Diversity Lab, a legal industry organization focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, is shutting down after facing funding pressures tied to scrutiny from the Trump administration, according to Bloomberg Law. The closure comes nearly four months after the group paused a core DEI program and furloughed most staff, citing depleted operating funds as it responded to federal actions. Diversity Lab, founded in 2013, is best known for the Mansfield Rule, which encouraged law firms to consider at least 30% of qualified underrepresented attorneys for hiring and promotion opportunities. The Trump administration has targeted DEI initiatives broadly, including the Mansfield Rule, arguing such programs may unlawfully consider race or sex in hiring decisions. Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson has also warned law firms about participation in the program, while critics of DEI efforts have argued they are inconsistent with federal anti-discrimination laws.

Deadlines for winter storm financial assistance are approaching. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, residents have until Wednesday to apply both for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Small Business Administration disaster assistance related to the January ice storm in Nashville. The local in-person disaster recovery center closed over the weekend, but individuals can still visit www.disasterassistance.gov to apply for funding for home repairs, temporary housing expenses and other costs associated with the storm. Find more information, including about assistance for business owners, click here.

The TBA will host its 2026 Elder Law Forum on July 17 at the Nashville School of Law, offering attorneys a full day of continuing legal education focused on issues affecting older adults and vulnerable populations. The program will feature sessions on conservatorships, fraud prevention, guardians ad litem, special needs trusts, ethics and related topics, with presentations from practitioners and professionals across the state. For more information, visit the TBA website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Kentucky lawyer Natalie Talmage Stuart to the practice of law in Tennessee on May 28. Stuart had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on May 22, 2015. She filed a petition for reinstatement, which the court found satisfactory. The court issued the order on May 2.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on June 4 conditioned reinstatement of Maine attorney John Christian Wright’s law license on completion of required continuing legal education (CLE) hours and payment of the professional privilege tax. Wright filed a petition for reinstatement on May 20. The court directed Wright to satisfy outstanding requirements by July 20 or face dismissal of the petition.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on June 5 conditioned reinstatement of Arizona attorney Katrina Jewett's law license on completion of outstanding continuing legal education (CLE) hours. Wright filed a petition for reinstatement on May 26. The court directed Wright to satisfy these requirements by July 20 or face dismissal of the petition.

Thank you to the following technology companies that are participating in this year's Tech Showcase set for Thursday in Knoxville: Arbor AI, Big Cloud Consultants, Clio, Digital Ideation Group, Easy IT Guys, LexisNexis, Lexitas, Our Family Wizard, Paladin, Scipio Technologies, Verbotics AI and Writly. Check out our sponsor page for more information on these companies and make plans to visit with them during this week's event. Pre-registration has closed but on-site registration will be available. Can't make the full convention? TBA also is selling day passes for Thursday. A showcase ticket includes 3.5 hours of legal tech CLE, lunch, choice of Lunch & Learn break out session and access to vendors in the Tech Showcase Exhibit Hall. Day passes can be purchased at the TBA Registration Desk on the second floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

The TBA’s 145th Annual Convention will kick off Wednesday in Knoxville. Pre-registration has closed but on-site registration will be available at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville. The TBA Registration Desk will be located on the second floor of the hotel. Tickets also will be available for individual events and Thursday’s Tech Showcase, which will include 3.5 hours of legal tech CLE, lunch and choice of Lunch & Learn breakout session. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues from across the state!

Thank you as well to the sponsors who have helped underwrite the costs of this year's convention! Thank you to Platinum Sponsor Miles Mediation & Arbitration; Silver Sponsors Lexitas, SoFi and TBA Member Insurance Solutions; Bronze Sponsors Clio, Easy IT Guys, JAMS, LexisNexis, Pinnacle Financial Partners and The Bar Plan; and Copper Sponsors Conservatorship Association of Tennessee, Duck Hunts Medical Records Retrieval, Esquire Deposition Solutions, Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) and Time Miner. Check out our sponsor page for more information on these companies and make plans to visit with many of them this week.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn are criticizing a proposed $735,000 allocation in Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's fiscal year 2027 budget for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), according to the Tennessean. In a social media post, Sexton said the Tennessee Comptroller's Office and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference are reviewing the funding for compliance with state law while Blackburn is urging Nashville council members to reject the funding, describing TIRRC as a "pro-illegal alien nonprofit." TIRRC officials and the mayor's office are defending the allocation, noting the organization provides legal services and support for immigrants and refugees and has received city funding for years.

Knox County Board of Education members voted 5-4 on Friday to ask the Tennessee General Assembly to revise the state's Age-Appropriate Materials Act after the law led to the temporary removal of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Roots" from school libraries, according to Tennessee Lookout. The resolution requests that lawmakers restore contextual review of challenged books, extend the review period from 60 to 90 days, and create age-specific standards for library materials. The action follows Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk's decision to reinstate "Roots" after determining legal experts disagree on how the law should be interpreted. The novel had been removed after a review committee found that a passage depicting the rape of an enslaved woman met the law's criteria for prohibited content.