The 2026 William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award will be presented to Memphis attorney and former TBA President Buck Lewis next month at the TBA’s Annual Convention. The award, given by the Fellows of the TBA Young Lawyers Division, is named for former Attorney General William M. Leech Jr. It is presented each year to a Tennessee lawyer who has been of outstanding service to the profession, the legal system and their community. In announcing the award, Fellows President and Memphis lawyer Mason Wilson said, “Buck Lewis represents the best of the Tennessee legal community. From his bar association service to promoting legal services for those who cannot afford a lawyer, and now his work developing leadership qualities in Tennessee law students, he embodies the ideals of the William M. Leech Jr. Public Service Award.” Lewis will be presented with the award on June 12 at the Lawyers Luncheon.

Lewis is a shareholder at Baker Donelson and leads the firm’s Appellate Group. He also is the Larry Wilks Distinguished Practitioner in Residence at the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law and co-founder of the newly renamed Pamela Reeves Institute for Professional Leadership. Lewis has focused his career on promoting access to justice initiatives in Tennessee and across the country. He is a past chair of the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission and the ABA Pro Bono and Public Service Committee, and was instrumental in launching Tennessee Free Legal Answers and taking the project nationwide through ABA Free Legal Answers. Most recently, Lewis founded and provided initial funding for the Justice Frank F. Drowota Trust to support organizations providing legal services to low-income individuals in the state. He also led fundraising efforts, raising $500,000 in direct donations and $2.5 million in bequests. Read more about his career in this press release from the TBA.

Members of the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) and TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) held a networking mixer in Memphis. The event was sponsored by and held at the offices of Burch Porter & Johnson. See photos from the event. TABL and YLD members in Knoxville should be on the lookout for a networking mixer coming to that city soon.

Today is Law Day! During its celebration earlier this week, the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) presented the 2026 Law & Liberty Award to Caitlin A. Torney. Torney, director of career services and alumni relations at Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, previously served as pro bono coordinator for Legal Aid of East Tennessee, where she expanded pro bono services and helped strengthen partnerships within the local legal community during her five-year tenure. She was recognized for her efforts to expand access to justice initiatives serving veterans, small business owners and victims of natural disasters, as well as her work with the KBA Access to Justice Committee. A graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law, Torney has practiced in both North Carolina and Tennessee. KBA President Rachel Hurt said in a press release that Torney exemplifies the award’s purpose of honoring those who demonstrate an abiding respect for the rule of law and work to improve the legal system for all. See photos from Wednesday's event.

This week brings the final installment of the Legislative Updates podcast for the regular session of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. TBA lobbyists and attorneys Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC and Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese discuss the 2026 legislative session winding down, the possibility of a special session to redistrict the state's congressional map and a look forward to the 2026 election cycle. Tune in on the TBA website or through this link. Attorneys interested in supporting the TBA’s lobbying efforts may do so by contributing to LAWPAC. Late Friday afternoon, Gov. Bill Lee officially called for a special legislative session to review the state's congressional map. Read more in a press release.

An investiture ceremony and reception for U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee Luke A. Evans will take place May 14 at 3:30 p.m. CDT. The ceremony will be held at the Ceremonial Courtroom 6B, United States District Court, 719 Church St., Nashville 37203. A reception will follow. View the invitation. Read more in a release from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

On Wednesday, three individual plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) and the troopers who falsely arrested them for driving under the influence on the highways surrounding Nashville during the summer of 2025. In the complaint, each plaintiff offered a detailed account of their interactions with THP, their arrest and its aftermath. According to the Nashville Banner, each say they were subjected to field sobriety tests and denied or not offered breathalyzer tests before being taken into custody and required to post bond. THP was previously the focus of an investigation for arresting drivers who later tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis will remain a party to the civil lawsuit filed by Tyré Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, according to the Commercial Appeal. In an order filed April 24, the court denied a request from Wells’ attorneys to remove Davis from the case, an effort tied to maintaining a November trial date. Attorneys for Davis, who also represent the city of Memphis, argued the proposed voluntary dismissal sought to preempt her appeal of the denial of qualified immunity. They said Davis instead seeks dismissal on the merits, which they contend would clear her of liability in the case.

The TBA today filed comments with the Tennessee Supreme Court on potential regulatory reform of the state’s legal profession. The comments respond to the court’s call for feedback on seven potential regulatory reforms to increase access to legal representation while also ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. Over the past seven months, the TBA has provided a range of opportunities for members of the legal community to share their thoughts on these possible changes. In announcing the filing of TBA’s comments, President Heidi Barcus thanked all those who participated. “The TBA is grateful for the thoughtful and insightful feedback shared by lawyers across the state during this process. Whether through emails to the TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform Task Force, submissions to TBA’s survey or attendance at six virtual town hall meetings, your input greatly assisted the task force and Board of Governors in developing the comments that were filed today.” Read the TBA's comments or learn more about the issues under consideration.

Nashville lawyers Erik Halvorson and J. Hunter Robinson, both with Bradley, will receive the TBA's prestigious Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing on June 12 during the association's Annual Convention in Knoxville. The award, which will be presented at the Lawyers Luncheon, was established more than 40 years ago and is given each year to the lawyer who writes the most outstanding article published in the Tennessee Bar Journal for the preceding year. Halvorson and Robinson are being honored for their article One Domino Falls: Tennessee Supreme Court Reshapes Foreclosure Claims, which appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of the Journal.

In announcing the selection of Halvorson and Robinson, TBA President Heidi Barcus. said, “This winning article took a complex ruling from the Tennessee Supreme Court and, in straightforward and concise language, explained the consequences for both mortgage-related and non-mortgage-related litigation in Tennessee. This is the kind of writing the Joe Henry Award was created to recognize.” The award is named for Joseph W. Henry, a former chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, who was known for his forthright and clear writing. Read more in a press release from the TBA.

U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges on lower courts may need to disclose contributions from law firms, bar associations and former clients to fund receptions or celebrations in their honor under newly adopted ethics guidance. Reuters reports that the new requirements, which took effect last month, are detailed in a report from the U.S. Judicial Conference. The rules apply to events such as investitures, retirements or portrait unveiling ceremonies. Disclosures should be made if the judge otherwise would have paid for all or part of the event's costs, and even if the judge would not have paid for the costs, in certain situations depending on the judge's involvement in the event.