Among the more than 200 new Tennessee laws taking effect on July 1 are two that address penalties for specific crimes, reports the Tennessean. One law increases criminal penalties for bullying and cyberbullying offenses to align more closely with harassment offenses. It also requires law enforcement to make an official incident report and inform parents or guardians of minor victims. Another new law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty in criminal cases of child rape by an adult. This law may face a court challenge, as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to sentence a defendant to death for a non-homicide crime in 2008. 

Federal judges in Kansas and Missouri this week blocked much of the Biden administration’s recent effort to ease student loan repayment burdens for millions of borrowers, the Associated Press reports. The new program would have gone into effect on July 1. Kansas-based Judge Daniel Crabtree did allow one part of the program to go forward, namely a provision allowing students who borrowed $12,000 or less to have the rest of their loans forgiven if they make 10 years’ worth of payments, instead of the standard 25. Missouri-based Judge John Ross ruled that the U.S. Department of Education cannot forgive loan balances going forward, but it can lower monthly payments. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the president’s first attempt at a forgiveness plan saying the department had exceeded the authority granted by Congress.

Law school applications from minority students are up this year, Reuters reports. The number of Hispanic applicants is up 8.9% compared with the same time last year, while Black applicants are up 6.7%, and Asian applicants are up 6.1%. White applicants posted the smallest year-over-year increase at 3.1%, according to data from the Law School Admission Council. Though some legal educators feared that the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision striking down the consideration of race in college admissions would dissuade diverse would-be lawyers from applying, that does not appear to have happened. This year’s numbers continue a trend toward greater diversity in law school classes. Law schools enrolled their most diverse first-year classes on record each of the past three years.

The investigation into an attempted foreclosure sale of Graceland will continue under federal law enforcement after the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office conducted an initial probe and determined the matter was best suited for federal review. “We have faith in our federal partners and know they will handle this appropriately," director of communications for the Tennessee Attorney General's Office Amy Lannom Wilhite said in a statement. In May, Naussany Investments filed three foreclosure notices against the historic Memphis property, but the effort was halted by Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins. Someone associated with the company eventually claimed publicly that had it dropped the case and announced it had been operating a scam. The Commercial Appeal recaps the situation.

In the latest move to oust Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, has established a hotline for Memphians to call and share their experiences dealing with the local prosecutor. According to Local Memphis, Taylor said that if any of the information received is relevant, it “will be shared with the legal counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee for inclusion in the ouster resolution.” Earlier this month, Taylor said he plans to file a resolution immediately following the November election that would require Mulroy’s removal.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Task Force on Law and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has released the results of its AI and Legal Education Survey, a compilation of insights gathered from law school administrators and faculty regarding the integration of artificial intelligence into legal education. “The survey suggests that AI is already having a significant impact on legal education and is likely to result in additional changes in the years ahead. With a majority of responding law schools offering dedicated AI courses and providing opportunities for students to engage with AI tools, it is evident that legal education is evolving to meet the demands of a profession increasingly shaped by technological advancements,” the authors write. Read the full report.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is accepting nominations for its three annual Access to Justice Awards: Janice M. Holder Award, B. Riney Green Award and New Advocate of the Year Award. Nominations and any supporting documents must be submitted by July 10. The awards will be presented at the Equal Justice University (EJU) Conference. Learn more about the awards process. EJU 2024 will take place Aug. 28-30 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. Learn more about the conference or start the registration process.

State Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, and attorney Rachel Welty have filed suit against Middle Tennessee district attorneys general to stop enforcement of a new state law that makes it illegal for adults to help minors obtain an abortion out of state without parental consent. The law was signed by Gov. Bill Lee in May and goes into effect July 1. According to the Nashville Post, the pair argue that the law infringes on the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment right to free speech. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. District attorneys named include Glenn Funk, Bryant C. Dunaway, Jason Lawson, Jennings H. Jones, Robert J. Carter, Ray Whitley, Robert J. Nash, Stacey Edmonson, Brent Cooper, Ray Crouch and Hans Schwendimann.

Christopher Crider, vice chair of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission resigned earlier this month after repeatedly making insensitive remarks in meetings, seemingly disparaging different ethnic groups, the LGBTQ+ community and others, the Nashville Banner reports. Crider was an appointed member of the commission and was named vice chair in December. During a human resources investigation this spring, he admitted to making comments about different groups during meetings, but denied they were meant to discriminate. The investigation results were forwarded to the governor’s office, but Crider resigned a week later. As mayor of Milan, Crider settled a suit from a former employee who said he used a racially derogative term to describe a diverse neighborhood.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy is pushing back on criticism of the work he is doing, Action News 5 reports. In his weekly newsletter, Mulroy emphasized his commitment to public safety, noting that his office prosecutes over 3,000 violent cases every year. He also offered to meet with anyone who has concerns. “Meanwhile, we’ll continue to do the actual work,” he wrote. In the last few weeks, Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis. announced he would file a resolution to remove Mulroy from office and Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announced support for that effort. Asked about the situation in Memphis, Gov. Bill Lee said, “We have to make sure the legal system in Shelby County is doing ... its job and taking offenders off the street. We have a real serious crime problem there.”