Five Nashville-area nonprofits behind the Eviction Right to Counsel (ERTC) program jointly announced this week that they have secured a $2.4 million allocation in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget recommendation. ERTC is aimed at providing outreach, education and legal aid to qualifying low-income renters facing eviction — the first program of its kind in Middle Tennessee to do so. ERTC is a partnership among nonprofits Legal Aid Society, Nashville Hispanic Bar Association, American Muslim Advisory Council, Rooftop Nashville and Nashville Conflict Resolution Center. The groups recently announced that the program has generated a total financial return of $5.10 for every dollar invested since its launch in July 2022. All low-income Davidson County residents are eligible for the program’s services. Anyone facing eviction who meets eligibility requirements will be provided legal assistance as resources permit. Read more a joint press release from the groups.

The director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and the chair of the judiciary’s budget committee recently wrote a letter to leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee to express “significant concerns” about the judiciary’s ability to keep courthouses safe under current resource levels, reports Bloomberg News. The letter notes that the judiciary’s court security budget has been flat for two consecutive fiscal years and that another year at the same level will cause “further reductions to courthouse security” — including to equipment used to restrict certain areas and screen individuals entering courthouses — at a time when threats against federal judges and courthouses are escalating. A report from Reuters found that the families of at least 11 federal judges also have faced threats of violence or harassment. The Trump administration’s choice to lead the U.S. Marshals said in his confirmation hearing that judicial security is his top priority and pledged to seek more resources to protect judges, if needed.

Officials are moving forward with plans for a new federal courthouse in Chattanooga at the Vine Street location, despite city and Hamilton County officials favoring a different site that is not for sale. According to Chattanoogan.com, Mayors Tim Kelly and Weston Wamp said they would prefer the new courthouse be built at the vacant TVA office building site on Broad Street. TVA is currently seeking a new use for the property. The proposed project on Vine Street would replace the nearly 100-year-old Joel W. Solomon Federal Building and accommodate for 40 parking spaces, seven courtrooms and nine chambers. Construction on the new courthouse is scheduled to begin in 2027, with an opening projected for 2030.

CoreCivic has been ordered to pay nearly $28 million after an attack at one of its prisons. Inmate Nathaniel Lake was severely beaten at Crossroads Correctional Center in Montana in 2018. He sued, claiming the attack could have been prevented with more adequate staffing and training for its employees. A federal jury ruled that CoreCivic failed to protect Lake from harm and awarded him a $27.75 million verdict. Brentwood-based CoreCivic said it disagrees with the decision, according to The Tennessean. "We respectfully disagree with this decision, don't believe it reflects the facts of the case, and will appeal it on several legal grounds," CoreCivic spokesperson Ryan Gustin said in a statement. The company has 30 days to file an appeal.

Several drivers in South Nashville were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday night. ICE, working with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), made around 150 traffic stops, detained an unknown number of people, and transported some to out-of-state immigration centers, according to the Nashville Banner. Between 40 and 100 individuals — some drivers and some passengers — were brought to an ICE field office off Brick Church Pike. THP said the operation targeted “areas with a history of serious traffic crashes and suspected gang activity” and led to “a few” warrant-related arrests. The Nashville Mayor’s Office told WPLN News that the Metro Nashville Police Department was not involved in the enforcement action.

A Knoxville man sentenced to life in prison at age 16 is asking a criminal court judge for early release, arguing he was sentenced under a now-overturned law. In 2022, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life sentences for minors constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” and violate the 8th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Almeer Nance, now 46, was tried and sentenced as an adult for a 1996 homicide though he did not pull the trigger. His attorneys are asking the judge to consolidate his sentences into a single term, which would make him eligible for parole. They also contend that Nance’s positive record while incarcerated and the evolving legal standards should weigh in his favor. Assistant Knox County District Attorney TaKisha Fitzgerald opposes the effort, arguing that Nance should continue serving his sentence. Nance will have to wait until July for Sanchez’s decision, Knox News reports. The judge said he needs more time to review the arguments before issuing a decision.

A Washington, D.C, federal judge late Friday struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm of Perkins Coie, Bloomberg Law reports. The decision from Judge Beryl Howell bars executive branch agencies from enforcing “any portion” of the March 6 executive order, calling it an unconstitutional violation of clients’ right to pick their own counsel and the firm’s due process protections. She also called the order “an unprecedented attack” on the “foundational principles” of the American judicial system. Perkins Coie was the first of four law firms to sue after being the subject of executive orders. In March, Howell imposed a temporary restraining order on parts of the executive order, but Friday’s ruling found the entire executive order to be null and void.

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. in Brownsville, Texas, last week blocked the Trump administration from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport alleged gang members, according to Bloomberg Law. The move applies only to detainees in the Southern District of Texas. In the opinion, Rodriguez found that the administration exceeded the scope of the act by using it to deport alleged Venezuelan gang members while the U.S. is not being invaded by a foreign force. Read the opinion. In related news, the administration last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow it to deport 600,000 Venezuelans. That effort seeks to lift a California-based federal judge’s ruling that the administration did not follow proper procedure in ending temporary protected status (TPS) for the group. The Hill has more on that story.

Federal Public Defender Dumaka Shabazz will be honored next month with the Tennessee Bar Association’s (TBA) 2025 Claudia Jack Award. Named for the late Claudia Jack, a long-time champion of the poor and underprivileged and a public defender in Maury County, the award is presented to an outstanding public defender or court-appointed private practitioner who serves the legal community and clients in an exemplary fashion. Shabazz, who works in the Middle District of Tennessee, is being honored for his many contributions to the legal profession, both in Tennessee and on the national stage. In announcing the award, TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. said, “Dumaka Shabazz embodies the unwavering dedication to justice envisioned by the Claudia Jack Award. His work on behalf of clients, his dedication to mentoring the next generation of public defenders, and his commitment to serving the community make him a deserving recipient for this year’s award. His commitment and dedication mirrors Claudia’s.” The award will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention in Franklin on June 13 during the Lawyers’ Luncheon. Read more in the TBA’s press release.

The TBA YLD returned to Belmont University College of Law in Nashville for its second trial college. This year's program covered a range of litigation topics including building your trial notebook, direct and cross examination, planning and presenting evidence, opening statements and closing arguments. It concluded with a panel of experienced judges designed to provide insights from the judicial perspective. TBA YLD CLE Chair Samantha Ellis served as host and moderator. See photos from event.