The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Biden administration’s regulation of "ghost guns" in a 7-2 decision, rejecting a challenge from gun rights groups and manufacturers. The regulation, enforced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), requires ghost guns, sold as do-it-yourself kits, to be treated like other firearms, The Hill reports. “Future cases may present other and more difficult questions about ATF’s regulations. But we take cases as they come and today resolve only the question posed to us,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented separately, saying they would have invalidated the rule. In 2022, the ATF began regulating ghost guns as any other firearm, subjecting the devices to requirements such as serial numbers and background checks.

Metro Nashville Council members and safety advocates have called for increased traffic enforcement in the past. Now new data from the police department shows that officers have stopped 11,496 drivers since the beginning of the year — roughly 3,000 more than at the same point in 2024. The police department says it is committed to focusing efforts on the most dangerous driving behaviors including speeding, reckless driving and impaired driving,” according to the Nashville Banner. The data also shows disparities in the stops. White and Black drivers are being stopped at rates higher than their share of the population. But while less than 0.4% of the stops involving white drivers led to a vehicle search, 2.9% of stops for Black drivers did. Hispanic drivers made up nearly 13% of stops, with 24% of those being arrested — a higher rate than Black or white drivers. Police says that disparity is largely due to arrests for driving without a license.

Veteran federal prosecutor Joe Murphy is returning as interim U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. President Donald Trump announced that Murphy will replace Reagan Fondren, according to The Daily Memphian. “Joe Murphy is a skilled federal prosecutor who has dedicated decades of his career to serving the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Memphis,” Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn said in a statement. Murphy earned his law degree at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis and served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Memphis since 1989. He was named the office’s first assistant U.S. attorney in July 2018. Fondren told the paper she was fired as acting U.S. attorney and as a Justice Department employee last Thursday. Read more from the U.S. attorney's office.

Two U.S. judges temporarily blocked key parts of President Trump’s executive orders targeting Jenner & Block and WilmerHale after the law firms challenged the orders in court on Friday, Reuters reports. "Considering the firm-wide effects of the executive order, it threatens the existence of the firm," U.S. District Judge John Bates in Washington, D.C., said of the order targeting Jenner & Block. He blocked provisions that sought to cancel federal contracts held by firm clients and restrict employee access to federal buildings and officials. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon, also in D.C., heard WilmerHale's challenge. Calling the order retaliatory, he blocked provisions limiting access to U.S. government buildings and officials, but denied the firm's request to block suspension of employee security clearances.

KAREN NELSON MOORE, Circuit Judge. This appeal concerns issues of standing and mootness in a putative class-action suit. According to Bradley Patton, state and local officials in Rutherford County, Tennessee unconstitutionally require pre-trial detainees to prove in a hearing before the state court that any bail funds equal to or in excess of $75,000 were not derived directly or indirectly from criminal activities. On June 13, 2023, Patton requested permission to post $100,000 to cover outstanding bail. Despite having the funds ready to secure his release, Patton was not released from custody. Under Rutherford County’s local rules, Patton had to wait for the state court to schedule a hearing to determine whether the bail money was sourced from any criminal activities. Patton filed this putative class action in federal court claiming that this local rule violated his and the putative class’s due-process and Eighth Amendment rights. For the reasons that follow, we REVERSE the district court’s judgment dismissing Patton’s claims on jurisdictional grounds and REMAND for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

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Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2025 Annual Convention, set for June 11-14, in the Nashville suburb of Franklin. The Franklin Marriott Cool Springs will serve as the host hotel. Perennial favorites such as the Bench Bar program and lunch, Lawyers Lunch, and joint event with the Tennessee Judicial Conference return to the agenda. For the second year, the Public Service Breakfast will take place during the convention to honor legal aid, private practice and law student pro bono work. CLE programming will include sessions on famous Tennessee trials, the role lawyers played in the Gov. Ray Blanton pardon scandal, an indigent defense and legislative update, AI, wellness, and the future of DEI. For the first time, the TBA also will present a session on the future of legal tech with vendor panelists. Again this year, the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women (TLAW) and Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL) will hold meetings and events in conjunction with the convention. Don’t miss this annual gathering of Tennessee lawyers! Access registration, hotel reservation information and more on the event website.

TBA’s 2025 Immigration Law Forum will take place April 18 in Nashville from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT. This seminar is specifically designed both for experienced immigration lawyers and those who are newer to the practice area. The first half of the seminar is focused on updates, while the second half will focus on activism and support. The schedule is packed with speakers who are leaders in their fields, so make plans to join this informative program! For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.