President Donald Trump’s administration has rescinded the deployments of federalized National Guard troops in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon, but Tennessee National Guard members will remain in Memphis as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, the Daily Memphian reports. About 1,450 guardsmen were still stationed in Memphis as of Feb. 12, according to the news outlet. Unlike troops deployed under federal orders in other cities, the Memphis guardsmen are operating under Title 32 status and remain under the command of Gov. Bill Lee, though their service is federally funded. A White House spokesperson said there are no planned changes to the Memphis deployment, calling the task force’s work ongoing. The deployment is the subject of a legal challenge by local officials; a Nashville judge granted a temporary injunction but stayed the order pending appeal, with oral arguments scheduled for March 5.

Chancellor Chris Heagerty said he would not give preferential treatment to University of Tennessee (UT) quarterback Joey Aguilar during a preliminary injunction hearing at Knox County Chancery Court on Feb. 13. According to Knox News, Heagerty questioned Aguilar’s attorney on each point of the argument throughout the two-hour hearing as reporters watched closely. Aguilar won a short-term injunction for 15 days on Feb. 4. Heagerty said he will issue a ruling in “very short order.” If the injunction is granted, Aguilar would remain eligible and stay as UT's starting quarterback.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, is facing potential legal action after the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice sent a 60-day notice of intent to sue the company and its affiliate MZX Tech LLC on behalf of the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP and the national NAACP. The groups plan to allege violations of the Clean Air Act, according to the Commercial Appeal. The letter claims unpermitted turbines are being used to power xAI’s Colossus 2 data center in Memphis. The notice is a required first step before formal litigation can be filed. In June 2025, the Southern Environmental Law Center and the NAACP sent a similar notice of intent to sue over alleged violations at xAI’s Colossus data center on Paul R. Lowry Road.

The Washington County Bar Association has announced its 2026 officers and board members. Brady Smith will serve as president, followed by President-elect Akiah Highsmith, Vice President Hunter Shepard, Secretary Thomas J. Smith and Treasurer Jesse J. Campbell. New board members for 2026 are Jerome Cochran, Solange McDaniel and Sarah Larkin. In a message to members, the association expressed appreciation to incoming leaders for their willingness to serve.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) said building a new federal courthouse on Vine Street in Chattanooga could save taxpayers up to $117 million, the Chattanoogan.com reports. The agency confirmed it is moving forward with the site, citing security, expedited construction and overall risk considerations, as well as compliance with presidential memoranda, in selecting the location. The courthouse will total approximately 190,701 gross square feet and include seven secure courtrooms, nine chambers and 40 parking spaces. Design is underway, and construction-related activities are expected to begin soon. A declaration of taking was filed Friday. Read more from the GSA.

The TBA YLD has selected six fellows for its Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF) program. They are: Johnny Byrd, Rachel Carpenter, Laila Irigoyen and Alana Perez from Belmont University College of Law; Sarah Harper from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; and Savannah Beaty from University of Tennessee Winston College of Law. These law students will have the opportunity to spend six weeks of the summer as a judicial law clerk in a legal community in rural Tennessee. They also will attend the TBA's Annual Convention in June. Six judges will be paired with the students to help them gain practical legal experience and foster connections in underserved areas. Thank you to this year's participating judges: Circuit Court Judge Caleb Bayless in Columbia, Chancellor Jerri Bryant in Athens, General Sessions Judge Lee Bussart in Lewisburg, Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes in Dyersburg, Circuit Court Judge Blake Neill in Somerville, and Criminal Court Judge Zachary Walden in Jacksboro. Thanks also to YLD Middle Tennessee Governor Alix Rogers and YLD Secretary Judge Zack Walden who co-chair the Rural Judicial Fellowship program.

The TBA Leadership Law (TBALL) Class of 2026 met in Memphis on Thursday and Friday this week for its “Issues in Community Leadership” program. The class toured St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and were welcomed by Sara Hall, chief legal officer and general counsel at ALSAC, the fundraising organization for St. Jude. University of Memphis School of Law Professor Daniel Kiel and members of the Memphis 13 — the African American first-graders who integrated four all-white Memphis elementary schools in 1961 — shared their experiences with the class. The group also heard from Bruce McMullen of Baker Donelson and Van Turner of Turner Field Law. Additional highlights included a welcome from TBALL co-chairs Geoffrey Lewis and John Wilks, a Myers-Briggs leadership assessment led by Linda Bailey, a “Lunch & Learn” with Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby and a caucus with Justice Mary Wagner. An optional tour of the National Civil Rights Museum was also offered. See photos from the events.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said Tuesday that the state owes the county millions for housing state inmates at the Shelby County Penal Farm, claiming the unpaid costs contributed to the county’s budget deficit, Action News 5 reports. Harris said it cost nearly $30 million last year to house inmates and that money had to be drawn from the county’s general fund. Shelby County Division of Corrections currently has 959 Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) inmates. “Shelby County taxpayers are being asked to pay a bill that is not theirs,” Harris said, adding that if the state does not pay, the county could face a tax increase. County attorneys said negotiations with the state broke down in July 2024, and the TDOC has not paid for any inmates since. The news outlet said TDOC could not be reached for comment.

TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast is new this week with TBA attorneys and lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese. In this episode, they discuss the state of the legislature after Winter Storm Fern, bills being assigned to committees and the timeline for this year's legislative session. Tune in to the podcast on the TBA website or through this link.

A Metro Council resolution filed this week calls for the removal of Nashville Electric Service (NES) CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin after Winter Storm Fern left nearly 250,000 customers without power, the Nashville Post reports. The nonbinding measure, sponsored by Councilmembers Emily Benedict and Courtney Johnston, urges the NES Power Board to terminate Broyles-Aplin. Mayor Freddie O’Connell said during a news conference last week that he does not have unilateral authority to remove members of the NES board or the CEO, noting that responsibility rests with the Metro Council. O’Connell said the council will hold hearings and seek assistance from the Metro auditor, with initial findings expected within six months. The council is scheduled to consider the resolution Feb. 17.