The American Bar Association (ABA) has settled a lawsuit brought by a nonprofit, which alleged that its law school scholarship program was discriminatory, according to Bloomberg Law. In a filing Monday, the ABA said it will refrain from using race or ethnicity to determine scholarship eligibility. The ABA’s Legal Opportunity Scholarship provides $15,000 to about 25 first-year law students. The American Alliance for Equal Rights filed suit in April 2025. The ABA subsequently updated the program’s eligibility requirements to remove references to underrepresented racial or ethnic groups and instead require “a strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.” Under the settlement, the group will not receive damages or other relief, and no alliance member will receive scholarship funds.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is challenging Tennessee’s denial of fingerprint testing for death row inmate Tony Carruthers, who is scheduled to be executed May 21, NewsChannel 5 reports. The ACLU, the ACLU of Tennessee and Quarles & Brady LLP filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday seeking access to fingerprint evidence and other forensic testing in Carruthers’ case. The complaint argues Tennessee courts wrongly denied Carruthers’ request for fingerprint testing and improperly refused to consider newer evidence, including records allegedly confirming that a key witness worked as a paid confidential informant. Carruthers has maintained his innocence. His attorneys argue no physical evidence links him to the killings and say six fingerprints recovered from the crime scene did not match his. The lawsuit follows a separate request filed in the Tennessee Supreme Court seeking additional DNA testing, which remains pending, according to the complaint.

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,” virtually on June 3 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will feature Judge Alexander McVeagh of the Hamilton County Circuit Court and Shannon Morgan of Hamilton County’s recovery courts, who will provide an overview of how recovery courts operate and how attorneys can better support clients involved in them. The session is designed to offer practical guidance for lawyers who may not regularly practice in drug court settings. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

Effective July 1, lawyers will have to comply with new redaction rules for filings in Tennessee’s appellate courts. The TBA Appellate Practice Section will host a free webinar on the new rules and how they will significantly change the process for writing and filing briefs with the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Court of Criminal Appeals and Supreme Court. Appellate practitioners Jacob Vanzin, Ben Raybin and William Gill will explore the rules and offer a primer on how to comply with the new requirements. One hour of general CLE credit is available for a $50 processing fee. Learn more and register here.

Comments in response to the Tennessee Supreme Court's Sept. 16 order seeking feedback on seven questions related to regulation of the state's legal profession are due tomorrow. The court extended the deadline to April 30 in January. The court says the goal of the effort is to increase the availability of affordable legal services in the state while ensuring the competency of attorneys and safeguarding the public. Comments should include docket No. ADM2025-01403 and be submitted to Clerk James Hivner, Re: Regulatory Reform, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219 or by email to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

Tennessee lawyers will gather in June for the 2026 TBA Annual Convention. This year's CLE lineup, which will offer 8.5 hours of credit, will include the annual Legislative Update. Make plans now to join the TBA Government Affairs Team — Berkley Schwarz with Pier Strategies and Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin with Adams & Reese — as they cover the most recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly and legislation affecting Tennessee lawyers. The program will take place June 11 from 3:15-4:15 EDT at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Knoxville. Learn more about the convention and register here.

The Tennessee Bar Association is accepting nominations through tomorrow for its Fourth Estate Award, which honors courageous reporting on justice and the law. Nominees must be Tennessee-based journalists who have shown exemplary courage in exercising First Amendment rights in the promotion of public understanding of how the law and our legal system works, or how it should work, as demonstrated by a story or series of related stories published in 2025. Read more about the award in TBA's press release. Submit nominations for the Fourth Estate Award online by April 30. Access the submission form at the link above.

The TBA will host its 30th Annual Labor & Employment Law Forum in Nashville on May 1. The day will begin with a case law update, followed by a discussion of return-to-office mandates, as well as a judicial panel featuring judges from across the state. After lunch, sessions will focus on non-compete and trade secret disputes, wage and hour litigation issues, and an ethics session covering sexual harassment and assault. Attendees can earn up to five general and one dual CLE hours. Section members receive a discount on registration. Not a section member yet? Join here!

Reporters from across the state gathered in Nashville last week to learn about open meetings law, investigative journalism and more during the sixth annual Reporters Workshop program, produced jointly by the Tennessee Bar Association, the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters and the Tennessee Press Association Foundation. Participants were selected from applicants interested in developing a deeper understanding of media law issues that may affect their everyday work.

Programming on the first day included a panel of veteran investigative reporters — Phil Williams from NewsChannel 5, Meribah Knight from WPLN News and Stephen Elliott from the Nashville Banner — moderated by Amy Mohan of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. Other speakers were Jennifer Safstrom with Vanderbilt's First Amendment Clinic, who presented on reporter's privilege; a panel moderated by Todd Hambidge from Holland & Knight on public records that included Lisa Davidson and Ashley Rinehart from the Metro Nashville Police Department and Jay Miller from the Administrative Office of the Courts; and Deborah Fisher from Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, who discussed the open records law.

The second day featured an overview of defamation with Safstrom and Ryan Riedmueller from the Vanderbilt First Amendment Clinic and a panel on covering state and local government with Alex Apple from Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell's Office, Steve Cavendish from the Nashville Banner, Holly McCall from the Tennessee Lookout, and Erik Schelzig with State Affairs (Tennessee Journal). That panel was moderated by Clint Brewer from Imperium Public Strategies. The day wrapped up with a panel moderated by Robb Harvey of Holland & Knight on covering the courts with Judges Valerie Smith and Ana Escobar and Chancellor Anne Martin. See photos from the event. Thanks to this year's sponsors Holland & Knight, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison and Womble Bond Dickinson.

June marks both the close of the bar year and the halfway point of the calendar year, making it a natural time to pause and take stock. In a profession that moves quickly from one deadline to the next, it is easy to overlook progress. Taking a moment to reflect on what you have handled, learned and navigated so far this year can help bring things into focus.

Recognizing your achievements, even the small ones, builds confidence and momentum. That might look like working through a difficult case, finding your footing in a new role or practice area or simply getting through a demanding stretch while keeping things on track. These moments matter more than they often get credit for.

Gratitude can also help reset perspective at this midpoint. Not in an abstract way, but in a grounded one. Noticing what is going well, who has supported you and what you have managed to accomplish can help balance the pressure that naturally comes with the work. Some people find it helpful to write these down, while others prefer to talk through them with a friend or colleague.

If you want to build on this practice, consider setting a simple intention for your day. It does need to be complicated. Something like staying focused, being patient or taking things one step at a time can help anchor you when things get busy. Taking a moment to acknowledge mentors, colleagues, friends or family who have supported you can also strengthen those connections.

The midpoint of the year is not just a checkpoint for what is ahead. It is also a chance to recognize how far you have already come. Noticing small wins along the way can make the path forward feel more steady and sustainable.