After an initial attempt in February to cancel a contract for legal services for immigrant children, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has now fully canceled its contract with the Acacia Center for Justice, which provided federal funding for lawyers who represent unaccompanied immigrant children. The Daily Memphian reports that the decision will affect hundreds of children across the state who have legal representation through groups such as Latino Memphis, Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR) and Mid-South Immigration Advocates (MIA). “It’s an existential threat to our organization as it represents the vast majority of our budget for both our Memphis and Nashville offices,” said MIA legal director Sally Joyner. According to Joyner, last year’s federal contract was $902,346 or around 80% of MIA's budget. That money is going to have to be replaced somehow, she says, because groups still have ethical obligations to represent these children. The American Bar Association (ABA) also weighed in on the issue, saying, "Without specialized children’s programs and attorneys, many of these kids — some as young as toddlers — will be forced to navigate adversarial immigration proceedings alone. Legal services providers help ensure that children’s immigration proceedings are fair and efficient, alleviating undue burdens on judges and prosecutors, while protecting children’s due process rights." The Associated Press has more.

On Tuesday, Lee administration released its proposed budget amendment for FY 2025-2026, which includes an additional $17 million to fund the new plan for indigent representation in Tennessee. The TBA has worked closely with the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) on securing funding for the new plan, and this issue was the top priority last week during attorneys’ meetings with legislators during TBA’s Day on the Hill.

TBA President Ed Lanquist Jr. reacted to the development saying, “The TBA applauds Gov. Bill Lee and his administration for prioritizing indigent representation by funding the AOC’s Indigent Representation Plan. I believe the AOC’s new and innovative plan will address the current shortage of attorneys willing to accept appointments to represent the indigent, by establishing more competitive and predictable attorney compensation structures. The TBA is especially grateful to Chief Justice Holly Kirby, the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts for their leadership and partnership in helping spotlight this critical issue, and we look forward to working with them and the Tennessee General Assembly to ensure this funding is in the final budget passed by the legislature.”

The budget process in Tennessee is a three part process: (1) in early February, the governor unveils his initial proposed budget in conjunction with the State of the State Address; (2) in late March/early April, the administration unveils a budget amendment, which compliments and makes adjustments to the initial budget; and (3) the Tennessee General Assembly works with the administration to finalize the budget, which must pass the House and Senate before they adjourn for the year. The TBA will continue working to ensure the new plan is funded. Learn more about the plan and indigent representation in Tennessee.

SUTTON, Chief Judge. Maryville Baptist Church sought, and obtained, a preliminary injunction against the Kentucky Governor’s COVID-19 restrictions on religious gatherings. As time passed and the pandemic waned, the case became moot. In view of its early success in the case under the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution and 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the Church sought attorney’s fees as a “prevailing party” under 42 U.S.C. § 1988. The district court denied the motion, and the Church appealed. The U.S. Supreme Court recently answered the question. It held that a party who receives a preliminary injunction, and whose case becomes moot before the court reaches a final judgment, does not count as a prevailing party under § 1988. See Lackey v. Stinnie, 145 S. Ct. 659 (2025). Consistent with that decision, we affirm the district court’s denial of attorney’s fees.

The Petitioner, Gemeyal Strowder, was charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and theft of property valued at one thousand dollars ($1000) or less. Pursuant to a plea agreement, the Petitioner entered a guilty plea to aggravated robbery, and the remaining charges were dismissed with the sentence and manner of service to be determined by the trial court. Following a hearing, the trial court imposed a sentence of eighteen years’ imprisonment. The Petitioner subsequently filed a petition for post-conviction relief, which the post-conviction court denied. In this appeal, the Petitioner argues that he received ineffective assistance of counsel. After review, we affirm the judgment of the post-conviction court.

This is an appeal from the trial court’s entry of a permanent parenting plan involving one minor child. The trial court named the father the primary residential parent, entered a parenting plan awarding the father the majority of parenting time during the school year, and gave the father authority over the child’s education. The mother appeals. We affirm.

After this Court dismissed the appellant’s first appeal as untimely, he filed a Tennessee Rule of Civil Procedure 60.02 motion for relief in the trial court. The trial court denied the motion. We affirm.

A bill seeking to make deceased school shooters’ juvenile records public passed the state House with bipartisan support on Monday, following the deadly shooting at Antioch High School earlier this year. State law currently mandates that juvenile law enforcement and court records remain confidential. According to Knox News, the House amended SB992 — which originally required juvenile court records to be managed by one central system — to require the unsealing of court proceedings, mental health issues and interactions with the Department of Children’s Services if a minor commits a school shooting and dies. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said the amendment aims to better equip policymakers to prevent similar attacks. “Once this is public, everyone will know exactly what that history was, and we all can have a conversation on how to make sure that this never happens again,” he said. The bill now will have to go back to the Senate for reconsideration.

Join the TBA for a webcast on April 29 at noon CDT for a comprehensive update on Nashville’s economic landscape. Lori Odom, senior vice president of economic development with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, will discuss the latest trends and opportunities in international business that are shaping the region's future. Be sure to bring questions for this engaging session focused on the pulse of Nashville’s economy. For more information and to register, visit TBA's website. 

A coalition running Nashville’s Eviction Right to Counsel program released a fiscal impact study Friday, showing that the pilot initiative helped residents avoid evictions and homelessness while reducing the financial burden on the city’s social safety net. According to the Nashville Banner, the report by financial firm Stout Risius Ross found that attorneys from Legal Aid of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and the Nashville Hispanic Bar Association helped residents avoid eviction in 95% of cases, with a $2.2 million investment generating $5.7 million in direct financial benefits. The report recommended expanding the program, estimating a $9.3 million annual cost for full-scale implementation, which could result in savings of up to $43.9 million. Metro Councilmember Zulfat Suara, a key advocate for the program, is pushing for continued funding and expansion, arguing that the program not only provides financial savings but also improves residents' mental and physical health.

A three-judge panel from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday denied the White House's attempt to restart deportations under wartime authority. By a 2-1 vote, the panel upheld a lower court order that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from quickly deporting alleged Venezuelan gang members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, National Public Radio reports. The White House said it plans to appeal to the Supreme Court. The ruling keeps in place a temporary restraining order from District Court Judge James Boasberg, who on March 15 blocked deportations under the act. The Department of Justice argued that Boasberg had overstepped his authority by intervening in foreign policy matters. The order will expire Saturday, and further proceedings on whether to issue a longer injunction are expected to return to Boasberg.