The Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) has launched a new monthly initiative, “Community Volunteers Day,” aimed at providing members with regular opportunities to give back to local nonprofits while fostering connection within the legal community. According to Chattanoogan.com, the inaugural March event was held at Siskin Children’s Institute, where volunteers assisted in painting a room with magnetic paint to create a therapeutic and engaging space for children. Participants included attorneys and staff from several local firms, and association leaders said the effort reflects a broader commitment to community service and member engagement. The next volunteer day is scheduled for April 14 at 8:30 a.m. CDT at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Hamilton County in Chattanooga, where participants will tour the facility and kick off a snack and stuffed animal drive to support children receiving services. Organizers are asking volunteers to bring one stuffed animal and one box of individually wrapped snacks. Read more on the CBA website.

Former U.S. Attorney General (AG) John Ashcroft spoke during a March 31 event at Lipscomb University where he stressed leadership, faith and liberty. According to the Nashville Post, his appearance was part of the Fred Gray Lectureship’s 2025-26 Presidential Signature Series, which also included a panel discussion discussion moderated by Lipscomb President Candice McQueen with Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti and attorney Mark Lanier. Ashcroft, who served as U.S. attorney general from 2001 to 2005, called liberty “the core value of the universe” and “the character of the United States.” Skrmetti spoke about how his faith informs his work and emphasized the importance of adhering to constitutional limits on government power.

The list of those applicants who achieved a passing score on the February 2026 Uniform Bar Examination in Tennessee will be released April 9 by the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners. Results will be posted by the board by 2 p.m. CDT and will be available on the TBA website as soon as they are released. 

President Donald Trump announced today that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi would leave the administration and move to “a much needed and important job in the private sector.” Trump called Bondi “a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend” and applauded her work driving down crime. Bondi’s deputy, Todd Blanche, was named acting attorney general. Blanche is a former New York prosecutor and white-collar defense attorney who was a partner at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft before joining the president’s legal team. He defended Trump against criminal charges related to payments to an adult film star and against the now-defunct election subversion and classified documents prosecutions brought by a former Justice Department special counsel. The Hill has more on his career.

Women incarcerated at the Women’s Therapeutic Residential Center in West Tennessee are suing Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner (TDOC) Frank Strada for allegedly confiscating tablets that contained their digital property, family photos and messages from loved ones. According to the Nashville Banner, the suit accuses TDOC of promoting and profiting from a program offering the women the ability to purchase music and games on tablets where they also could receive emails and photos from loved ones. After launching the program, the department then allegedly confiscated the devices and replaced them with new tablets from another company. The suit was filed by national civil rights attorneys Thomas B. Harvey and Dami Animashaun, along with Nashville-based Kyle Mothershead with Relentless Advocacy.

According to WBBJ 7 News, Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins has issued an order assigning four judges to preside over civil and criminal cases in Madison County General Sessions Court, Division 1, for Judge Mark Patey. The judges are 26th Judicial District Circuit Court Judges Donald Allen, Kyle Atkins and Joseph Howell and Senior Judge Roy Morgan. According to the order, the assignment will run through Aug. 31 and was issued to address the “judge’s reported abdication of his duty to hold regular, prompt dockets and adjudicate cases in a timely matter.” Bivins writes in the order that the situation has caused concern about the constitutional and statutory rights of litigants and strains on local resources.

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) suit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at several law firms is moving forward after a federal judge rejected a Justice Department’s (DOJ) motion to dismiss the case. According to Bloomberg News, Judge Amir Ali ruled that the ABA plausibly alleged “a realistic threat of sanctions to establish its standing” and that the organization sufficiently argued that executive orders against certain firms and deals with others have chilled free speech. The DOJ has argued that the ABA does not have standing to bring the suit. The case is American Bar Association v. Executive Office of the President.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has named nine members — three judges and six practicing attorneys — to the new Office of the Appointed Counsel Commission (OACC). Created under Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 56, the commission and Executive Director Joe Byrd are tasked with ensuring effective legal representation by appointed private counsel for individuals who cannot afford an attorney in criminal defense and child welfare cases. “The Court appreciates the members’ willingness to serve at this early stage,” said Chief Justice Jeff Bivins. “Assisting in establishing the Appointed Counsel Commission will require significant time and commitment.” New members named are 1st Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Lisa Rice, 20th Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Jim Todd, retired Shelby County Juvenile Court Magistrate Judge Terre Fratesi, and attorneys Loretta Cravens and Joshua Hedrick of Knoxville, Lowe Finney of Martin, David Grimmett of Franklin, Mark Messler of Memphis, and Emily Wright of Livingston. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez has alleged in federal court that her recent arrest by federal immigration authorities was retaliation for her reporting on local enforcement activities, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Rodríguez was arrested March 4 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and released March 19 on bond. In a declaration filed this week, Rodríguez said ICE officials appeared aware of her work covering immigration enforcement in Middle Tennessee. She also described what she characterized as abusive and retaliatory treatment during her detention, including isolation and denial of access to counsel. Her legal team has filed a federal lawsuit alleging her arrest was unconstitutional and seeking to block any further enforcement actions against her. Government attorneys have argued those claims should be dismissed, questioning whether such constitutional protections apply in her case.

On March 24, Barry Steelman, senior judge of criminal court, swore in Curtis L. Bowe III as judge of the City of Collegedale. Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) Board President Keith Grant presented Bowe with his robe. See photos from the CBA. Bowe will serve as city judge until the next election in 2030. He was selected as the new judge in March after the death of Judge Kevin Wilson in December 2025.