The TBA will host a one-hour CLE program, “Beyond the Hype: Practical Applications of AI,” on May 19 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT via webcast. The program will provide attorneys with a foundational understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI) works and offer practical ways to incorporate it into their practice. The session will be led by John Haines, an East Tennessee attorney who focuses on divorce and family law and has a strong interest in using technology to improve efficiency and accessibility in legal practice. For more information and to register visit the TBA website.

Warren County is launching a Safe Baby Court program aimed at reducing dependency and neglect cases while helping safely reunite children with their families through a collaborative, community-based approach, the Herald Citizen reports. A public kickoff event is scheduled for May 12 at the Warren County Courthouse. Led by General Sessions Judge Ryan J. Moore in partnership with the Tennessee General Assembly, the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and other local organizations, the specialty court will serve children ages five and younger and their siblings involved in dependency and neglect proceedings. The program emphasizes coordinated services, accountability and early intervention to improve long-term outcomes for children and families. Tennessee established its Safe Baby Court program in 2017. By June of this year, there will be 32 sites statewide.

Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Kyle Hixson of Knoxville will be sworn in as a justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court on July 7 at the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville. Gov. Bill Lee will administer the oath of office. Hixson will become the newest and youngest member of the court and will join Justice Dwight Tarwater as the second member of the five-member court from Knox County, according to Knox News. The ceremony is open to the public. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court by Lee, Hixson served as a Knox County Criminal Court judge and as an appellate criminal court judge. The General Assembly confirmed his nomination in March.

A retired FBI analyst has sued the City of Knoxville and a local police officer after saying she was wrongfully arrested and charged with driving under the influence following a minor crash last year. According to Knox News, the federal lawsuit was filed April 27 by the Nashville law firm of Brazil Clark PLLC on behalf of Allison Tsiumis. The suit alleges that a Knox Police Department (KPD) officer incorrectly administered field sobriety tests and fabricated evidence in the affidavit filed about the incident. Tsiumis is suing both the city and the KPD officer for unlawful arrest and malicious prosecution, asserting that her constitutionally guaranteed 14th Amendment rights were violated. KPD has opened an internal investigation into the allegations according to the paper.

The College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers (CWCL) recently inducted Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board Presiding Judge Timothy Conner and Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims Judge Pamela B. Johnson as fellows of the group on April 18 in Tucson, Arizona. Conner and Johnson were appointed to the bench in 2014 as some of the first judges to serve on their respective newly created courts. Both are active in the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary and in the Knoxville community. They join Chief Judge Kenneth Switzer and Judge Brian Addington as CWCL fellows from Tennessee courts.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has moved to intervene in the federal civil lawsuit filed by RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols, after the court ordered Wells’ attorneys to disclose communications with the DOJ related to the lawsuit and the department’s pattern-and-practice investigation into the Memphis Police Department. According to the Commercial Appeal, the DOJ’s motion proposes submitting the communications in question to a judge for private review to determine whether they fall within the scope of the court’s order before releasing to the City of Memphis. Attorneys for the city opposed the motion, arguing the communications are subject to discovery obligations. Meanwhile, Wells’ attorneys have requested a status conference to discuss reopening discovery, a new scheduling order, the stay involving the former Memphis police officers charged in the case and multiple sealed filings.

Tennessee lawyers will gather in June for the 2026 TBA Annual Convention, This year's CLE lineup will offer 8.5 hours of credit. Among the sessions to be offered is “12 Time Management Things Attorneys Should Do, But Don’t” presented by attorney and productivity consultant Paul Unger of the Affinity Consulting Group. The program will focus on practical strategies attorneys can use to improve workflow, reduce stress and increase efficiency through better time management and productivity tools. Affinity is a member benefit parter with the TBA. Check out all of the resources they offer at TBA's Law Firm in a Box. More information about the 2026 Convention and the registration form are online.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a bipartisan coalition of states in announcing a proposed settlement with Agri Stats Inc. to resolve allegations that the company illegally increased prices for chicken, pork and turkey products. According to a press release, the proposed settlement would prohibit Agri Stats from continuing several of the practices challenged in the lawsuit and impose safeguards intended to restore competition, lower prices and increase transparency in meat markets. In 2023, Tennessee joined the DOJ and other states in filing an antitrust suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota alleging Agri Stats facilitated anticompetitive information exchanges among meat processors by collecting and distributing detailed nonpublic pricing, cost, labor and production data among competitors. The proposed settlement remains subject to approval by the court following a public comment period.

The Tennessee State High School Mock Trial champion team from Agathos Classical School in Columbia earned an impressive third-place finish at the national competition in Des Moines, Iowa, last week. The team opened the tournament with victories over competitors from Guam, Iowa and Pennsylvania before narrowly falling to Utah in the fourth round — their only loss of the season — by the vote of a single juror. Coached by Jason Whatley, Cory Ricci and Luke Worsham, the school is celebrating its 10th season. It captured the Tennessee State Championship for the third time in March. The team previously earned a third place national finish before winning the national championship in 2019. In addition, Manhattan Thouin was recognized as one of the competition’s top attorneys. The teams from Florida and Georgia took first and second place respectively. To learn more about the mock trial competition sponsored by the TBA Young Lawyers Division, visit the TBA website. See photos from the national competition.

TBA's solo health plan keeps getting better. Three new affordable plan options have been added, bringing the total to seven plans available exclusively to TBA solo members. Whether looking for low premiums, low deductibles or an HSA-compatible option, there's a plan built for your budget. Monthly enrollment is available. Explore the options and enroll today.