The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed the Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act, which would convert temporary district court judgeships in 10 states into permanent positions, Reuters reports. The measure now heads to President Biden for his signature. The legislation was introduced in 2023 after the U.S. Judicial Conference recommended that Congress extend or make permanent nine of the 10 temporary judgeships, and create two new appeals court positions and 66 new permanent district court seats. The conference cited rising caseloads for the expansion. The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill in August to create the 66 trial court judgeships, which would be spaced out in six waves over a decade, starting in 2025. The House passed that measure last week though Biden has threatened to veto it.

Sessions from TBA's first-ever Conference on Artificial Intelligence & the Law (TCAIL) are now available on demand as individual programs or as a 1-click package. The conference explored the transformative impact of Generative AI on law practice, courtroom dynamics and practice management. Sessions now available include the impact of AI on the practice of law and legal operations; access to justice and AI; the ethical use of AI; and the use of AI as evidence. In addition, a judicial panel featuring Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Judge Tom Greenholtz, Judge Jimmy Turner and former judge Penny White explores the role AI plays in the courtroom. The TBA is committed to supporting legal professionals in the evolving AI landscape and is at the forefront of AI education. Check out all available AI-focused CLE programs. 

In its final meeting of the year Tuesday, the Nashville Metro Council approved Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s $527 million capital spending plan, which includes allocations for a new juvenile justice center, infrastructure improvements, schools and maintenance work around the county, according to the Nashville Banner. The council also approved a sign permit for country singer Morgan Wallen’s downtown bar, reversing a decision made in May when the request was rejected 30-3.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) held its Annual Meeting recently. At the event, outgoing president Carlos Yunsan of the University of Tennessee College of Law passed the gavel to Jonathan Cooper, a criminal defense attorney at Knox Defense, Knox TN Today reports. During the meeting, members also elected officers for 2025, with Rachel Hurt of Arnett Baker Draper & Hagood being named president-elect, Ursula Bailey as treasurer, and Cathy Shuck of East Tennessee Children’s Hospital as secretary. Members also elected Kim Burnette of Arnett Baker Draper & Hagood, Meagan Collver of Lewis Thomason, Samuel Lee of the Knox County District Attorney General’s Office, and Scott Taylor of Bernstein Stair & McAdams LLP to the KBA Board of Governors. Three awards were presented. Wayne Kramer received the Governor's Award, the KBA’s highest award; Cathy Shuck received the Courage in the Face of Adversity Award; and Regina Koho was honored with an award for outstanding legal writing.

The U.S. Supreme Court decided today to hear a bid by TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, to block a law that would force the sale of the app by Jan. 19, 2025, or be banned in the U.S. According to Reuters, the justices did not immediately act on an emergency request by TikTok and some of its users to block the potential ban, opting instead to hear arguments on the matter on Jan. 10, 2025. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court upheld a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a U.S. ban.

A DeKalb County grand jury indicted 31st Judicial District Attorney General Christopher Robert Stanford on one count of reckless endangerment Monday, The Tennessean reports. Stanford is accused of firing his weapon while attempting to apprehend a man accused of a triple homicide in Warren County, according to authorities. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Stanford was pursuing a wanted fugitive when he fired his weapon, but there was "no immediate threat" to Stanford or others. Stanford has served as district attorney since 2022. The district serves Van Buren and Warren counties. Stanford's first court hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. CST on Jan. 7, 2025.

The share of first-year law school enrollment by racial and ethnic minority students remained steady overall in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision that effectively ended race-conscious college admissions. The data released Monday by the American Bar Association covers 196 law schools and shows a total of 40,650 entering law students in 2024, a 4.5% increase from 2023. With regard to race and ethnicity, the data shows the following: white students made up 56.8% of first-year students, a slight 1.1% decrease from last year; Hispanic students held steady at 14.2%; Asian students saw the largest increase, rising from 7.8% to 9.8%; Black students dropped slightly from 7.8% to 7.7%; and students who did not report their race or ethnicity grew to 6.2%. According to Forbes, the 2024 class was being closely watched as the first to be admitted after the high court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.

TBA Health Law Section Immediate Past Chair Ian Hennessey welcomed new leadership for the 2024-2025 bar year at the section’s annual forum. Section Chair Imad Abdullah is the chief legal officer at Regional One Health (ROH). As the principal attorney and general counsel for ROH, Abdullah is responsible for managing all aspects of legal affairs and risk management. Section Vice Chair Travis Lloyd is a member at Bass Berry & Sims in the firm's Nashville office where he focuses on complex health care regulatory matters and represents a broad range of health care industry clients. Learn more about your leaders using the respective links.

The 36th Annual TBA Health Law Forum is now available for online purchase and viewing. This mainstay for health care lawyers provides 12 general and three dual hours of CLE credit, allowing you to wrap up your annual requirements while learning from experts on your own time. Sessions provide insight from top health law providers, practitioners and regulators, giving you the info you need to stay on top of key advancements. Learn more here.

This year’s Health Law Forum took place Oct. 17-18 at the Embassy Suites Cool Springs in the Nashville suburb of Franklin. The event was attended by more than 250 lawyers who enjoyed presentations from seasoned health care attorneys, medical professionals and public sector leaders. The forum also featured a networking reception, allowing attendees to meet with colleagues from across the state. 

The TBA would like to thank Health Law Section Immediate Past Chair Ian Hennessey and the section’s executive council for another stellar seminar. View photos from the forum here.

New leaders also took office at the forum. They are: 

Immediate Past Chair: Ian Hennessey, Alliance for Multispecialty Research
Section Chair: Imad Abdullah, Regional One Health
Section Vice Chair: Travis Lloyd, Bass Berry & Sims

Eastern Delegates
Amanda Busby, Anderson Busby
Christie Burbank, CHI Memorial
Karin Anderson, PYA
Mark Cunningham, Chambliss Bahner & Stophel
Robin Kindle, Ballad Health

Middle Delegates
A.J. Bahou, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
Bill Young, Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance Ethics Committee
Brian Roark, Bass Berry & Sims
David Steed, Cornelius & Collins 
Ellen Bowden McIntyre, U.S. Attorney’s Office
Jesse Neil, Holland & Knight
JD Thomas, Barnes & Thornburg
Julia Morris, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Kim Looney, K&L Gates
Mark Ison, Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison
Rachel Coleman, HCA Healthcare 

Western Delegates
Ann Lundy, Butler Snow
Denise Burke, McDermott Will & Emery
Kate Dowd, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
Kathy Steuer, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Scott Shanker, Bass Berry & Sims
Walt Schuler, University of Tennessee Health Science Center