The Justice Frank F. Drowota Trust, a charitable fund dedicated to providing supplemental financial support to direct providers of civil legal services, has announced five grant recipients for 2025. This year’s awards highlight organizations that continue to advance justice for low-income Tennesseans through advocacy, representation and community outreach. Recipients are: Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, West Tennessee Legal Services, Community Legal Center (CLC) and the Tennessee Justice Center. The trust also announced the launch of its website, DrowotaTrust.com. The site serves as a comprehensive resource, offering information about the mission, history and purpose of the trust, as well as profiles of Trustees Buck Lewis, Sharon Lee and Claire Drowota, news updates, and a secure link for donations. To discuss donations from a bequest, RMD from retirement accounts or other form of gift contact Lewis at blewis@bakerdonelson.com.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Dec. 23 deported Diego Hernandez Garcia of Maryville to El Salvador in violation of an order from U.S. District Judge Clifton Corker. Hernandez Garcia was returned to the U.S. late that same day. Knox News reports that the judge had ordered ICE to keep Hernandez Garcia in the U.S. until the court decides whether he was legally shielded from deportation when he was arrested Dec. 11. Corker originally ruled Dec. 12 that Hernandez Garcia must be released immediately until a hearing could be held Dec. 18 on his case. He reversed his decision hours later after federal authorities told him Hernandez Garcia's protection from removal — called deferred action — had been revoked Dec. 11, the same date as his arrest.

Sheriff Austin Garrett last week announced the launch of a new Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program at the Hamilton County Jail & Detention Center. "This joint initiative follows more than two years of collaborative planning between the Sheriff’s Office and key partners, including Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp, Quality Correctional Health Care, the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, Hamilton County’s Economic & Community Development Office and the McNabb Center," officials told Chattanoogan.com. "The program is funded through a $1.2 million Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance. It provides FDA-approved medications combined with counseling and behavioral therapies, offering a holistic approach to treating inmates with substance use disorders."

Tennessee lawmakers from both parties are urging marijuana law reform after President Donald Trump ordered cannabis reclassified federally from Schedule I to Schedule III, signaling recognized medical value. Tennessee is one of 10 states that restricts medicinal and recreational marijuana while 22 other states have legalized some form of recreational use. According to the Tennessee Lookout, Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, said the change should prompt Tennessee to consider medical marijuana, decriminalization or legalization, arguing current laws are overly punitive and out of step with other states. Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, who had previously advocated for passing medical marijuana laws, said, “I truly hope that this fosters medical research that either debunks what many sick Americans have testified to or provides the evidence and foundation showing that cannabis is safer than opioids and other man-altered substances.” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, pushed back, saying he has no interest in changing Tennessee’s marijuana laws and maintains cannabis remains a dangerous drug despite the federal shift.

Grab your coffee and watch this webcast replay on Dec. 26 at 9 a.m. CST. This session features the latest gadgets and tech for lawyers and non-lawyers. Of course, there will AI-based tech, but, as usual, Bill Ramsey will focus on the fun, inane and interesting technology discovered at CES 2025. Earn one dual credit hour of CLE. Register on the TBA website.

An 18-month investigation has largely cleared the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) of misconduct allegations raised by former Lt. Garet Davidson, finding most claims unsupported by evidence or permissible under MNPD policy. The Nashville Banner reports that investigators found no evidence that MNPD leaders lobbied for the 2023 state law eliminating civilian oversight boards, the most significant allegation in Davidson’s complaint, and concluded many other actions he cited were allowed under department rules. The report made limited recommendations, including improved recordkeeping for disciplinary settlements and clearer guidance on when body-camera audit findings should trigger discipline. Davidson now faces pending charges over allegedly stealing and leaking MNPD documents, according to the paper.

Six Tennessee duck hunters were cited under a Sweetwater ordinance banning firearm discharge inside city limits, a ruling now headed to the East Tennessee Court of Appeals that could have statewide implications for hunting. The hunters argue the decision conflicts with state law and a 2013 Tennessee attorney general opinion that says cities cannot prohibit lawful, safe hunting authorized under Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency regulations. Although the violation carried only a small fine, their attorney warns the ruling could allow cities to effectively ban hunting locally, undermining uniform statewide wildlife regulation. The case centers on whether municipal firearm ordinances can override state hunting authority, even when hunters comply with safety rules. Fox 17 has more on the developments.

Tyree B. Harris IV died on Nov. 19 at age 80 according to his law firm. He graduated from Washington & Lee University in 1967 and from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1970. Upon graduation, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard, where he served in the JAG Corp from 1970 until 1973. Harris returned to Nashville to join the firm of Hooker, Keeble, Dodson & Harris (later Dodson, Harris, Robinson & Aden). In 2011, he formed his own firm of Harris, Brown & Associates, where he practiced until his death. He moved to Lexington, Virginia in 2020, and was very active with the Moot Court Program at Washington & Lee University while continuing to practice law in Nashville.

This is the last newsletter of 2025 from TBA’s Labor & Employment Section! We want to thank our writers — Doug Hamill, Rick Bennett, Rachel Ducker, Chuck Lee, Bailey Lowe and Greg Grisham — for their excellent articles. In this issue you will find the following submissions:

1. 6th Circuit Revamps Title VII Religious Accommodation Prima Facie Standard in Light of Muldrow Decision
2. Key Supreme Court Cases to Watch This Term and Their Potential Effects on Employment Law
3. Can Employers Fire Employees for Volatile Social Media Posts? Legal Risks, Practical Guidance for Private Employers
4. Beyond Negligence: The 6th Circuit Sets New Standard for Non-Employee Harassment Claims Under Title VII

We are always looking for volunteer attorneys to write articles. If you have an article or an idea for an article, please email section coordinator Brooke Leeton at bleeton@tnbar.org. 

— Maha Ayesh, Doug Hamill & Jeb Gerth

Legal aid organizations are outpacing the broader legal profession in adopting artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new survey by Everlaw in partnership with the National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Paladin and LawSites. Based on responses from 112 legal aid professionals, the survey informed the report, “The AI Advantage: How Technology Can Help Bridge the Justice Gap.” The report found that 74% of legal aid organizations are already using AI — about double the adoption rate across the broader legal profession — highlighting how mission-driven work and limited resources are accelerating innovation. Learn more about the survey in this episode of Talk Justice as Cat Moon — with Vanderbilt’s AI Law Lab — explores the trend with experts at the forefront of legal technology.