A U.S. immigration judge has denied an asylum request from Kilmar Abrego Garcia, WSMV reports. A judge in Baltimore on Wednesday rejected Abrego Garcia’s bid to reopen his 2019 asylum case, giving him 30 days to appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. He also faces criminal charges in Tennessee stemming from a 2022 traffic stop, while U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking to deport him to a third country, first proposing Uganda and then Eswatini. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys have filed motions for a gag order, arguing their client cannot receive a fair trial because of “highly prejudicial, inflammatory and false statements” made about him. A federal judge in Tennessee can restrict prosecutors here from making such statements, but it is unclear whether that authority extends to the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on Tuesday announced that state Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, has been appointed chair of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and sets educational frameworks across the United States. White will serve a four-year term as chair after serving on the board since 2020. White chairs the state House Education Administration Committee and previously worked as a science teacher and K-8 school principal before becoming a small-business owner. The board administers the NAEP, known as the Nation’s Report Card, which tests fourth, eighth and 12th graders in subjects such as math, science and reading. The most recent results, released in September, showed declining scores among students, the Nashville Post reports. McMahon said the new appointments would help deliver meaningful data to policymakers and drive improvements in K-12 education.

The Knox County District Attorney’s Office has dropped trespassing charges against 12 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who were arrested at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (UT) in 2024. The group was charged after weeks of campus protests against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. The charges were dismissed after the demonstrators collectively completed 100 hours of community service, according to Knox News. Two of those arrested, siblings Hasan Husain and Layla Soliz, filed a federal lawsuit in May alleging their First Amendment rights were violated. The suit names the Tennessee Board of Regents, UT trustees and UT System President Randy Boyd as defendants. Their attorney told the news outlet the case is moving forward.

The Tennessee Bar Association offers group health insurance exclusively for members through BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Many firms have found meaningful savings and access to a strong national provider network for their attorneys, employees and covered dependents. Enrollment opens Oct. 6; start planning now! Even if you've already renewed your current coverage, you may still move to the TBA plan. Contact Buck Orrison to schedule a 15-minute consultation to review your current plan and see what options are available. Solo attorney? Explore our separate health plan built just for solo practitioners.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) gathered in Washington, D.C. for the Fall Board Meeting. During the meeting, members planned upcoming events, including pro bono clinics, the Diversity Leadership Institute, the Rural Judicial Fellowship Program, the Tennessee State High School Mock Trial Competition, and new CLE offerings. The group also discussed the Tennessee Supreme Court’s request for comments on potential regulatory reforms to increase access to quality legal representation. Despite the government shutdown, the group was able to visit museums and historic sites and explore the nation’s capital. Board member Patrick Morrison led the group on a nighttime tour of the monuments.

YLD President Judge Alex McVeagh also recognized several board members for their work over the last quarter, including Mary Frances DeVoe, Chattanooga attorney and YLD East Tennessee delegate to the TBA House of Delegates, for her contributions to numerous pro bono clinics; Donelson attorney Patrick Morrison for his development of CLE programming and his role as health and wellness coordinator; and Nashville attorney Jack Wagster for his contributions as a district representative. Nashville attorney and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Chicoya Smith received the “disco gavel” from YLD Immediate Past President Sean Aiello for her enthusiasm and efforts to bring people together. A special thanks also was given to Cookeville attorney Rachel Moses — a former YLD president (2014-2016) and current TBA YLD fellow and Middle Tennessee governor on the TBA Board of Governors — for joining the trip and supporting the YLD. See photos from the meeting.

The Nashville Coalition Against Domestic Violence will host Meet Us at the Bridge on Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. CDT at the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge in downtown Nashville. The annual event is part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month and honors those lost to domestic violence and recognizes community members working to end it. Since the event began in 2005, 191 women, men and children have been remembered at the ceremony, with families of homicide victims memorializing their loved ones by dropping purple roses into the river.

Petitioner, Nathaniel Taylor, appeals the Knox County Criminal Court’s summary dismissal of his post-conviction petition. He argues that the post-conviction court erred in dismissing his petition because (1) his petition was unjustly denied in light of established law and under color of law; (2) he should have been appointed counsel and granted an evidentiary hearing in order to present his case; and (3) his conviction was based on the use of evidence gained pursuant to an unconstitutional search and seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Upon review of the entire record, the briefs of the parties, and the applicable law, we affirm the post-conviction court’s summary dismissal.

Democrats in Congress are pressing three major law firms — Paul Weiss, Kirkland & Ellis and Skadden — for details on potential free legal work for the Commerce Department, which they argue may violate federal law and go beyond previously announced pro bono commitments. Lawmakers Jamie Raskin of Maryland, Adam Schiff of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut pointed to reports that the firms assisted with tariff negotiations and Intel’s $8.9 billion deal involving the U.S. government, calling the work coercive and outside the stated focus on veterans, anti-Semitism and justice reforms. Bloomberg Law reports that the lawmakers warned the arrangements may stem from what they characterize as Trump administration “shakedown” deals that traded the rescission of punitive executive orders for promises of nearly $1 billion in free legal services. The firms face an Oct. 6 deadline to respond, but Democrats lack subpoena power to compel disclosure.

Defendant, Amanda Michelle Owen, appeals the eight-year sentence imposed for her Blount County Circuit Court guilty-pleaded conviction of theft of property valued at $60,000 or more but less than $250,000, a Class B felony, arguing that the trial court erred by imposing a sentence of full incarceration. Because the record reflects that the trial court made the appropriate findings and that those findings are supported by the facts of this case, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by ordering that Defendant serve the entirety of her sentence in confinement, and, accordingly, we affirm.

A Tennessee LLC sued one of its members seeking injunctive relief, monetary damages, and his expulsion as an LLC member. The trial court issued a temporary restraining order restraining the defendant from misappropriating, using, or disclosing the LLC’s trade secrets and confidential and proprietary business information. The defendant moved to dismiss the complaint and dissolve the temporary restraining order based upon an arbitration provision, a choice of law provision, and a forum selection clause contained in the LLC’s operating agreement. The trial court granted the defendant’s motion and held that it lacked jurisdiction and venue based on the forum selection clause and that the LLC failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted due to the arbitration provision. We conclude that Tennessee law governs the operating agreement and affirm the trial court’s dismissal of the complaint based upon the arbitration provision. However, we reverse the trial court’s holding that it lacked jurisdiction and venue over the LLC’s claims for temporary injunctive relief.