The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 27 issued an order seeking comments on a proposal to amend Supreme Court Rule 21. The changes, requested by the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE), would combine Sections 6 and 7 of the rule and revise the applicable deadlines and fee structures related to attorney noncompliance with annual CLE requirements. The deadline for submitting comments is July 21. Comments should reference docket number No. ADM2026-00693 and be sent to Clerk of the Appellate Courts, 401 Seventh Ave. N., Ste. 321, Nashville, TN 37219-1407 or be emailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. View the proposed changes in the attachments to the court’s order.

The 2026 Convention CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit, including a presentation from Tara Cheever, co-founder and chief product officer of LIT SOFTWARE. Since 2010, Cheever has helped lead the design and development of technologies to serve litigators, focusing on practical, accessible technology that supports legal professionals in trial preparation, case analysis and courtroom presentation. Her applications are used by a broad range of legal organizations, including solo practitioners, large law firms, corporate legal departments, prosecutors, public defenders and government agencies. The software also is incorporated into legal education programs at law schools throughout the country. Cheever’s presentation in Knoxville will focus on using technology to transform the way litigators prepare, organize and present their cases from managing discovery to preparing depositions, presenting evidence and collaborating with co-counsel. Learn more about the convention and register here. Can’t make the full convention? Day passes for Thursday’s Tech Showcase are available and include access to this CLE session.

A watchdog group has filed a complaint with the New York Bar against Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche for his role in the government’s case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the Campaign for Government Accountability accuses Blanche of violating ethics rules in bringing human smuggling charges against Abrego Garcia. A federal judge in Nashville last week determined that prosecution of the man — who previously was deported and then brought back to the United States after alleging wrongful removal — was vindictive. A Department of Justice (DOJ) spokesperson called the allegations “baseless” and said the department would be appealing the dismissal of criminal charges. The group also says it shared the complaint with the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, questioning the role then-Acting U.S. Attorney Rob McGuire played in the prosecution.

Memphis lawyer Ronald D. “Ronnie” Krelstein died Feb. 10 at the age of 83. Krelstein earned his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School and returned to Memphis where he established a 58-year legal career, first as the city's police legal adviser and then at his own law firm as a criminal defense attorney. Long-time legal friend and colleague, Richard Glassman, recalled that Krelstein loved trying lawsuits and loved the company of other lawyers. "Ronnie was an addict of the law. He was the No. 1 authority on contempt of court and always impressed judges with his legal knowledge." Krelstein was a member of Temple Israel and the Lawyers Journal Club of Memphis. He also was a frequent contributor to TBA Talk, the TBA’s group mailing list software that allows members to share knowledge and experiences with each other. The family asks that memorial donations be made to The Savior Foundation — a charitable agency for animals — or a charity of the donor's choice.

A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Washington, D.C., based law firm Wiley Rein of failing to detect a cyberattack, which gave hackers access to sensitive consumer data that was stolen and sold on the dark web. According to Bloomberg Law, hackers gained access to the firm’s systems for eight months as early as July 2024, but Wiley Rein did not discover the breach until June 2025 and waited until March 2026 to notify victims. Florida resident Derrick Burkett is suing the firm for negligence, breach of third-party contract, unjust enrichment and invasion of privacy on behalf of himself and similarly situated individuals. Burkett says he has had at least 19 fraudulent charges on his MetLife estate account due to the breach.

The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently voted to allow law schools to count graduates who complete alternative pathways to licensure toward the minimum graduation rate needed for accreditation. The ABA Journal reports that the council’s Standards Committee recommended modernizing Standard 316. Council member Mary Lu Bilek said it was important to align the standard with what is happening across the country, where some states — including Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah — have or are considering alternatives to the bar exam. The move follows a 2025 report by the Committee on Legal Education and Admissions Reform, which found that innovative pathways such as supervised practice could help address access to justice and practice readiness.

The TBA International Law Section's annual forum — set for tomorrow in TBA's newly renovated CLE classroom — will provide an overview of the trade and investment landscape as it concerns Tennessee in 2026 and beyond. Programming will focus on Tennessee's foreign direct investment, global health perspectives and partnerships, international financing, global sales and supply chains, and more. Participants will have the opportunity for direct interactive discussions with speakers, and the chance to network, learn about best practices and chart a path to increase capacity for internationalization. Get more information and register here.

Tennessee is home to hundreds of breathtaking waterfalls, many tucked throughout the scenic Cumberland Plateau and the Appalachian Mountains, where winding trails and lush landscapes lead to unforgettable views. Beyond the beauty, these outdoor escapes offer a natural way to stay active and fit while enjoying fresh air, peaceful surroundings and clarity of mind — whether you’re hiking solo for quiet reflection or making memories with others along the trail. During the summer months, waterfall hikes also offer a refreshing alternative to indoor workouts, as shaded trails, cool river gorges and mist from cascading falls can feel noticeably cooler than open sunny areas. Many spots even feature swimming holes perfect for cooling off after the climb. So get out, work out and cool down while experiencing some of Tennessee’s most scenic natural wonders. For more information see Tennessee Waterfalls That Are Worth the Hike. For more information on accessible waterfalls in middle Tennessee look at Waterfalls for All.

KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge. The year was 1997, and George Bernard (“Bernie”) Worrell, Jr., stood on stage at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Parliament-Funkadelic’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Acceptance Speech | 1997 Induction, YouTube (June 15, 2020), https://youtu.be/EmOmNz5Ak-g. He was there for his induction as part of the pioneering funk group Parliament-Funkadelic (“P-Funk”). Although Worrell left P- Funk in the early 1980s, he played a central role in its rise, working as a composer, arranger, “keyboardist of astonishing ability,” and “one of a writing team of three . . . behind ‘hit after hit in the heyday of P-Funk.’” R. 133-3 (Exner Report ¶ 24) (Page ID #3568) (citation modified). Smiling to the side during Worrell’s remarks was the band’s charismatic leader, George Clinton, decked out in a gilt robe and frizzy white wig, sunglasses resting on his forehead. Beneath the surface of this celebration, which honored one of the 1970s’ most groundbreaking and enduringly influential musical acts, lay a long-running and unresolved dispute. Clinton’s and Worrell’s musical synergies never translated into a smooth or simple legal relationship. Quite the opposite. Their decade of collaboration is littered with informal and contested agreements, including a purported 1976 contract (“1976 Agreement”) granting Thang, Inc. (Clinton’s company) full ownership of sound recordings that Worrell worked on, in exchange for royalties. On top of that, Clinton and Thang were allegedly not in the habit of paying Worrell, under the 1976 Agreement or otherwise. As Worrell’s wife Judie put it: Clinton “was busy hauling in the funky dollar bills and NOT sharing with those who made the MUSIC possible.” R. 134-12 (Judie Worrell Blog at 5) (Page ID #4199). Worrell died in 2016. In 2019, his estate (the “Estate,” which is the plaintiff here) sued Thang in New York state court for breach of contract, a claim that Thang successfully defended on the ground that Worrell lacked a countersigned copy of the 1976 Agreement. In 2022, the Estate changed tack and sued in federal court, seeking a declaration of its joint ownership of recordings Worrell created with P-Funk and, in turn, an accounting of royalties due. Clinton and Thang moved for summary judgment, arguing that the statute of limitations on the Estate’s copyright claims had long since run. The district court agreed and entered judgment in the defendants’ favor. This is not a contract case, as the Estate’s contract claims under the 1976 Agreement were decided in the New York court. Notwithstanding the 1976 Agreement’s invalidity, which is now res judicata, the Agreement remains the focus of the Estate’s statute-of-limitations argument. Worrell, the Estate argues, justifiably understood that the Agreement, not federal copyright law, governed his recordings with P-Funk. Accordingly, the Estate insists, Worrell’s ownership rights under copyright law were not plainly and expressly repudiated until 2020 when Clinton and Thang denied the Agreement’s validity, at which point the copyright-ownership claims accrued. We agree with the Estate that genuine disputes of material fact preclude judgment as a matter of law. Viewing the case’s highly unusual facts in the light most favorable to the Estate, part of Worrell’s copyright-ownership claim is timely. We therefore REVERSE the district court’s judgment and REMAND for further proceedings.

NALBANDIAN, Circuit Judge. In Michigan, counties follow a years-long process when foreclosing on properties to satisfy property tax liens. In the third and final year of this process, a court enters a foreclosure judgment against the property. Then, the property owner must pay off the tax lien before the judgment’s deadline or else the county receives title to the property. Once the county has title, the former owner loses all rights to the property except the right to the foreclosure sale’s proceeds. But the county takes a cut, which includes the tax deficiency, interest, fees, a 5% sales commission, and the county’s expenses. This case involves the interaction between that process and the United States Bankruptcy Code. Carrie Ann Reinhardt owned a house in Bay County, Michigan. In 2019, she didn’t pay her property taxes, so Bay County initiated foreclosure. When a Michigan court entered a foreclosure judgment against the property three years later, Reinhardt owed the county $5,845 and the property’s fair market value was roughly $75,000. Bay County received title to Reinhardt’s property. And shortly after, Reinhardt filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy and then filed a complaint seeking to avoid (undo) the transfer of title as preferential under the Code. The bankruptcy court granted the Bay County Treasurer’s summary-judgment motion and denied Reinhardt’s. The district court affirmed. But because we find that Reinhardt established that the transfer was preferential under 11 U.S.C. § 547(b)(4) and § 547(b)(5) as a matter of law, we reverse.