The TBA will host its 2025 Environmental Law Forum on Dec. 5 in Nashville. The annual program, a staple for Tennessee lawyers and environmental professionals, will run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST and include lunch. Attendees can expect timely updates on issues affecting the practice area, with discounted registration available for section members. Stay tuned for more information on the TBA website.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Tuesday that the state has joined 26 others in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn laws in Washington and California that ban the possession of high-capacity magazines. The states argue the bans on so-called "plus-ten magazines" violate the Second Amendment. Briefs were filed for Gator’s Custom Guns v. Washington and Duncan v. Bonta. The first case was decided by the Washington Supreme Court, while the second was decided by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The coalition contends the rulings ignore U.S. Supreme Court precedent and reflect a trend of lower courts eroding constitutional protections. “Courts should not strip away their fundamental rights by pretending these necessary components are not protected by the Second Amendment. Our office is proud to partner with our sister states in defending the Constitution,” Skrmetti said in a press release.

Attorney Lorenzo A. Ramunno, a probate and estate planning lawyer admitted to practice in Florida, New York and Tennessee, died Aug. 30, according to the Ramunno Law Firm. Born in Buffalo, New York, Ramunno was the son of a judge and city councilman who had an early influence on a legal career marked by integrity and service. He earned his law degree from Nova University Law School and since 2004 had served as a Florida circuit court mediator. His practice areas included probate, estate planning, wills, trusts, small business corporations, real estate, trust administration and general law.

The TBA will host a Court of Appeals Boot Camp on Oct. 8 in Nashville, offering lawyers the opportunity to observe oral arguments in real cases and hear analysis from participating attorneys on preparation and advocacy strategies. The program, designed to strengthen skills in both written and oral appellate advocacy, also will feature a networking lunch for participants. Speakers include Tennessee Court of Appeals Judges Andy Bennett, Frank Clement Jr., Neal McBrayer and Jeffrey Usman; Robert Parsley with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Chattanooga; and Jacob Vanzin with Dodson Parker Behm & Capparella in Nashville. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at the Tennessee Court of Appeals. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The TBA has announced that staff member Chelsea Bennett has been promoted to director of access to justice (ATJ) and strategic initiatives. Bennett has been a senior education and professional development coordinator on the CLE team since 2018. TBA Assistant Executive Director Lanny Brown said of the move, “I’m thrilled that Chelsea has accepted this role. With nearly a decade of service at TBA, her experience, creativity and dedication make her an excellent fit to lead this important work.” Bennett will move into her new role working alongside current ATJ Director Liz Slagle Todaro as Todaro transitions out of the role she has held for the last 13 years. Of her replacement, Todaro said, “Chelsea is precisely the bar professional we need at exactly the right time, as TBA advances critical ATJ initiatives and strengthens community partnerships. Her leadership and skills will help guide us through this challenging and exciting era, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to support her and TBA during this transition.” Bennett received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from The Ohio State University and her master’s degree in teaching from Belmont University.

U.S. District Judge John Fowlkes has sentenced Lisa Findley, the Missouri woman accused of trying to auction off Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion, to 57 months in prison, with three years supervised release. Findley was indicted last year on charges of mail fraud and identity theft, but the judge dismissed the identity theft charges as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. The Daily Memphian has the story.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its October docket on Oct. 1 at the Tennessee Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave N, Nashville 37219, which will be livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page. At 9 a.m. CDT, the court will hear State v. Torrian Seantel Bishop, State v. William Tony Burrell and Cinda Haddon v. Ladarius Vanlier et al. At 1 p.m. the court will hear SH Nashville LLC et al. v. FWREF Nashville Airport LLC. Additionally, State v. Jeffrey Tate and Steven J. Ogle will be heard on briefs.

Bobby Cain, a member of the "Clinton 12" who helped integrate Clinton High School in East Tennessee in 1956 — one of the first high schools in the South to integrate — died Monday at age 85. The Associated Press reports that Cain was a senior when he entered the formerly all-white school on a court order. He had previously attended a Black high school about 20 miles away in Knoxville and was not happy about leaving his friends to spend his senior year at a new school in a hostile environment. Despite not being allowed to play sports and facing protests and violence — including being attacked after graduation — Cain persevered to become the first Black student in Tennessee to graduate from an integrated state-run school. He later attended Tennessee State University, worked for the Tennessee Department of Human Services and is remembered as a “reluctant hero.”

Former speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Glen Casada has been sentenced to 36 months in prison for his role in a scheme using the state’s constituent mailer program, WKRN reports. He was also sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine. Casada was convicted alongside his former chief of staff Cade Cothren of secretly running Phoenix Solutions, a company that funneled taxpayer-funded mailer business for profit. Cothren was sentenced last week to 30 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson handed down the sentence after rejecting defense objections, finding Casada used “sophisticated” money laundering to conceal the scheme. The Tennessean also reports on the sentencing.

Justice Holly Kirby has announced she will retire from the Tennessee Supreme Court, effective June 30, 2026. “I’ve been privileged to work alongside my Supreme Court colleagues, the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Tennessee Bar Association and trial judges and lawyers across the state, as well as our governor and our general assembly, to advance our shared vision for Tennessee’s justice system,” Kirby said in a release. “Their dedication and hard work made all the difference. Together we’re making the judicial branch stronger.”

Kirby was appointed to the court by then Gov. Bill Haslam in 2014 and has served as chief justice for the last two years. She achieved many “firsts” in her career. At just 38 years old, she was the first woman in Tennessee to serve on the Tennessee Court of Appeals. While in private practice, she became the first female partner in the Memphis firm of Burch Porter & Johnson. And she was the first graduate of the University of Memphis to sit on the state’s high court. As chief justice, Kirby helped secure $26 million to fund indigent representation in Tennessee and establish a new commission to oversee the administration and compensation of appointed counsel. Recognizing the need to modernize the court system, she also  supported the court’s Technology Oversight Committee and helped bring stakeholders together to develop a solution to unify court system data. She also focused on increased threats to Tennessee’s judiciary, leading efforts to strengthen laws on intimidation of judicial officials, and to protect judges, their families and justice system employees.