination in voting, and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. The I AM Foundation provides transitional and independent living options and community-based programming for youth in crisis. The complaint, the fourth to be brought against the state, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Unam Peter Oh, an assistant federal public defender in Memphis, will be honored with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) Claudia Jack Award. The award, which will be presented at the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville, is named for the late Claudia Jack, a long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged and a public defender in Maury County. Oh joined the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Memphis in 2014 after a career in private practice focused on corporate liability insurance. A graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, Oh began his legal career as a law clerk to Judge C. Lynwood Smith Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and then in the Public Defender’s Office in Northern Virginia.

Colleagues who nominated Oh noted his commitment to providing every client, regardless of their means, a sophisticated and tireless defense and said his work is characterized by a “boots-on-the-ground dedication” that far exceeds the traditional expectations of any counsel. “He frequently goes above and beyond by meeting his clients’ families in informal settings, most recently at a local Burger King, on his own time to provide updates, comfort, and ensure they feel heard.” Nominators also highlighted Oh’s impact on the profession as a mentor, investing hundreds of hours in the next generation of Tennessee’s legal community. In announcing Oh’s selection, TBA President and Knoxville lawyer Heidi Barcus said, “The TBA is honored to recognize the selfless service of Assistant Federal Public Defender Peter Oh. From his commitment to vigorously defend his clients, to his care for the families of those facing the justice system, to the mentoring of the next generation of lawyers, Peter embodies the values TBA seeks to promote through the Claudia Jack Award. We all are grateful for his example.” Read more in this press release from the TBA.

Police are investigating after gunfire was reported outside the Montgomery County Court Complex in Clarksville today. According to the Tennessean, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said the agency and the police department responded to the scene and secured it around 1:45 p.m. CDT. "There is no danger to the public," the sheriff's office wrote in a statement. The case will be investigated.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a First Amendment lawsuit, alleging a “startling pattern” of retaliation and harassment by Memphis Safe Task Force agents against residents in Memphis, the Tennessean reports. The lawsuit focuses on four Memphis residents who allege they were followed, threatened, harassed, “falsely” arrested and rushed with vehicles by task force agents after attempting to photograph or film agents’ activities. The suit also challenges Tennessee’s so-called “Halo” law, which restricts approaching law enforcement officers within 25 feet after being ordered to retreat. The suit argues the law is vague and has been used to suppress constitutionally protected activity. Defendants include federal and state officials connected to the task force. The suit seeks to halt the alleged retaliation and block enforcement of the Halo law. The task force has been operating in Memphis since 2025.

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian is urging Gov. Bill Lee to allow DNA and fingerprint testing for Tony Carruthers, Action News 5 reports. “Tennessee is about to execute Tony Carruthers without testing DNA and fingerprint evidence that could prove his innocence,” Kardashian said in a post on Instagram, according to the Commercial Appeal. Carruthers was convicted in a 1994 triple murder where three people were found buried in a Memphis graveyard. Advocates say unidentified forensic evidence at the scene could prove his innocence. Carruthers is set to be executed on May 21.

Gov. Bill Lee recently announced that Chief Legal Counsel Erin Merrick will leave the his office for the private sector in early July after more than seven years. Fox 17 reports that during her tenure, Merrick has aided in the selection of four Tennessee Supreme Court justices, as well as many appellate and trial judges across the state. “Since the early days of the Lee Administration, Erin has been an invaluable member of our team and a trusted advisor, offering wise counsel and steady leadership,” said Lee. Current Deputy Counsel Alexa Witcher has been named Merrick's successor.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law and its Black Law Students Association hosted the 2026 Julian Blackshear Jr. Scholarship Gala in March to celebrate access to legal education and the legal profession. Named for civil rights attorney Julian Blackshear Jr., one of the law school’s first Black graduates, the annual event supports scholarships for law students through contributions from alumni, faculty, staff and community partners. This year’s keynote speaker was Iké Adeyemi, senior vice president, chief legal officer and corporate secretary of Eastman Chemical Company, who spoke about leadership, resilience and using the law to create social change. The law school also posthumously presented the R.B.J. Campbelle Jr. Award to Knoxville attorney and civil rights advocate Rudolph V. McKamey, who was denied admission to the law school in 1948 because of his race. He later graduated from Howard University School of Law before building a career advocating for equality and justice in Knoxville. Read more and see photos from the event on the law school's website.

Temple University in Philadelphia on Friday announced that University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. has been named the Kean Family Dean of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. Brown will begin the role on Aug. 1. “The Beasley School of Law is one of Temple University’s strongest academic assets, and we are delighted to welcome Lonnie as its Kean Family Dean,” Temple President John Fry said. “This was a thorough and competitive search process, and Lonnie quickly emerged as the top candidate, given his extensive experience as both a leader and legal scholar." Brown has been the dean of Winston Law since 2022 and is the Elvin E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law and Haslam Family Professor. “I am deeply honored and humbled to have been selected as Kean Family Dean of the Beasley School of Law. The university and law school’s sincere commitment to student success, broad access, community engagement and overall excellence is palpable, and I could not be more excited about this amazing opportunity to contribute to those critically important objectives in the years ahead,” Brown said.