Tennessee lawyers attending the TBA’s 2026 Convention in June will have the opportunity to earn dual CLE credit through “Better Right Now: Wellness & Tech Session,” a two-part program focused on attorney well-being in today’s technology-driven legal environment. The sessions, “How and Why the Current State of Legal Practice Intersects with Evolution and Brain Chemistry to Promote Stress” and “Real-Life Strategies for Well-Being in the Current Legal Environment,” will explore the impact of modern legal practice on mental health while offering practical strategies for focus, resilience and client engagement. Presenters include Lindsey O’Connell of Lindsey O’Connell Counseling and Consulting, Melanie Reid of Lincoln Memorial University, and Dr. Jeff Vomund and Fr. Ragan Schriver of the University of Tennessee. Check out the full CLE programming.

To honor National Treatment Court Month, the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) will host “Drug Court 101: What Every Non Drug Court Lawyer Needs to Know About Tennessee’s Recovery Courts” as a webcast CLE on June 3 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will provide an overview of Tennessee’s recovery courts, including best practices, the state’s Drug Court Treatment Act, addiction and brain science, and strategies for effectively representing clients with substance use disorders. Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge and TBA YLD President Alex McVeagh, who formerly presided over the misdemeanor track of Hamilton County Recovery Court, will moderate the program alongside Shannon Morgan, director of Hamilton County Accountability Courts and a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience in substance use treatment and recovery courts. More information is available on the TBA website.

The office of 4th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Adrienne Waters Ogle has relocated to the new Sevier County Justice Center, Rex Henry Ogle Courts Building, 127 Commerce St., Ste. 2208, Sevierville, TN 37862. Judge Ogle's office phone and fax number remain the same. Additionally, the Hamblen County Circuit and General Sessions and Juvenile Courts have a new address. They now are located at 440 N. Jackson St., Morristown, TN 37814.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) each month shares a personal essay from a YLD member in the "Voices of the YLD" section of its newsletter. In the May issue of Voices of the YLD, Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Alex McVeagh reflects on Treatment Court Month and the important role treatment courts play within the justice system. He offers an honest and thoughtful perspective on the meaningful work these courts do, while acknowledging that they cannot reach or save everyone. Paired with a poignant personal story, his reflections make for a compelling and insightful read.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will hold a retirement reception honoring Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly M. Kirby on June 4 from 5-7 p.m. CDT. The event will take place in the law school’s Gordon Ball Reading Room. It is being cosponsored by the Memphis Bar Association and the law firm of Burch, Porter & Johnson. Members of the legal community are invited to attend and celebrate Kirby’s many years of service. RSVP here or contact Maria Fuhrmann at maria.fuhrmann@memphis.edu with questions. Kirby, who earned her law degree from the school in 1982, is retiring from the court at the end of June. Download a flyer for the event.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee has been named to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC). Dunavant joins 17 other federal prosecutors on the committee, which advises the attorney general on matters of policy, procedure and management impacting U.S. attorneys’ offices. The AGAC also may establish subcommittees and working groups in program and subject matter areas that reflect priorities set by the president. Dunavant served on the AGAC during his prior service as U.S. attorney from 2017-2021. Responding to news of his reappointment, Dunavant said he is honored and excited to serve on the committee to advance the department’s efforts to “achieve justice for victims, consequences for criminals, support for law enforcement, respect for the rule of law, protection of the U.S. Treasury, and better public safety outcomes for all citizens.” Read more in a press release.

The TBA encountered an email glitch on April 29 that prevented some members from receiving TBA Today. Those with Gmail, iCloud and Outlook email accounts may have been affected. The problem has been corrected, and all impacted members once again should be receiving TBA Today. To read any issues of TBA Today you may have missed, visit the TBA's archive page. Be sure to be logged into your TBA account to access the page. For help with any future delivery issues please email tbatoday@tnbar.org.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that interest groups have dropped their appeal of a federal court decision blocking Biden administration regulations that would have required schools to allow biological males into girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms, impacted Title IX, and directed teachers and school officials to use students' preferred pronouns. The decision from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky to block the rules came in a case filed by Tennessee and a coalition of states. That court blocked the rules in June 2024 and ultimately ruled in early 2025 that the rules were unconstitutional, striking them down nationwide. With the recent decision to drop the appeal, the district court’s ruling will stand according to Skrmetti. After all parties agreed to end the appeal, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the appeal. Read more in a press release from the AG's office.

JULIA SMITH GIBBONS, Circuit Judge. This appeal arises from Daniel Paris’s action against his former employer, MacAllister Machinery Company, Inc., d/b/a Michigan CAT, and the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 324. Paris sued MacAllister for alleged violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), and Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA). He also brought LMRA and ELCRA claims against the Union. The district court dismissed Paris’s LMRA claims against MacAllister and the Union because Paris failed to plausibly allege that the Union breached the duty of fair representation. And the court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Paris’s state law claims against both defendants. At the close of discovery, the court entered summary judgment for MacAllister on Paris’s FMLA claims. We affirm the district court’s decisions.

GRIFFIN, Circuit Judge. Defendant Bryan Arnold, a law enforcement officer, initiated a traffic stop of D’Juantez Mitchell, who was suspected of committing several armed robberies. During the stop, Mitchell drove his car into Arnold and towards a fellow officer. In response, Arnold shot and killed Mitchell. Mitchell’s estate and children dispute that Arnold was justified in using deadly force and sued, alleging that Arnold had violated Mitchell’s rights under both the United States Constitution and Kentucky law. The district court found that Arnold was entitled to qualified immunity under federal law but not entitled to immunity under Kentucky law after concluding that the record created a genuine dispute whether Arnold acted in good faith. Because the evidence presents no triable issue regarding a bad faith motive on Arnold’s part, we reverse.