The Tennessee Supreme Court disbarred Montgomery County lawyer Joel David Ragland from the practice of law on Oct. 8. The court reports that Ragland consented to the action because he could not successfully defend himself against disciplinary charges. The court found that he misappropriated funds by writing unauthorized checks against his firm’s trust account in violation of Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4.

Completing CLE requirements before Dec. 31 is now easier than ever with new packages from the TBA. The “CLE Made Easy Series” offers curated packages based on hours needed or special interest topics. Credit hour packages include 15, 12, 10 and eight-hour offerings. Topical options include 15 hours for solo and small practice lawyers, eight hours from the TBA’s 2025 Convention and six hours from the Young Lawyers Division’s Rookie Series. Looking for ethics hours? Two three-hour packages also are available. Don’t see what you are looking for in the new offerings? Check out the more than 100 on-demand programs and upcoming live programs in the TBA's online course catalog.

State Rep. Justin J. Pearson is planning to challenge long-time incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen for Tennessee's 9th Congressional District, according to the Commercial Appeal. Cohen has held the seat — which encompasses most of Memphis and some of its suburbs — since 2007. The Democratic primary for the seat will be held in August 2026, followed by a general election in November 2026. "The status quo is not working for us," Pearson said in an interview ahead of the announcement. "I think that we will be the strongest candidate in the race. We have the right vision, the right ideas, the right goals and visions” for the district. According to The Tennessee Journal, Pearson plans to run for re-election to his state House seat while challenging Cohen. Read more about his campaign.

Cincinnati-based Frost Brown Todd (FBT), with offices in Nashville, is merging with New Jersey law firm Gibbons to create FBT Gibbons LLP. The combination, effective Jan. 1, 2026, will create a mid-market firm with approximately 800 attorneys in 25 offices. FBT Chair Robert Sartin, based in Nashville, will serve as chair of the new firm. According to a press release, the merger will deliver “synergies in key industries of strategic focus” — including finance, manufacturing and energy — and “drive growth in corporate and transactional work.” FBT says its clients will benefit from Gibbons’s litigation practice.

Over the past two months, members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) have been visiting law schools across the state. Alex Bunn, Cole Harrell-Morris and Jennifer Sneed joined together for a final stop at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Students were encouraged to apply to the YLD's new Rural Judicial Fellowship program and the award-winning DLI program, as well as to reach out to members of the TBA while still in law school. Memphis Law student Divine Dent, a graduate of the DLI Class of 2025, also participated and shared her experience with the program. See photos from the day.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the conviction of Ambreia Washington, ruling that the warrantless seizure of a firearm from his vehicle did not violate the U.S. Constitution. In a unanimous opinion authored by Chief Justice Jeff Bivins, the court found that the handgun was properly seized under the “plain view exception,” which allows law enforcement officers to confiscate incriminating evidence seen in plain sight without a warrant. In this case, a Jackson Police Department officer responding to a car accident saw a handgun in the passenger seat and later learned that Washington was a convicted felon. The court concluded that the firearm was lawfully seized and admissible at trial. Justice Dwight E. Tarwater wrote a concurring opinion addressing the plain view doctrine’s “immediately apparent” requirement and its relationship to the Second, Fourth and Fifth Amendments.

Emmitt Martin III, the only former Memphis police officer charged in connection with the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols who was still in custody, is being released from jail. Martin, who pleaded guilty last year to federal charges related to Nichols’ death, will be released today, The Daily Memphian reports. U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman granted his release Tuesday after a nearly two-hour hearing. Martin was initially released on bond after being charged but was taken back into custody in February for allegedly harassing the mother of his child, violating his bond conditions. His attorneys said he has been held in solitary confinement since then, harming his mental and physical health. Under the conditions of his release, Martin must spend 90 days in a mental health treatment facility and continue treatment afterward. He also will be subject to GPS monitoring and drug testing and is prohibited from contacting his child, the child’s mother, or any of the other former officers charged in Nichols’ death. Lipman also suggested Martin’s sentencing, tentatively set for December, could be delayed if his co-defendants are granted new federal trials.

A federal judge in Nashville ruled there is a “realistic likelihood” the government acted vindictively in bringing human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man who was deported to El Salvador before being brought to Tennessee in June to face criminal charges. According to the Tennessee Lookout, U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw’s ruling on Friday allows Abrego Garcia's attorneys to seek documents and testimony from Trump administration officials about their public remarks and the basis for the decision to pursue charges. In granting the request to proceed with this claim, Crenshaw cited the timeline of official actions leading up to the charges as evidence of the “potential unreasonableness of the prosecution.” Prosecutors have denied that the government acted with any “ill will” in the case. No date for a hearing has been set.

Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said he is considering establishing a night court to handle an anticipated surge in arrests from the federal Memphis Safe Task Force. Mulroy said the plan could be implemented within two weeks and operated at a low cost if the task force’s presence lasts no more than 60 days, according to the Citizen Tribune. The proposal would require cooperation from the sheriff’s and public defender’s offices to provide bailiffs, defense counsel and a judicial commissioner. Mulroy said the move could prevent the court system from becoming overwhelmed as daily arrests increase.

The TBA’s Tax Law Section will host a virtual roundtable discussion, “Tax Law 2025: Practice Management — How to Deal with the IRS,” on Oct. 16 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Members of the section’s executive council and other tax practitioners will share updates on recent IRS developments and explore how these changes affect attorneys’ ability to manage workloads and offices. The event will be held via Zoom, and participants are encouraged to engage in the interactive format. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.