Knoxville attorney Stephen Ross Johnson has worked to reestablish the University of Tennessee College of Law Legal Clinic’s commitment to addressing wrongful convictions. In 2000, Johnson, a student at the time, was one of the founding members of an innocence project, which developed into the Innocence and Wrongful Convictions Clinic. In 2018, the clinic was temporarily shut down to develop the Tennessee Innocence Project (TIP), a statewide organization with a mission to exonerate individuals with innocence claims. Since TIP, now based in Nashville and Memphis, has thrived, Johnson is returning his focus on wrongful conviction work in East Tennessee and Appalachia. The new Wrongful Convictions Clinic will maintain a small caseload of clients referred by local courts, prosecutors, defense attorneys or through collaborations with innocence clinics nationwide. Johnson, a partner at Ritchie, Johnson & Stovall, has spent three decades defending criminal cases in state and federal courts nationwide. Read more in a press release from the law school.

Elizabeth Workman, assistant dean for career services at Vanderbilt Law School, has announced her intention to retire at the end of summer 2025 after holding the position for more than 25 years. Workman joined Vanderbilt Law in 1996 as director of the annual fund and became assistant dean for career services in 1999. As head of the Career Services Office, she developed strong relationships with alumni and hiring partners, creating programs to meet employer needs. She also launched the Public Service Pathways initiative, which generated opportunities for graduates to provide legal services to underserved populations across the country. “I cannot adequately express what an honor it has been to work in the Career Services Office ... To everyone here at Vanderbilt, I am truly, truly grateful.” Workman said in a press release from the law school.

The state House passed the governor’s immigration enforcement proposals yesterday after the state Senate did so on Wednesday, the Tennessean reports. The legislation (SB6002/HB6001) funds a $5 million office within the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, allowing Gov. Bill Lee to tap an enforcement director and incentivize local law enforcement entities to enter into a contract program with federal immigration authorities. The bill also establishes a new driver's license that distinguishes U.S. citizens from legal permanent residents. In addition, the bill establishes criminal penalties for local and state officials who adopt “sanctuary” policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement officials. WKRN has more on that proposal. Lee actively supported the measure and is expected to sign it into law. He released a statement late yesterday afternoon marking the end of the special session. One group already has indicated an intent to sue over the law; the ACLU of Tennessee is calling the criminal penalty provision “unconstitutional” and promising to challenge the law.

A second round of pardons from President Donald Trump includes 11 individuals convicted for blockading a Mt. Juliet abortion clinic. The Tennessean reports that the protestors had been convicted under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits obstruction, property damage or threats of force intended to interfere with access to reproductive health care. Prosecutors said the defendants passed out flyers, recorded video of their actions and refused to leave when asked. The president said the individuals should not have been prosecuted and noted that many were elderly. Going forward, prosecutions likely will be less common under a new Justice Department policy limiting application of the law to "extraordinary circumstances, or in cases presenting significant aggravating factors, such as death, serious bodily harm, or serious property damage."

West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS) has named Jackson lawyer and former TBA president Jonathan Steen as its new medical legal partnership director. Medical-legal partnerships focus on collaboration among lawyers, physicians, case managers and social workers to address structural barriers that impact health outcomes. Steen joins the nonprofit after more than 30 years of civil legal experience in both trial and appellate courts, most recently with Spragins, Barnett & Cobb PLC. While he was TBA president, Steen established a Medical-Legal Partnership Working Group as part of the TBA’s Access to Justice Committee. Of his new position, Steen says, “I look forward to serving the community through my new role at WTLS in developing and supporting medical-legal partnerships that integrate legal expertise into health care settings to improve the health of those in our community.” Read more in a release from the organization.

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner says the doors at the Shelby County Jail began failing in March 2024 and now the facility has 636 that need replacing. Buckner says the project will cost $6.2 million and take two years to complete, the Daily Memphian reports. The doors, which operate on a sliding mechanism, have failed repeatedly throughout the last year, leading to a rise in inmate-on-inmate assaults and assaults against jail staff according to Buckner. He also says that “inmates learned strategies on defeating the doors or taking the doors back offline,” including kicking the doors in certain spots to keep them off their rails. Repairs have started and crews will be working on two pods at a time. The sheriff’s office received funding for door repairs at least twice last year, most recently a $10 million tranche from the Shelby County Commission in September. Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. has repeatedly stated his desire for a new jail, which could cost upwards of $1 billion.

The University of Tennessee College of Law has awarded its Tom & Elizabeth Fox Faculty Award for Service to the Bench & Bar to assistant professor of law Sherley Cruz. The award recognizes a faculty member for significant contributions to the work of national and local bar associations and the judiciary. “Professor Cruz maintains a very close connection to the Bench and Bar,” said Dean Lonnie Brown. “She actively engages practicing lawyers and judges in providing essential pro bono legal services to underserved citizens in our community, while at the same time exposing her students to an unparalleled learning experience.” Cruz explained her drive saying, “My service to the bar is one way for me to give back. My expertise and research can help Tennesseans across the state by influencing the work of lawyers, advocates and community organizers.” Read more in a news release from the school.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Reporters Workshop. Sponsored by TBA’s Communications Law Section, the program will be held in person April 25-26 in Nashville. Organizers will select 15 print, online, television and/or radio journalists who want to develop a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting. Journalists interested in attending should apply before 5 p.m. CDT on March 11. Read more about the program and the application process. Tennessee lawyers are encouraged to share this opportunity with members of the media with whom they have relationships.

KPMG’s bid to become the first Big Four accounting firm to launch a law firm in the U.S. is on hold after the Arizona Supreme Court requested more information on its application to practice law in the state, Bloomberg Law reports. Earlier this month, KPMG Law U.S persuaded a court committee to recommend approval for the firm to practice law in Arizona. "The KPMG application remains under review," the court's communications director said in an email after the court met Tuesday to review the application. KPMG is seeking to launch a U.S. legal venture through Arizona’s alternative business structure program, which was created in 2021. The court did not provide specifics or a timeframe for a final decision. In related news, Reuters reports that the market for legal services outside traditional law firms has hit a record $28.5 billion, with law firm subsidiaries or affiliates claiming a growing share.

The city of Columbia has announced the swearing-in of Richard Matthews as its new city judge, according to Maury County Source. Matthews, a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, has served as a member and former board member of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and was inducted as a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation in 2016. "Judge Matthews is continuing a family tradition, becoming the third generation to serve in the judiciary. The City of Columbia looks forward to the leadership, integrity, and expertise he will bring to the role," the city tells the news outlet.