The September/October issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is available online and arriving in mailboxes next week! The cover story by Judge Zack Walden and Alix Rogers highlights the TBA Young Lawyers Division's inaugural Rural Judicial Fellowship, which paired six law students with six judges in rural areas across the state. Read feature stories from Amy Bryant on how well Tennessee is meeting recommendations from the National Guardianship Network and Hal Hardin on his fight for reciprocity to practice law in Texas. Columns include details from Edward Phillips and Brandon Morrow on how the state's civil rights enforcement landscape could be reshaped in the employment space, legislative changes that will affect tort and personal injury attorneys from John Day, and more changes in trusts and estates from Eddy Smith. Read TBA President Heidi Barcus' thoughts on servant leadership, a book review by a familiar name and about TBA's public service awards winners.

Following the news that three of the five former Memphis police officers charged in connection with the 2023 death of Tyré Nichols are getting a new federal trial, one of those men now wants to be released from federal custody. Demetrius Haley, who has been in custody since his conviction, now says he should be released. In a request to the court, his lawyer argues that Haley was “fully compliant” with his bond conditions prior to his conviction and is “neither a flight risk nor a danger to others.” In related news, attorneys for others charged in connection with Nichols’ death are arguing the former officers should not be retried on charges they previously were acquitted on. The Daily Memphian has more on both stories.

Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Andy Holt to the position of commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. He currently is the deputy commissioner, a role he was appointed to late last year. Holt previously spent 10 years as a state representative for House District 76 in West Tennessee. He will assume the role on Oct 1, replacing Charlie Hatcher, who is retiring after nearly seven years leading the department and more than 21 years working with the state. In making the announcement, Lee said, “Andy is a committed public servant who brings a personal understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing Tennessee farmers. I’m grateful for his leadership and am confident he will serve Tennesseans with integrity by strengthening rural communities and supporting our agriculture industry.”

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti are appealing a recent court decision that abolished two laws imposing gun restrictions in Tennessee. Skrmetti said in a statement that the ruling will cause "unnecessary confusion and risk," according to the Associated Press. The lower court decision, made by a three-judge panel in late August, invalidated two Tennessee laws: one making it illegal to carry a gun in a park or a similar area without a permit to carry a handgun and one outlawing the offense of carrying a firearm "with the intent to go armed." According to The Tennessean, Skrmetti argued in a statement that the laws are constitutional in many situations. "For example, it’s obviously constitutional to prohibit a ten-year-old from bringing a semiautomatic rifle to a rec league basketball game or a drunk with a shotgun from staggering down Broadway or through Market Square or across Shelby Farms. But the Court’s ruling appears to legalize this in Tennessee. We look forward to the appellate courts providing clarity for citizens and law enforcement.”

Nashville’s Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC (GSRM Law) has named Billy Blackstone as its new managing partner. He replaces Phil Welty, who has served in the role for eight years. "It has been an honor to serve as GSRM Law’s managing member for the past eight years," Welty said. "I am confident that Billy’s leadership will position the firm for continued growth and new opportunities in the years ahead.” Blackstone has worked for the firm since 2023, and focuses his practice on tax, estate and business succession planning. The firm has offices in downtown Nashville and in Franklin. The Nashville Post reported the news.

Monday is the deadline to register to vote in the District 7 special congressional primary election to replace former Rep. Mark Green. The Oct. 7 primary election will determine which of four Democrats and 11 Republicans will represent their respective party in the Dec. 2 general election. Learn more about the candidates here. Visit https://ovr.govote.tn.gov to register to vote.

Federal immigration officials are making arrests from within Tennessee jails at a much higher rate than other states, WPLN reports. A new study from the Prison Policy Initiative ranks Tennessee second only to Texas in the number of people ICE picks up from jail. The data suggests more ICE agents in the state are relying on local police to carry out mass deportations. These arrests have been especially high in Knox County, where the number of people held for ICE jumped from six in January to nearly 50 in April.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently adopted a new set of principles and values defending its role in accrediting law schools. The group reports in a press release that the move is designed to respond to news that the federal government and several states are reviewing reliance on its accreditation system. The document states that the purpose of the accreditation process is to ensure students graduate as “effective, ethical and responsible” lawyers, protect students from “economic exploitation” and legal clients from incompetent practitioners, and support legal innovation while also promoting the rule of law. The document also states that law school standards are not intended to force uniformity among law schools, but set a minimum to ensure quality education. Read the full statement.

The Knoxville Bar Association and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), will hold a Debt Relief Clinic on Sept. 13 to provide pro bono legal services to income-eligible consumer debtors. The clinic will begin at 9 a.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Judge Suzanne Bauknight will present a short overview of the bankruptcy system and then volunteer lawyers will conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Those interested in helping should register online. Clients seeking advice should call 865-637-0484.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Shelby County lawyer Archie Sanders III to the active practice of law on Sept. 3. He had been suspended on May 27 for one year with two months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to conditions. The court noted that the reinstatement is conditioned on continuing compliance with the conditions set forth in the May order.