A federal judge has rejected the U.S. government's request to limit public access to court records from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid and arrest in the Knox County community of Hardin Valley. The government had argued that release of the records would endanger ICE agents, Knox News reports. U.S. District Court Judge Clifton Corker said he saw no evidence that agents would be put at risk by making the records accessible online, but allowed the government to redact information as needed. The case involves Diego Hernandez Garcia, a 24-year-old Maryville man, who has been detained since his Dec. 11 arrest.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has announced three judicial appointments, including the selection of Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Kyle Hixson for the Tennessee Supreme Court. Hixson will replace Justice Holly Kirby, who will retire at the end of June. Lee also named 26th Judicial District Chancellor Steve Maroney to the Western Section of the Tennessee Court of Appeals. He fills a vacancy that will be created when Judge Kenny Armstrong retires in February. Finally, Lee appointed Knoxville lawyer Rachel Hurt to the Eastern Section of the Tennessee Court of Appeals. A partner at Arnett, Baker, Draper, and Hagood and current president of the Knoxville Bar Association, Hurt will fill a vacancy created by the Jan. 12 retirement of Chief Judge D. Michael Swiney. In announcing the three, Lee said, “I am proud to announce the appointment of these highly qualified individuals and value the significant experience they will bring to their respective roles. I appreciate their leadership and am confident they will serve Tennesseans with integrity.” Read more about the appointees from the governor's office or the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board will hear in-person oral arguments in four cases on Feb. 12 in Knoxville at 9 a.m. EST. Cases to be considered include Gandy v. Marten Transport Ltd., Russell v. Benchmark Contractors LLC, Forrest v. Concrete Structures Inc. and Hernandez v. Wal-Mart Associates. Read more about the cases in the court’s blog.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on Jan. 27 at 9 a.m. CST. During the session, participants will learn about consolidated net worth election for the franchise and excise tax. The webinar is part of a series the department offers to the public each quarter. Each webinar covers topics such as tax registration, sales and use tax, business tax, franchise and excise taxes, and how to get help from the Department of Revenue and other state agencies. Registration is available on the department’s website.

Shelby County lawyer Aaron Michael Connolly Nutting was reinstated to the practice of law on Jan. 16. He had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on Oct. 8, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported to the Tennessee Supreme Court that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has extended the deadline for commenting on its Sept. 16 order from March 16 to April 30. The order sought feedback from the legal community about potential changes to regulation of the profession “to ensure that all Tennesseans have access to affordable quality legal service.” On Jan. 13, the Tennessee Bar Association filed a motion requesting that the court extend the deadline for comments to June 1. Comments now should be submitted by April 30 via email or by mail to James Hivner, Clerk, Re: Regulatory Reform, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219. Comments should reference docket No. ADM2025-01403. The TBA also is seeking feedback. Comments to its Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force should be submitted via email to townhall@tnbar.org. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected proposed amendments to Rule 21 of the Rules of the Supreme Court that would have required Tennessee licensed attorneys to complete one hour of CLE credit every three years to address mental health and substance abuse disorders. The amendments were requested by the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program and Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services. The court said it received comments on the proposal from the law firm of Baker Donelson, the Board of Professional Responsibility, the Commission on Continuing Legal Education, the Knoxville Bar Association, Minnesota Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, the North Carolina Lawyers Assistance Program, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services and many individual attorneys. Read the court's order.

The Lawyers' Association for Women (LAW) Marion Griffin Chapter Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant program. Grants may be awarded in amounts up to $3,500 annually per applicant. Applications should be for programs that further the foundation’s mission. Applications are due by May 5 and should be submitted via email to lawmgcfoundation@gmail.com. Grant recipients will be acknowledged at the 2026 Annual LAW New Admittees’ Breakfast. Please note there are separate application forms for individual and organizational applicants. Learn more about the foundation’s mission and access the application forms online.

The American Bar Association (ABA) must face a conservative group’s lawsuit challenging the legality of its diversity scholarships for law students, Reuters reports. U.S. District Judge Joan Gottschall denied the ABA's bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed in April by the American Alliance for Equal Rights. The alliance alleges that the 26-year-old Legal Opportunity Scholarship program discriminates against white applicants. The ABA argued that the group had no grounds to sue. The judge disagreed, finding that the group’s member — a white male who had applied to law school in 2025 and researched applying for the scholarship — had standing. Gottschall did not rule on the ABA’s claim that the program is protected by the First Amendment or that changes made to the program in October made it any more acceptable.

U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced that he joined with Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division to file a brief on behalf of the United States as amicus curiae in support of the state’s appeal in the case challenging Gov. Bill Lee’s deployment of the National Guard in support of the Memphis Safe Task Force. The challenge to the deployment was filed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and several lawmakers, who raised constitutional and statutory objections to the mobilization. A Davidson County chancellor granted a temporary injunction that is now on appeal. According to a press release, Dunavant and Shumate argued that the federal government has a substantial interest in the case because the injunction interferes with President Donald Trump’s request for the National Guard to support public safety operations in Memphis. The Tennessee Court of Appeals has expedited the case and scheduled oral arguments for March 5 in Nashville. Read the motion to file, the amicus brief and the defendants' opening brief.