On Feb. 1, Memphis-based Farris Bobango will combine with New Orleans-based Phelps Dunbar and operate under the Phelps Dunbar name, the Memphis Business Journal reports. In addition to Louisiana, Phelps has more than 400 lawyers in 15 cities in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and Texas, and overseas in London. Farris Bobango will continue to provide clients assistance with mergers and acquisitions, government relations and tax incentive financing, as well as environmental, construction, and commercial litigation matters. The combined firms will bring cybersecurity, intellectual property and health care legal practice to Memphis. Read more in a press release from the firms.

Law School Admission Council Inc. (LSAC) President Kellye Testy will step down this summer to become executive director of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), Reuters reports. The move follows the retirement of Judy Areen, who served as AALS’ executive director for the last decade. Testy has led LSAC since 2017 and overseen a number of key changes to the law school admission test.

The TBA will be closed Monday in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The office will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. CST. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs and for staff contact information.

For the first time, women made up the majority of associates at U.S. law firms last year, according to National Association for Law Placement. In a major shift, new figures show that more women — 50.3% — were employed as associates at U.S. law firms than men in 2023. The number of women enrolled in U.S. law schools overtook men eight years ago, and that gap has widened over time. Nearly 56% of law students currently enrolled at American Bar Association-accredited law schools are women. The ABA Journal reports on the development. In related news, another study found that women are slightly more likely to be identified as a general counsel’s successor than men, especially at non-profits and private companies. Read more about that study from executive search firm Barker Gilmore.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has filed an unredacted copy of a lawsuit filed in October 2023 against Meta Platforms Inc., the company formerly known as Facebook. The lawsuit alleges the company’s Instagram platform causes mental health harms to its young users. “The unredacted complaint makes clear that Meta knew its platforms were hurting kids and made a very clear decision to choose money over the mental health of its young users,” Skrmetti said of the filing.

The U.S. Justice Department is issuing new guidance to police to ensure more care and accountability in specialized law enforcement teams like the Memphis Police Department's (MPD) SCORPION unit. NPR reports that one year after Tyre Nichols' death, federal officials are calling for mayors and police chiefs to assess whether specialized units are necessary to solve community problems, to take care that members assigned to such units have clean work and disciplinary histories, and to ensure that members are properly supervised. In related news, a Memphis City Council committee Tuesday split 7-6 in a non-binding vote calling for the replacement of MPD Chief Cerelyn "CJ" Davis. New Memphis Mayor Paul Young has stated publicly that he supports Davis' reappointment, but acknowledged that he would make a change if she does not produce the results the city needs.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a hot topic in law, and the TBA is creating a new AI Task Force to educate and provide guidance to Tennessee lawyers on issues surrounding this technology. Some of the goals of the task force will be to help inform lawyers about the proper use of AI in the substantive practice of law, the potential risks of using AI, and the beneficial use of AI in the administrative practice of law. The group also will review AI tools and contribute new information to the TBA's online practice management resources. If you are interested in participating in this new task force, please email TBA Coordinator Chelsea Bennett before Jan. 31.

The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY) on Monday released the “State of the Child in Tennessee 2023” report. The report provides a comprehensive look at the lives and deaths of Tennessee’s children and the economic and social forces that shape their childhoods, from poverty to educational achievement, access to health care and housing. With regard to childhood deaths, the Tennessee Lookout reports that Tennessee has one of the highest overall rates of child homicide in the nation and ranks even higher for the rate of kids killed by guns. Read highlights from the report.

Nashville-based law firm Thompson Burton has acquired Huntsville's Maples Law Firm and opened its first out-of-state office. The acquisition adds two attorneys to Thompson Burton’s existing 39 attorneys and a third office to its current spaces in Nashville and Franklin, reports the Nashville Business Journal. The joining of the two firms grows Thompson Burton’s existing bankruptcy and distress practice and expands services to existing clients for both firms in the rapidly growing North Alabama area.

Gov. Bill Lee is planning to unveil proposed legislation that addresses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the music industry, reports the Nashville Business Journal. While current state law protects image and likeness, new protections would be more tailored to audio according to the Journal. Lee’s plan would update current law to include protections for songwriters', performers' and music industry professionals’ voices from the misuse of AI. A full announcement is expected Wednesday.