January 26, 2026 - January 30, 2026.

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. pleaded guilty to five federal charges of tax evasion today. His trial was set to start in March. As part of the deal, Ford will resign his position on the commission and will never again run for elected office. Ford was charged last year with seven federal bribery and tax evasion charges related to an alleged scheme during which he awarded grant money to local nonprofits, which then, in turn, made purchases from his personal computer business. According to the Daily Memphian, Ford faces up to five years in prison on each charge. Sentencing will take place on June 12.

A federal judge will allow a group of taxpayers to intervene in a lawsuit from a Christian nonprofit seeking to open a religious charter school in Knox County. U.S. District Judge Charles Atchley Jr. last week granted a motion allowing a group of citizens to oppose the lawsuit from Wilberforce Academy, Knox News reports. The judge said the group’s motion is timely and of legal interest because the members oppose using tax dollars to support religion. Wilberforce is suing the board to obtain approval for a faith-based school in Cedar Bluff. The board argues that it cannot authorize a religious charter without a state waiver. It will meet Thursday to discuss a resolution asking the Tennessee Commissioner of Education to grant such a waiver.

Gov. Bill Lee will deliver his final State of the State address this evening before the Tennessee General Assembly beginning at 6 p.m. CST. According to a news release issued today, Lee will focus on education freedom, the work of the Memphis Safe Task Force, rural health, economic development and Tennessee’s Nuclear Fund. The address will be streamed live on the governor's official Facebook account and YouTube channel. Watch a preview on the governor's Facebook account.

The Human Artistry Campaign has announced the launch of its “Stealing Isn’t Innovation” campaign, backed by nearly 800 American creators, including actors, authors and musicians. Many Nashville artists have signed on in support, The Tennessean reports. The campaign calls for authorization and licensing agreements so artists can be compensated if their work is used to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. As generative AI evolves and competition grows, technology companies are accused of using copyrighted content to power AI models and boost profits. Without proper licensing, copying creative works is illegal and can financially harm artists, the group says. Last month, the Copyright Alliance reported more than 70 copyright infringement lawsuits by copyright owners against AI companies.

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on April 1 in a case testing President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to redefine birthright citizenship under the Constitution, Bloomberg Law reports. The order challenged the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which granted citizenship to nearly everyone born on U.S. soil. The order directed federal agencies not to recognize the citizenship of children born to mothers not legally in the country or here temporarily, and whose fathers were not citizens or lawful permanent residents at the time of the birth. The court will take up a U.S. Justice Department appeal of a lower court ruling that blocked the policy saying it violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment as well as federal law.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) announced it will offer free legal advice for veterans through clinics held throughout the year. The first clinic will take place Feb. 11 from noon to 2 p.m. EST at the Knox County Public Defender’s Office, WVLT reports. The clinics will provide legal advice, but wills will not be drafted. Veterans unable to attend in person may use a telephone clinic option and can preregister by calling Legal Aid of East Tennessee at 865-637-0484. Additional clinics are scheduled for April 8, June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14 and Dec. 9. Learn more from the KBA.

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. Each town hall will focus on specific issues outlined in the order, starting with a discussion about Alternative Education and Licensure Pathways on Feb. 10 at noon CST. Additional sessions will address Nonlawyer Ownership and Fee Sharing on Feb. 13 at 11 a.m., Paraprofessionals on Feb. 19 at noon,  ABA Accreditation on Feb. 23 at noon, and Interstate Mobility and Reciprocity on Feb. 26 at noon. All times are central time zone. 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.

The TBA will host its 30th Annual Labor & Employment Law Forum on May 1 in Nashville, featuring a full-day program focused on key workplace and regulatory issues facing employers and practitioners. The forum, scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT at the Tennessee Bankers Association, will include sessions on return-to-the-workplace challenges, Federal Trade Commission noncompetes and trade secrets, wage and hour issues, and ethics topics addressing sexual harassment and assault. Attendees may earn up to five general and one dual CLE hours. Participants will include Maha Ayesh of Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, Heather Collins of HMC Civil Rights Law, Jason Ensley of Forward Air Corp., John Edwin Gerth of Epstein Becker Green and Greg Grisham of Fisher & Phillips. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website. 

More than 400 people charged with driving under the influence in 2024 after being pulled over by Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) troopers had bloodwork that tested negative for drugs and alcohol, the Daily Memphian reports. The report shows that 419 of 16,883 DUI-related blood samples submitted to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) crime labs last year — about 2.5% — detected no intoxicants. TBI officials said negative toxicology results do not necessarily mean a driver was unimpaired, noting some substances may not be detected. THP Col. Matt Perry told lawmakers the arrests were legal and based on observed signs of impairment, not quotas. The issue gained legislative attention after a high-profile Giles County arrest that was later dismissed, leading to a 2025 law requiring TBI to publicly report data on these cases.