More than a dozen lawyers were in Davidson County Chancery Court on Monday expecting a hearing on whether the Tennessee Star should be held in contempt for publishing leaked documents related to the Covenant School shooting. Instead, according to the Nashville Banner, lawyers on both sides argued that issues around the leak and subsequent publication should not delay a ruling on the underlying case of whether the Covenant documents are subject to Tennessee’s Open Records Act. Chancellor I’Ashea Myles indicated that a decision on that question is imminent. She also revealed that she had an opinion ready to release on June 14 when she learned about the Star’s coverage.

Attorneys general from 19 Democratic-led states have pledged to help defend the American Bar Association’s (ABA) requirement that law schools advance diversity goals. The move comes after a coalition of Republican-led states, including Tennessee, questioned the ABA accreditation standard earlier this month, Reuters reports. The Democratic group argues that the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling curtailing the consideration of race in college admissions does not extend into ABA policies or corporate diversity programs. The ABA previously announced it is revising its diversity standard and could adopt changes as early as August.

A new Tennessee law, which goes into effect July 1, authorizes the state to pursue capital punishment when an adult is convicted of aggravated rape of a child, reports WREG. Gov. Bill Lee signed the law in May without issuing a statement. Lee told reporters Tuesday that he did not sign the bill hoping it would be “tested” in court. Instead, he said crimes against children are “some of the most heinous that there are.” Opponents worry that the law may keep child rape victims from speaking out knowing their testimony could potentially result in an execution, especially since many children are abused by family members and close friends.

Attorneys for Zachary Adams, the man convicted in 2017 of murdering nursing student Holly Bobo, on Friday made arguments to a Savannah judge as part of an attempt by Adams to receive a new trial. The Associated Press reports that Adams requested a new trial based on statements made by Jason Autry, a key trial witness who earlier this year recanted the testimony that helped a jury convict Adams. The new filing, known as a coram nobis petition, says Autry is recanting his testimony to avoid spending life in prison. For the petition to be successful, Adams must prove that he is presenting new evidence, which must be supported by sworn affidavits.

Deans at four of Tennessee's law schools, along with more than 100 deans from law schools across the country, have signed a letter released by the American Bar Association (ABA) Task Force for American Democracy concerning the training necessary for the next generation of lawyers to sustain constitutional democracy and the rule of law. The letter affirms the deans' commitment to preparing the next generation of legal advocates to uphold these values and urges students to champion the Constitution and the rule of law through avenues such as clinical work, public education and advocacy. The deans also commit to teach students to disagree respectfully, be open to others’ arguments and engage across partisan and ideological divides. Read more in a press release from the ABA.

Eastern District of Arkansas U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall Jr. on Friday ruled that a lawsuit challenging federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions lacks standing. The suit was filed in April by 17 states and led by the attorneys general of Arkansas and Tennessee against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The Associated Press reports that the suit argued the additional regulations go beyond the scope of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a 2022 law requiring many employers to make “reasonable accommodations” for pregnant or postpartum employees.

Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson has dismissed the lawsuit attempting to oust Wanda Halbert as Shelby County clerk, the Daily Memphian reports. Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp, who was appointed as special prosecutor in the investigation into the allegations against Halbert, filed the suit in May. Halbert's petition to dismiss said the allegations were "simple negligence," not "willful neglect." Wamp said the cause for dismissal is the first of its kind in the state of Tennessee, and reiterated her findings during the investigation, saying her office discovered both willful neglect and plain incompetence, according to the Commercial Appeal.

Nashville lawyer Lorne Hiller has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Larry Dean Wilks Leadership Award. Hiller was chosen for the award by fellow members of the Tennessee Bar Association’s 2024 Leadership Law class and was honored during the group’s graduation ceremonies in Memphis last week. He is the 12th recipient of the award. Hiller and his Leadership Law classmates have spent the last six months learning about leadership in the legal profession, issues in the courts, policymaking in state government and the importance of community service. The class of 35 attorneys completed the program this month. Read more about Hiller and the Wilks Award in this press release.

During its first meeting of the new bar year last Friday, the TBA Board of Governors selected two lawyers to fill vacancies that occurred when no election petitions were filed for the seats this past spring. Franklin trial attorney David Veile, who recently won the Republican primary for the 21st Judicial District Circuit Court, will serve as middle Tennessee governor. Germantown lawyer Cheryl White Patterson with the Carpenter Law Firm will serve as west Tennessee governor. Both will serve a term of one year. Veile is a graduate of Nashville School of Law and a former Metro Nashville Police officer. He has been active with the TBA, serving on the board previously and holding a range of positions on the Young Lawyers Division Board, including as president from 2012-2013. Patterson graduated from Harvard Law School and has focused her practice on public finance and compliance, serving as vice president and general counsel for Memphis Light, Gas & Water from 2008-2023.

A panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a bid by President Joe Biden's administration to revive its directive that schools allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms and join sports teams that align with their gender, Reuters reports. Friday’s 2-1 ruling found that the U.S. Department of Education did not follow proper procedure when it imposed new legal duties on public schools. It also rejected the administration’s arguments that the states lacked standing to sue, saying the guidance exposes states to lawsuits and loss of federal funding, which is sufficient to provide standing. The panel did not address the underlying question of whether a federal law banning sex discrimination in education extends to LGBTQ students.