U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges on lower courts may need to disclose contributions from law firms, bar associations and former clients to fund receptions or celebrations in their honor under newly adopted ethics guidance. Reuters reports that the new requirements, which took effect last month, are detailed in a report from the U.S. Judicial Conference. The rules apply to events such as investitures, retirements or portrait unveiling ceremonies. Disclosures should be made if the judge otherwise would have paid for all or part of the event's costs, and even if the judge would not have paid for the costs, in certain situations depending on the judge's involvement in the event.

Early bird registration for the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention ends April 30, and hotel reservations are due by May 8 at 5 p.m. EDT. The convention, set for June 10-13 in downtown Knoxville, will offer annual favorites such as the Public Service Breakfast, Lawyers Luncheon, compelling CLE and swearing in of TBA’s new president, as well as the Wednesday night welcome reception and a Thursday evening reception at Knoxville’s minor league ballpark. This year’s gathering also will include TBA’s first-ever Tech Showcase and lunch and learn opportunities with tech vendors on June 11. Day passes for Thursday are available for those who unable to attend the full convention.

Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision yesterday that a 2024 Louisiana congressional map was unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered, Tennessee Republicans are calling for redistricting in the Volunteer State, arguing that the Memphis congressional district also was racially drawn. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Rep. John Rose, R-Cookeville, who both are running for governor, called on the state legislature to act quickly, according to the Daily Memphian. President Donald Trump posted on social media that he had discussed a special legislative session with Gov. Bill Lee, saying Lee “would work hard to correct the unconstitutional flaw” in the state’s map. The state’s nine-seat U.S. House delegation consists of eight Republicans and one Democrat, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents most of Memphis and Shelby County. Cohen issued a statement criticizing the decision and held a press conference yesterday to address state redistricting. SCOTUSblog looks at the high court’s decision.

Martesha Johnson Moore is running for a third term as Nashville Metro Public Defender (PD) and is unopposed, just as she was in 2022. She also spent more than a decade in the office before succeeding Dawn Deaner as department head. Moore recently talked to the Nashville Banner about what has — and has not — changed with the city’s criminal justice system, commenting on caseloads, cash bail, night court judges and more.

President Donald Trump today is expected to sign an executive order to create a new type of retirement account for those without access to workplace plans. The proposed order will integrate with Saver’s Match, a provision in SECURE 2.0 that could benefit some workers with a 50% federal match on up to $2,000 in retirement savings. The executive order will reportedly instruct Congress to propose legislation that will boost coverage and increase the savings credit. According to a recent survey, about 26 million workers who qualify for a Saver’s Match plan don't have access to one. CNBC has more.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has signed on to a bipartisan amicus brief backing Massachusetts’ lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, The Tennessee Journal reports. The brief, filed by 38 state attorneys general, argues that the platform facilitates unlicensed sports betting and its event contracts breach state gambling laws and require licensing. The federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission also filed a brief asserting exclusive federal authority over prediction markets. KuCoin has more on the case. Read the brief.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold its Spring Memorial Service on May 15 to honor 13 lawyers who recently died. The group says that due to the number of passages, some recently passed members will be honored at a separate ceremony in November. The spring event will take place at 3 p.m. EDT in the Supreme Court courtroom at the Tennessee Supreme Court building, 505 Main St., 2nd Floor, Knoxville 37902. The Chattanooga Bar Association (CBA) recently held its annual memorial service as well. Judge Alex McVeagh presided over the event. Read more about those honored.

A recent version of this news item errantly did not include Estate Planning & Probate Section Middle Tennessee Delegate Ashley Stearns ofTrail Coleman & Stearns

The March TBA Estate Planning & Probate Forum was a huge success with more than 250 lawyers attending in person. The event also saw the participation of 19 sponsors who were on-site to provide information regarding their organizations to TBA members. The continued growth is a testament to the hard work of the Estate Planning Section leadership. The TBA would like to thank Estate Planning & Probate Section Chair Rob Malin and the section’s executive council for another stellar forum. View photos from the event here.

Section Chair: Rob Malin, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Section Vice Chair: Branch Howard, Brown Brothers Harriman
Immediate Past Chair: Charles Frazier, The Law Offices of Charles R. Frazier

East Tennessee Delegates
Newman Bankston, Egerton McAfee Armistead & Davis
John Billings, The Law Office of John L. Billings
Jennifer Exum, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz
Donald Farinato, Hodges Doughty & Carson
Angelia Nystrom, Long Ragsdale & Waters

Middle Tennessee Delegates
Jeff Carson, CL Group
Aaron Flinn, Holland & Knight
Michael Goode, Lewis Thomason
Rob Hazard, Hazard Law
David Parsons, David Parsons Law
Ashley Stearns, Trail Coleman & Stearns

West Tennessee Delegates
Mike Parham, Parham Estate Law
Danielle Woods, Woods Law Firm

Programming from this year’s Estate Planning & Probate Forum is available on the TBA CLE website. Sessions include information on probate litigation and procedural strategy, how AI is shaping estate planning workflows, legislative updates affecting trusts and estates, ethics and conflict-of-interest guidance, public receivership, and a probate panel of judges and clerk & masters. You can purchase the content as individual sessions or as a 1-Click Course Package, which allows access to all the content using the respective links.

The TBA is accepting applications from candidates interested in the position of Education and Professional Development Coordinator of Online Learning. This position will support the delivery and ongoing enhancement of TBA’s online continuing legal education (CLE) portfolio. Working closely with the TBA's director of education and professional development, the position will focus on executing high-quality digital learning programs, supporting the promotion and visibility of online offerings, and contributing to member engagement and program growth. View the full job description. To apply, send a cover letter explaining interest in the position and a resume to Human Resources & Administrative Coordinator Tanja Trezise.