Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti on Friday filed a brief in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that the federal district court correctly rejected NetChoice’s demand for emergency relief from Tennessee’s Protecting Children from Social Media Act. The law requires social media companies to verify a new user’s age; obtain parental consent before allowing minors to create accounts; and allow parents to supervise, modify and deactivate their child’s account. NetChoice, a trade organization that represents tech giants like Google, Meta, Pinterest, Snapchat and X, sued Tennessee in October 2024 seeking to enjoin the act’s basic protections. Read more in a press release from the AG's office.

Enrollment is now open for the Tennessee Bar Association’s BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee group health insurance plan, available exclusively to TBA members. The plan offers guaranteed issue coverage with no health questions or pre-existing condition exclusions and may deliver savings compared to your current health plan. Don’t wait! Enroll today and give your firm the benefits it deserves. Watch this Q&A with Buck Orrison with TBA Member Insurance Solutions to get answers to your questions about coverage in the coming year. Not part of a group? TBA also offers a dedicated health plan for solo attorneys.

The TBA’s Animal Law Section held its annual forum at the Nashville Zoo, where attendees heard from experts on issues affecting veterinary clinics, equine concerns, conservation, sensitive habitat development, case law updates, ethics and more. Participants also had the chance to explore the zoo during lunch and meet some of its residents, including a skunk, tamandua, hairy armadillos and rhinos. Attendees also learned about the blue-tongued skink and observed him running amok in the CLE room. See photos from the event.

Utah has joined a growing number of states allowing law school graduates to practice law without taking or passing the traditional bar exam. The Utah Supreme Court last week approved a program permitting graduates of American Bar Association-accredited law schools to obtain licenses after completing 240 hours of supervised legal practice and meeting other requirements. Graduates may still choose to sit for the bar exam. According to Reuters, the program aims to reduce the financial and logistical burdens of exam preparation while ensuring new lawyers gain practical experience. Oregon, Washington and Arizona have adopted similar alternative pathways to licensure.

Former Tennessee Govs. Bill Haslam and Phil Bredesen emphasized the need for civil discourse and bipartisan cooperation during a Sept. 30 policy forum hosted by ThinkTennessee at the Music City Center in Nashville. Haslam and Bresden, who co-host the podcast “You Might Be Right,” discussed the importance of compromise in policymaking and reflected on lessons from their time in office, crediting the state’s progress in education to sustained collaboration across administrations. According to the Nashville Post, both also highlighted the key role of local governments in economic development. The event brought together state and local leaders from government, business and nonprofit sectors for discussions on housing, workforce development, transportation and childcare. Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, who recently was appointed deputy governor also participated in the forum.

Gov. Bill Lee last week announced that applications are being accepted for two grant funds totaling $175 million to strengthen downtown public safety and support local law enforcement in reducing violent crime. Local jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies may apply for funding from the $75 million Violent Crime Intervention Fund and the new $100 million Downtown Public Safety Grant Fund. Both funds were included in the governor’s 2026 budget proposal and approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. The intervention fund supports local law enforcement efforts to develop and implement strategies to reduce violent crime and improve public safety infrastructure. The downtown fund was established to increase public safety, reduce blight, enhance economic development infrastructure and curb crime in downtown business and commercial areas. Eligible agencies should have received application instructions by Oct. 3 and may apply through Oct. 24.

The Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) currently has three vacancies on its board of delegates and is seeking dedicated leaders to fill the positions. Available roles include a representative from Knoxville, a representative from the SL Hutchins National Bar Association (NBA) chapter in Chattanooga and a law professor delegate. For the Chattanooga and law professor delegate seats, nominees must be members of their local NBA affiliate. There is no affiliate in Knoxville so the requirement does not apply for that role. Learn more at tablawyers.org or contact Chicoya Smith for more information.

The federal judiciary can continue “paid operations” through Oct. 17 if the government shutdown continues, two weeks longer than initially projected, a judiciary official said Wednesday. According to Bloomberg Law, employees will remain fully paid while working during that period, but if the shutdown extends past Oct. 17, the judiciary will exhaust its remaining funds and limit operations. Federal courts across the U.S. are preparing for slower dockets and reduced administrative work if funding runs out. Court calendars are expected to slow as the Justice Department asks to pause certain civil cases while lawyers are furloughed. Criminal cases, in which defendants have constitutional rights, will be prioritized if funding lapses.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller visited Memphis on Wednesday to discuss state and federal law enforcement presence in the city with law enforcement leaders, the Daily Memphian reports. Bondi told officers that the Trump administration wants “cops to be cops again,” while Miller pledged “zero tolerance” for gang and drug activity. Hegseth said President Donald Trump is closely monitoring the effort, which will soon include National Guard deployments and hundreds of Tennessee Highway Patrol state troopers. Trump signed a presidential memorandum Sept. 15 announcing the Memphis task force, which has since taken shape on the ground. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, released a letter he has sent to Bondi and Hegseth that said, in part, “I still have many questions about how the Memphis Safety Task Force will work, the priorities of federal law enforcement and the mission of National Guard troops,” he wrote. “Many of the terms and structures of President Trump’s ... [m]emorandum ... remain undefined.”

Vanderbilt University in Nashville and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro ranked in the top 20 on a national list of more than 250 schools for their policies upholding the First Amendment, according to The Tennessean. Vanderbilt rose from 140th last year to 7th place after a series of campus protests led to the arrests of four students and one reporter. MTSU debuted on the list at 15. The University of Tennessee at Knoxville ranked 36th, and the University of Memphis ranked 128th.