The TBA Law Tech Section will host a free webinar exploring the degree to which AI "entities" can be held liable for criminal activity. Associate Research Professor of Law and an Assistant Research Professor of Computing & Information at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law David Thaw will provide an overview of the fundamental processes through which contemporary Large Language Models (LLMs) operate. Thaw will frame these capabilities in the context of how the criminal law views volitional actions. The webinar will use the question of AI criminal liability to illustrate the capabilities and limitations of current AI models, how they impersonate human-like activity, and how the application affects other areas of law. One hour of dual CLE credit is available for a $50 processing fee. Learn more and register here.

Early voting is off to a strong start across Tennessee, with voter participation running well ahead of the pace during the state's last gubernatorial primary, WJHL reports. According to election data, more than 122,000 voters cast ballots during the first three days of early voting for the Aug. 6 primary, putting turnout more than 50% ahead of where it stood at the same point in 2022. The election also marks the first statewide primary held under Tennessee's new congressional district boundaries. Early voting continues through Aug. 1 ahead of the Aug. 6 primary.

The 26th Annual Health Law Primer will take place Nov. 11 in the Nashville office of Foley & Lardner. Designed for those new to the practice area, the primer provides a general overview of health law, expert insight and practical tips for navigating the heavily regulated industry. The event offers four general hours of CLE, lunch and a reception following presentations. Register now on the TBA website.

The 38th Annual TBA Health Law Forum will take place Nov. 12-13 at the Music City Center in Nashville. This premier program for Tennessee health care lawyers allows attendees to fulfill all necessary CLE requirements for the year and provides an opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the state. Topics at the forum include regulatory fraud and abuse, supervision of advanced practice providers, non-competes in health care, certificates of need, ethics, a keynote presentation by former Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Christi Grimm and more. TBA Health Law Section members receive a discounted rate to attend. Learn more and register here.

The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) declined to respond to a lawmaker's request for details about the failed execution of death row inmate Tony Carruthers. According to WJHL, Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, requested information from the department about what changes, if any, had been made to prevent a similar incident from happening in the future. Barrett gave TDOC until Monday to respond. In the request, he asked whether the department had implemented new training, revised procedures, strengthened oversight or adopted additional safeguards before the scheduled Aug. 13 execution of Darrell Hines. TDOC responded in a letter Tuesday, saying it would not comment because the issues are the subject of ongoing litigation. The department also said it remains committed to fulfilling its legal obligations and complying with state law.

The TBA will rebroadcast its Legislative Update from this summer's Convention on July 30 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will review legislation from the most recent session of the General Assembly with a focus on how these measures affect Tennessee lawyers. Join TBA's government affairs team Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese and Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies as they discuss key legislative developments and the impact on the legal profession. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

Make plans now to attend TBA's Topgolf Estate Planning Tee-off on Aug. 21 at Topgolf Nashville. Designed for newer estate planning practitioners, this annual favorite is a rare opportunity to build practice knowledge and fine-tune your drive game all in one day. This year's speakers include Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Andra Hedrick, Charles Frazier with the Law Offices of Charles R. Frazier, Michael Goode with Lewis Thomason, Robert Hazard with Hazard Law, Rob Malin with Pinnacle Financial Partners and Ashley Stearns with Trail, Coleman & Stearns. The package includes three general hours of CLE, breakfast, lunch and two hours of Topgolf after the presentations. Estate Planning & Probate Section members receive a discounted rate to attend. Space is limited, so register now before it’s too late!

The Tennessee Supreme Court continued its longstanding SCALES (Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students) program this year, engaging with rising high school seniors at both Volunteer Girls State and Volunteer Boys State. Justices Sarah Campbell and Mary Wagner took part in the 80th American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) Volunteer Girls State (VGS) session at Lipscomb University, where they held a candid fireside chat that ALA VGS Chair Jenise Gordon said gives the roughly 500 attendees "permission to be ambitious and uncertain at the same time." Meanwhile, Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and colleagues visited the 87th Volunteer Boys State at Tennessee Tech University, where 400 young men observed oral arguments and interacted with justices off the bench. Since 1995, SCALES has brought the state's judiciary directly to these mock-government programs — which together have educated tens of thousands of Tennessee students since the 1940s — with organizers crediting the experience for inspiring many delegates to pursue law careers. Read more in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has nominated newly retired Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz to the locally appointed Metro Nashville Airport Authority, a pick that needs Metro Council approval at its July 21 meeting and would run through 2031. The Nashville Post reports that the nomination comes as a new state law took effect July 1 replacing the local board with a state-appointed one. O'Connell has declined to name anyone to that panel, and the original Metro-appointed board continues operating. Metro Nashville is suing over the takeover, arguing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cannot recognize the new state board without Metro's consent. The state-appointed board recently voted to withdraw from that lawsuit. A preliminary ruling is expected by month's end.

KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judge. Melvin Steger alleges that—without warning, while he stood on his front porch, albeit after shouting an obscenity—Officer Steven Willis slammed him to the ground and punched him twice before handcuffing him. The district court held, among other things, that those alleged facts would amount to a violation of Steger’s clearly established rights under the Fourth Amendment. We agree and affirm.