Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Duncan School of Law welcomed Knox County Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty as its commencement speaker during the law school’s graduation ceremony on May 7 in Knoxville. According to KnoxTNToday, the graduating class included 105 graduates, marking it the largest graduating class in the school's history. Outgoing Student Bar Association President AbbyGrace Rowe of Medina, Ohio, was chosen by classmates to serve as the student speaker. Twelve graduates also earned master's degrees through one of LMU's dual-degree programs.

Each year the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) recognizes outstanding service by attorneys, law students and legal advocates who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. This year, TBA will honor these award recipients at the 2026 Public Service Breakfast set for June 11 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville. One of those awards, the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award, will be presented to Nashville lawyer Garrah Carter-Mason with Bass, Berry & Sims PLC. Carter-Mason will be recognized for her work on behalf of Darrell Davis, who was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in April 2022 and sentenced to life without parole. Read more in TBA's press release.

Each year the TBA recognizes outstanding service by attorneys, law students and legal advocates who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to increasing access to justice for underserved individuals and communities in Tennessee. This year, TBA will honor public service award recipients at the 2026 Public Service Breakfast set for June 11 as part of the TBA’s Annual Convention in Knoxville.

The TBA’s 2026 Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award will be presented to Nashville lawyer Garrah Carter-Mason with Bass, Berry & Sims for her work on behalf of a man wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder in 2022. Over three years, she worked more than a thousand pro bono hours on the case. Her efforts led to a new trial, during which a jury found her client not guilty on all charges, leading to his release from prison. The 2026 Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year Award will be presented to Jennifer Egelston, a staff attorney in the Knoxville office of Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET). Egelston was selected for her work on several complicated family law cases and her efforts to educate other lawyers about Abrial’s Law, which gives courts new tools to protect parents and children from abusive caregivers. The 2026 Law Student of the Year Award will be presented to Sierra Sidoti, a student at the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. Sidoti will be recognized for her work as a pro bono law clerk in the Knoxville office of LAET. During a prolonged staffing gap in 2025, Sidoti helped maintain continuity of pro bono services and train the staff member who ultimately was hired to fill the role. Finally, the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will present the 2026 CASA Volunteer of the Year to Tracy Farmer who serves with Williamson County CASA. Farmer will be recognized for her longevity of service, extraordinary commitment to serve Tennessee children and mentorship of new volunteers. Read more about each award recipient at the links above.

The grandmother of a man who died while incarcerated at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center has filed a federal lawsuit against the county. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, Joseph Adam Denton died in May 2025 after choking on a chicken meal while in custody. The lawsuit states Denton had previously had all of his teeth removed and had requested a soft diet before his incarceration. The complaint alleges other inmates attempted to alert guards and medical staff when Denton began choking and claims jail personnel failed to intervene until after he lost consciousness, briefly regained consciousness and later went into cardiac arrest. The lawsuit alleges violations of Denton’s constitutional rights and Tennessee law and seeks $5 million in damages.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker recently heard arguments over the constitutionality of Tennessee’s 2024 bail law, which prohibits judicial commissioners from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail, the Daily Memphian reports. The lawsuit, filed by Just City and the American Civil Liberties Union, argues the law unfairly keeps low-income defendants jailed before trial because they cannot afford release. Plaintiffs contend the law removes critical judicial discretion and creates wealth-based detention, while attorneys for the state and Shelby County argued the statute remains constitutional because judges may still consider a defendant’s financial condition when assessing bail. Parker did not immediately rule and said he would issue a written decision at a later date.

Gov. Bill Lee and legislative leaders have named their appointments to a nine-member oversight board that will review operations of Memphis schools. The move comes after the state legislature approved legislation establishing the board, which will operate through 2030. Lee named businessman Tyrone Burroughs, education professional Dorsey Hopson, UT Board of Trustees member Shanea McKinney, Tennessee Board of Regents member Nisha Powers and former National Civil Rights Museum President Beverly Robertson. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally appointed Memphis attorney Dedrick Brittenum Jr. and businessman Billy Orgel. House Speaker Cameron Sexton selected just one of his appointees: David Mansouri, the president and CEO of the education organization SCORE. The Daily Memphian reports on the selections.

Death row inmate Tony Carruthers’ attorneys are criticizing the qualifications of the doctor who participated in his failed execution on May 21 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution. The Tennessean reports that Mark Walton Fowler is a family medicine doctor in Union City. He has an active Tennessee medical license but does not have hospital privileges. Fowler previously said he had not performed a central line procedure since 2013. Carruthers reportedly was pierced more than 12 times in an attempt to access his veins. Prison officials called off the procedure and Gov. Bill Lee granted Carruthers a one-year reprieve from execution. Fowler has participated in at least two other executions: Oscar Smith in May 2025 and Byron Black in August 2025. A lawsuit challenging the state’s execution protocols is scheduled to go to trial in February 2027.

Tennessee has filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court challenging an effort by Colorado local governments to wield Colorado state tort law to control energy policy nationwide. Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti announced that the case, Suncor Energy (U.S.A.) Inc. v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, raises significant constitutional questions about the authority of a single state to regulate conduct occurring entirely in other states. In the brief, Tennessee argues that the Constitution protects each state’s territorial sovereignty and prohibits one state from imposing its policy preferences beyond its own borders. Tennessee warns that allowing Boulder’s lawsuit to proceed would permit individual states to effectively dictate national energy and environmental policy for the entire country. Read more in a news release.

A watchdog group has filed a complaint with the New York Bar against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for his role in the government’s case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the Campaign for Government Accountability accuses Blanche of violating ethics rules in bringing human smuggling charges against Abrego Garcia. A federal judge in Nashville last week determined that prosecution of the man — who previously was deported and then brought back to the United States after alleging wrongful removal — was vindictive. A Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson called the allegations “baseless” and said the department would be appealing the dismissal of criminal charges. The group also says it shared the complaint with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, questioning the role then-Acting U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire played in the prosecution.

A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Washington, D.C., based law firm Wiley Rein of failing to detect a cyberattack, which gave hackers access to sensitive consumer data that was stolen and sold on the dark web. According to Bloomberg Law, hackers gained access to the firm’s systems for eight months as early as July 2024, but Wiley Rein did not discover the breach until June 2025 and waited until March 2026 to notify victims. Florida resident Derrick Burkett is suing the firm for negligence, breach of third-party contract, unjust enrichment and invasion of privacy on behalf of himself and similarly situated individuals. Burkett says he has had at least 19 fraudulent charges on his MetLife estate account due to the breach.