The Shelby County Health Department ordered the Walter L. Bailey Criminal Justice Center at 201 Poplar Ave. in Memphis to close Monday because of internal plumbing issues. The plumbing problems caused flooding in the building and interrupted water service, according to a department spokesperson. A Shelby County Health Department news release said the issues were caused by a water main break, the Daily Memphian reports. Separately, the General Sessions Criminal Court and Clerk's Office announced that operations at 201 Poplar would be closed because of unforeseen building issues. All cases scheduled for Monday were canceled. The Health Department said the Shelby County Jail was not affected by the water main break, and other General Sessions Court Clerk's Office locations remain open.

On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Tennessee lawmakers unveiled a new monument at the State Capitol honoring the unborn, News Channel 9 reports. The court's 2022 decision allowed states to set their own abortion laws and triggered Tennessee's Human Life Protection Act, which bans nearly all elective abortions in the state. The Tennessee Monument to Unborn Children is located on the southeast side of the Capitol grounds. Lawmakers said the monument recognizes unborn children whose lives ended through abortion and serves as a place for reflection and remembrance. The monument was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 and was funded entirely through private donations.

A new law banning the sale of most hemp-derived THCa products takes effect Wednesday, making it illegal to sell or ship products containing 0.3% or more THCa statewide, the Nashville Banner reports. The law effectively prohibits smokable hemp products such as flower and pre-rolls while allowing certain low-potency drinks, edibles and vape products to remain on the market under new regulations. The measure also transfers oversight of hemp products to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and imposes new taxes and packaging, labeling and advertising requirements. Industry leaders estimate retailers could lose about 60% of their revenue under the law. Some dispensaries plan to remain open with limited products while others have announced plans to relocate out of state.

The U.S. Supreme Court has made it more difficult for Tennesseans to sue the maker of Roundup for failing to warn consumers that the weedkiller could cause cancer, according to WKRN. In a 7-2 decision issued last week, the court sided with Monsanto, ruling that federal law preempts state law. Writing for the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh said Monsanto cannot be held liable under state law for failing to include a cancer warning label when federal law requires the company to use an Environmental Protection Agency-approved label that does not contain such a warning. The decision comes months after Tennessee lawmakers considered legislation that would have protected pesticide manufacturers from similar failure-to-warn lawsuits so long as product labels were approved by the EPA. The ruling could affect hundreds of pending claims against Monsanto, according to the news station. Monsanto has long maintained that Roundup does not cause cancer.

The National Bar Association (NBA) will hold its 101st Annual Convention in Nashville July 25-31, bringing together attorneys, judges and legal professionals from across the country under the theme, "The Rhythm of Excellence. The Power of Promise. The Energy of Now." The convention will celebrate the association's more than 100-year legacy while focusing on leadership development, advocacy, pipeline programs and the future of the legal profession. The event also will highlight the urgency of addressing current challenges facing communities through collaboration, innovation and continued investment in the next generation of Black lawyers and judges. Learn more and register on the NBA website.

A portrait unveiling ceremony honoring former Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Thomas Woodall will be held July 14 at 11:30 a.m. CDT at the Tennessee Supreme Court, 401 Seventh Ave. N., Nashville 37219. A reception will follow the ceremony. Contact Jennifer.Burch@tncourts.gov to RSVP for the event. View the invitation. Woodall retired from the court in December 2020 after 24 years of service. He joined the court in 1996, after having spent two years with a Memphis firm and six years as an assistant district attorney in the 24th Judicial District. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on his career, including his role in creating a judicial assistance program under the Tennessee Lawyer’s Assistance Program.

The TBA is gearing up for “cool” CLE programming throughout the month of July. Take a break from the heat and earn those CLE hours now so you are not left “sweating” compliance deadlines later this year. Daily offerings will include webcasts, on-demand programs and in-person courses. Don’t miss new Stuart Teicher titles, the YLD’s free “Working in Legal Deserts” program, 1-Click packages from section forums, and in-person programs such as the Federal Practice Forum and Elder Law Forum. TBA also is offering a special discounted package featuring four general and 11 dual hours. The Christmas in July Package includes ethics, law practice management, leadership development, skills and wellness topics. TBA Members receive $100 off for July only! Whatever you choose, make plans now to join colleagues in July and make December a little less stressful. Watch for daily promotions in TBA Today and on social media or check out everything available now.

Rosetta Miller-Perry, founder and publisher of one of Tennessee's most prominent Black newspapers and a longtime Nashville community leader, died today. She was 91. A civil rights activist, Miller-Perry founded the Tennessee Tribune in 1991, overseeing its growth into one of the state's most prominent Black newspapers on North Nashville's Jefferson Street. She also established the Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce. She received the National Newspaper Publishers Lifetime Achievement Award and made a long-term influence on Nashville's Black business and media community by highlighting businesses otherwise overlooked. In 2025, she was inducted into the Nashville Entrepreneur Center Hall of Fame. Funeral arrangements are not yet available. The Tennessean has more on her life.

Attorneys for Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) and Shelby County government have expanded their lawsuit challenging the state's takeover of the school district to include individual members of the newly appointed oversight board, the Daily Memphian reports. The federal lawsuit, filed against the oversight board and key state officials, argues the takeover law is unconstitutional and asks a federal judge to halt the takeover. The amended complaint also contends the law is "void for vagueness" because it grants the appointed oversight board the same authority as the elected school board. In related news, the oversight board also met and voted to begin the process of hiring its own legal counsel. Law firms are invited to submit proposals. A final vote on that decision is expected July 7. The Tennessee Attorney General's Office is representing the state in the case.

A federal judge ruled in 2002 that Rutherford County's display of the Ten Commandments in its courthouse violated the First Amendment because it advanced a religious purpose. Now, a new Ten Commandments display has been installed in the renovated Civil War-era Rutherford County Courthouse, the Tennessean reports. Former Mayor Bill Ketron said the display is permitted under a Tennessee law allowing historical displays of the commandments, while the plaintiff in the original lawsuit argues the new display also violates the U.S. Constitution. The renewed dispute comes as state lawmakers recently passed a new law allowing local school boards to consider displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools.