A federal judicial panel last week approved a rule change designed to help make judges aware of situations when they must recuse themselves from cases. Reuters reports that the U.S. Judicial Conference's Committee on Rules of ‌Practice and Procedure approved a final rule designed to address concerns that judges were not being adequately informed that they might have a potential financial interest that would warrant ​recusal. The panel endorsed amending Rule 7.1 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure to ​require parties in a lawsuit to disclose directly or indirect ⁠ownership by a publicly held business organization or parent entity with a 10% or more stake. The proposal was prompted in part by concerns that judges were not always aware of ownership structures involving large corporations. The rule change now moves to the Judicial Conference of the United States for review before consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress. If approved, the amendment would take effect Dec. 1, 2027.

A lawsuit filed Friday filed Friday in Davidson County Circuit Court alleges that a fire in a downtown parking garage last June resulted from negligence by the Nashville Downtown Partnership, the Nashville Banner reports. The suit, brought by Metro Nashville's insurer, Travelers, claims the Nashville Downtown Partnership and one of its contractors used the garage to store combustible materials and allowed employees to smoke inside the facility. The suit seeks more than $10 million in damages. In a statement, the Nashville Downtown Partnership said it was aware of the filing but could not comment on pending litigation. The garage, which is owned by Metro Nashville and operated by the Nashville Downtown Partnership, remains closed as a result of the fire. Travelers is represented by attorney Gail Vaughn Ashworth of Wiseman Ashworth Law Group.

Renew your TBA membership online today to avoid receiving the final print membership dues statement. Attorneys not participating in the TBA's firm billing program can log in and renew through their MyTBA dashboard. Questions about member benefits? Reach out to membership@tnbar.org.

Several states are weighing an American Bar Association (ABA) led push to encourage attorneys handling intellectually disabled and elderly clients to consider alternatives to legal guardianships, Bloomberg Law reports. The ABA House of Delegates approved revisions to Model Rule 1.14 earlier this year, updating guidance for lawyers representing clients with limited decision-making abilities amid concerns that guardianship has too often become a default solution. Supporters of the changes say they could help address longstanding problems in the guardianship system, including inadequate oversight and instances of abuse, while others argue that ethics rule revisions alone are unlikely to curb exploitation in the system. Michigan is already moving to adopt the revised language, and bar officials in several other states are exploring similar changes.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law (Winston Law) has selected the inaugural Frank Winston Public Interest and Business Law Fellows. Winston Law’s signature scholarship program is designed to attract exceptional students committed to serving the public good in the areas of public interest law and business law. Made possible through a transformational gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, fellows receive full tuition and fees, a generous annual stipend, summer internship funding, faculty mentorship, research opportunities, personalized career advising and access to a variety of academic professional development programming. “The Winston Fellows program is modeled after other notable, longstanding scholarship programs such as Emory’s Robert W. Woodruff Scholars and Fellows Program and NYU’s Root-Tilden-Kern Scholars Program,” noted Winston Law Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. Read more in a press release from the law school.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a class action lawsuit in federal court challenging Section 1 of HB1704, which makes it a Class A misdemeanor for noncitizens to remain in Tennessee within 90 days of a final removal order, according to NewsChannel 5 Nashville. The law will go into effect July 1, and a Class A misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of 11 months and 29 days in jail and a maximum fine of $2,500. The suit asks the court to prevent the state from enforcing Section 1 of the bill and to declare it unlawful, and names Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long and several district attorneys as defendants. The filing alleges that hundreds or thousands of individuals could face arrest, detention and prosecution if the law takes effect.

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners on June 1 delayed a vote on an $18 million funding proposal intended to settle a lawsuit filed by Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner against the administration of Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, according to the Daily Memphian. The proposed settlement would cover overtime costs and other expenses for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office during the current fiscal year. Commissioners postponed action until June 15 after county officials said they needed additional time to review potential compromises regarding the funding. The dispute centers on overtime expenditures, with county officials differing on whether the funding should be considered a one-time allocation or could affect future budget obligations under state maintenance-of-effort requirements.

Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands (LAS) announced the launch of "Legal Aid in Action," a new weekly podcast. Hosted by Dean Hinton, a senior attorney with LAS, the podcast will feature staff members and community partners discussing common legal issues affecting Middle Tennessee residents. The first episode features LAS Executive Director DarKenya Waller. Future episodes will address topics including debt, orders of protection, Tennessee's Safe at Home program, the organization's Volunteer Lawyers Program, trauma-informed care and resources for domestic violence survivors. The podcast will be available on major platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. More information is available at their website and social media channels.

The 6th Circuit Judicial Council is accepting applications for a bankruptcy judge position in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga following the retirement of Judge Shelley D. Rucker in 2024. The position carries a 14-year term, with the possibility of reappointment in accordance with Judicial Conference regulations and 6th Circuit Judicial Council procedures. Additional information and application materials are available online. The deadline to apply is June 23.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law hosted a reception honoring Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly M. Kirby ahead of her retirement at the end of June. Kirby earned her law degree from Memphis Law in 1982. The event — held in the law school's Gordon Ball Reading Room — was co-sponsored by the Memphis Bar Association and Burch, Porter & Johnson and brought together members of the legal community to celebrate Kirby's years of service on the bench. See photos from the event.