Brentwood-based nonprofit Compassion Legal and the Nashville law firm of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison have filed an amicus brief in a federal appellate case challenging Tennessee laws that limit speech about reproductive health care options in other states, the Nashville Banner reports. The brief urges the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to affirm a district court ruling that speech about health care available in other states is constitutionally protected, even when the care is not legal in a person’s state of residence. “If states are allowed to criminalize speech about reproductive health care options available in other states, they could just as easily criminalize speech about end-of-life health care options, such as medical aid in dying, available in other states,” Veronica Darling, director of litigation at Compassion Legal, said in a news release. Sherrard Roe is representing Compassion Legal pro bono.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general in urging congressional leadership to pass the Kids Online Safety Act. In a letter sent to House and Senate leaders ahead of potential consideration of the House version of the bill, the attorneys general warned that the proposal could undermine existing and future state laws aimed at protecting children online and limit states’ ability to address emerging digital harms. The coalition expressed support for the Senate version of the legislation, which includes a duty-of-care requirement and preserves states’ authority to enforce and strengthen protections for minors. “Congress should not tie the hands of state lawmakers and law enforcement who are actively working to protect children from addictive and harmful online design features,” Skrmetti said in a news release.

Most criminal cases prosecuted by the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office in 2025 involved misdemeanor charges, according to the office’s annual report released Tuesday. Misdemeanor cases accounted for 65.2% of the office’s criminal caseload, compared with 34.8% for felony cases. The office handled 24,186 misdemeanor cases and 12,900 felony cases, the Daily Memphian reports. In total, the office handled 123,705 cases, including matters in county traffic, environmental and juvenile courts. Major violent crime — including murder, rape and aggravated assault — fell 27.6% in Memphis last year compared with 2024. Of the violent felony cases prosecuted by the office, 41.3% were aggravated assaults, followed by single-digit percentages for murders, rapes and robberies.

A news item in yesterday's issue of TBA Today included the wrong link for Friday's virtual town hall meeting. The event this week will focus on non-lawyer ownership and fee sharing. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. The event is part of TBA's ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession. Additional town halls will be held on Feb. 19, 23 and 26. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending any of these events.

Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews Jr. deals with young people who most consider “troubled.” His own life was profoundly changed by violence when his younger brother was shot and killed in a drug deal gone bad. As such, a keen understanding of the fine line that separates the “troubled” from others shapes his approach to the job. Matthews was recently named co-chair of a new Community Safety Task Force, which brings together leaders and community members from across the city of Nashville and gives him a different avenue to pursue the work that has shaped his adult life. Learn more about his plans for the role in this interview with the Nashville Banner.

The state Senate Judiciary Committee approved two of Gov. Bill Lee's recent judicial nominations: Kyle Hixson of Knoxville to replace retiring Justice Holly Kirby on the Tennessee Supreme Court and Madison County Chancellor Steven Maroney to replace Judge Kenny Armstrong on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, according to a TBA representative who attended the meeting. The nominations still must be considered by the full Senate and House. The meeting also included a budget review for the Administrative Office of the Courts and the state Attorney General's Office. In related news, Lee’s choice for another open position on the Court of Appeals has withdrawn from consideration. The Tennessee Journal reports that Rachel Park Hurt, who would have replaced retiring Judge D. Michael Swiney, withdrew after Republican legislators raised questions about her past support of Democratic political candidates. Hurt, a partner with the Knoxville law firm of Arnett, Baker, Draper and Hagood and president of the Knoxville Bar Association, was nominated by Lee on Jan. 22. The committee did not consider her nomination.

All four law firms fighting President Donald Trump’s executive orders will make their arguments against the directives on the same day now that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has consolidated the cases, Bloomberg Law reports. The firms — Perkins Coie, Jenner & Block, WilmerHale and Susman Godfrey — did win their request to file separate response briefs. They argued they needed to make separate arguments because their cases involve different facts and laws. The firms will brief the court from March 6 to April 10 prior to making oral arguments. All four won injunctions against the orders last year. The U.S. Justice Department is appealing those decisions.

Kirkland & Ellis, the world’s largest law firm by revenue, announced it is opening an office in Nashville. “Nashville offers an ideal environment for our continued growth by enhancing our ability to attract exceptional legal talent in a vibrant and growing city with talented lawyers and a strong law school community,” said Jon A. Ballis, chair of the firm’s executive committee. “We’re excited to open our doors in the Music City with a terrific group of lawyers across our litigation and transactional practice areas.” The office opens with four litigation partners — Tara Blake, Matt Smith, Paul Rosenblatt and Travis Swearingen, who will focus on complex commercial disputes, class actions, product liability and mass tort matters. The Nashville Business Journal looks at their backgrounds. A number of additional partners and associates also have joined the office with more to be added. The office location has not yet been announced.

As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force will host a series of virtual town halls this month. Friday's event will start at noon CDT and focus on non-lawyer ownership and fee sharing. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

Lumen Flats, a new apartment complex in Knoxville, is the first in the U.S. designed specifically for youth aging out of foster care. According to Knox News, the apartments provide 18 studio units and access to mental health therapy and case management through a partnership with Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services. The development, created by Nashville-based firm Elmington in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation, allows residents to use Foster Youth to Independence vouchers, which are often difficult to apply in traditional rental settings. In Tennessee, 70-80% of young adults leave foster care without a support system. Residents ages 18 to 24 can live at Lumen Flats for up to three years. Plans are in place to expand the model to Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga.