After denying a coalition of voters and congressional candidates a temporary restraining order against the new redistricting maps, federal Judge William L. Campbell also has declined to grant a temporary restraining order to a separate group of plaintiffs challenging the maps. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter,  Campbell wrote that the plaintiffs were unlikely to succeed on their first claim that the intent of the legislature was to discriminate against Black people in Memphis because “assessing a legislature’s intent is a "complex task" and “legislative action is entitled to a presumption of good faith.” He also was unwilling to conclude that the map constituted First Amendment retaliation against Black voters. The plaintiffs are still seeking a preliminary injunction against the map. As in the first case, Campbell expressed concern about “voter confusion in the face of ongoing litigation close to an election, regardless of the outcome of that litigation.” He concluded that voter confusion “counsels strongly against the issuance of an injunction.” Last week, all three cases against the maps currently pending in federal court were consolidated and assigned to Campbell.

Lance B. Bracy, a longtime leader in Tennessee legal ethics and a former chief disciplinary counsel for the Tennessee Supreme Court Board of Professional Responsibility, died May 20 at age 90. Bracy joined the board as disciplinary counsel in 1976 and was appointed chief disciplinary counsel in 1979, serving in that role until his retirement in 2007. During his tenure, Bracy helped draft and publish more than 140 formal ethics opinions, issued approximately 600 advisory ethics opinions and responded to more than 12,000 informal ethics inquiries from Tennessee attorneys. Bracy earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law. Before joining the board, he practiced law in Springfield for 11 years and served as assistant district attorney general for Robertson and Sumner counties. Bracy also taught as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University Law School and lectured at continuing legal education programs on professional responsibility. Visitation (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT) and a memorial service (1 p.m.) will be held June 6 at Anderson and Garrett Funeral Home, 3501 Old Clarksville Pike, Joelton 37080. Burial will follow at Oakwood United Methodist Church Cemetery, 1001 Old Pinnacle Rd., Joelton 37080. The funeral home has details.

Programming at TBA’s 2026 Convention kicks off June 11 at 9 a.m. EDT with Catherine Sanders Reach, director of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Center for Practice Management. Every legal tech vendor has an AI pitch, but is your firm actually ready to buy? Reach will cover how to audit current technology for gaps and redundancies, calculate real ROI on the tools already owned, and build a framework for evaluating new products. Reach has spent over two decades helping legal professionals integrate technology into their practices. She has been with the North Carolina Bar Association since 2018. She previously was director of the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center and director of law practice management and technology at the Chicago Bar Association. She currently is chair of the ABA Law Practice Division’s Professional Development Board. Check out all the CLE planned for Convention and register today! Can’t make the full convention? Day passes for Thursday’s Tech Showcase are available and include access to this CLE session.

TBA General, Solo & Small Firm Section members are invited to a section networking happy hour event at Noble's Central Nashville (2292 Rosa L Parks Blvd., Nashville 37228) on June 25 from 5-7 p.m. CDT. Have a drink (or two) on the TBA and meet fellow section members! Please RSVP here if possible, as it helps us track the expected number of guests. We hope to see you there!

TBA's Litigation Section last week hosted Perspectives from the Bench, a discussion with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Nashville School of Law Dean William Koch, who served on the Supreme Court from 2007-2014. Moderated by section members Hunter Branstetter and Todd Presnell, the panel discussed each justice's path to the bench, paying particular attention to the fact that the path is not always linear. Bivins and Koch encouraged attendees to be open to new opportunities and to embrace stepping outside their comfort zones. The group also discussed the importance of mentors, the manner in which the justices interact, the importance of the Rule of Law in society and more. See photos from the event.

Registration is now open for "Justice Without Lawyers: Working in Legal Deserts" on July 29 at 11 a.m. CDT.  This one-hour virtual program will explore the significant and growing challenges surrounding indigent representation and the increasing prevalence of legal deserts. A panel of judges and attorneys will examine the underlying causes of limited access to counsel, discuss practical strategies for expanding the availability of legal services — including through appointed representation — and consider emerging solutions being advanced by courts and the broader legal community. This free program also will address the professional responsibility and ethical considerations implicated in access-to-justice issues. One hour of dual CLE credit is available for a nominal fee.

Registration is now open for "Justice Without Lawyers: Working in Legal Deserts" on July 29 at 11 a.m. CDT.  This one-hour program will explore the significant and growing challenges surrounding indigent representation and the increasing prevalence of legal deserts. A panel of judges and attorneys will examine the underlying causes of limited access to counsel, discuss practical strategies for expanding the availability of legal services — including through appointed representation — and consider emerging solutions being advanced by courts and the broader legal community. This free program also will address the professional responsibility and ethical considerations implicated in access-to-justice issues. Dual CLE credit is available for a nominal fee. For more information and to register visit the TBA website.

May 18, 2026 - May 22, 2026

Father appeals the termination of his parental rights on grounds of abandonment by an incarcerated parent, persistent conditions, and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to assume custody. We affirm.

A federal judge on Tuesday declined to temporarily block Tennessee's newly redrawn congressional map, ruling that plaintiffs — several Black Memphis voters and organizations represented by the ACLU — had not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success in their claims that the map was racially discriminatory. The new map, passed during a special legislative session, eliminates the state's only majority-Black congressional district and would likely result in a 9-0 Republican House delegation. Plaintiffs argued the redraw was both racially motivated and poorly timed, coming amid active candidate filing deadlines ahead of an August primary. The judge acknowledged discrimination could have been a factor but stopped short of finding the legal bar met for emergency relief. The Hill reports that an appeal is expected. The same judge rejected an earlier temporary restraining order request from a group of Memphis congressional candidates.