Tennessee lawmakers passed a new congressional map today, the Daily Memphian reports. The House approved the new map on a 65-24 vote with three present and not voting. The Senate passed the proposal 25-5. The governor signed HB7003/SB7004 today as well. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said the new map “was drawn based on population and politics,” according to the Nashville Banner. Multiple individuals and entities have indicated they will sue, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP of Tennessee — which did file an emergency petition today — and current District 9 Rep. Steve Cohen. The Daily Memphian and Commercial Appeal report on those efforts.

The legislature also passed HB7001/SB7001 with an amendment to set a new filing deadline of May 15 and giving political parties until May 17 to decide whether candidates are qualified to run. Candidates who already qualified under the March 10 deadline do not need to requalify if they run in the same numbered district even if that district has been redrawn. It also passed HB7002/SB7002 to repeal a 1972 state law that prohibited congressional redistricting in between decennial census cycles. The governor signed both of those bills today.

The new map will affect multiple districts, as summarized below.

• District 4, currently represented by Republican Rep. Scott Desjarlais of rural Marion County, would cover the area southeast of Nashville, including Rutherford County, but also pick up a slice of Antioch in Davidson County according to Axios.
• District 5 would no longer include Davidson County but would be reshaped into a sprawling district from the southwest corner of the state in Shelby County all the way to the Kentucky border in the north and then back down into suburban counties south of Nashville. The change means that the district’s incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Ogles no longer would face Democrat Chaz Molder, who would have to run for District 9 if he wants to continue representing his hometown of Columbia, according to the Tennessean. Other parts of Nashville would be divided between two districts, according to Axios.
• The 6th District, represented by Republican Rep. John Rose, would take in a portion of Davidson County and reach into small portions of Sumner County, while the 7th District, currently represented by Republican Rep. Matt Van Epps, would include the bulk of Davidson County.
• The 8th District, currently held by Republican Rep. David Kustoff, would take in the northeastern portion of Shelby County, including Memphis suburbs, and run across rural West Tennessee counties such as Haywood and Madison, ending in Perry County in Middle Tennessee, according to Memphis Flyer.
• The 9th District, which currently includes Memphis and part of Tipton County and is represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, would run across southern Shelby County along the state’s southern border, taking in the eastern part of Maury and Williamson counties, as well as Moore County, according to Memphis Flyer.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission sent one application to the governor to fill a vacancy in the 26th Judicial District Chancery Court, which covers Chester, Henderson and Madison counties. The commission began accepting applications for the vacancy April 21. After the May 6 deadline, only one candidate — Jennifer C. Covellis of Jackson — had applied, leaving the commission unable to provide the governor with the names of three qualified candidates as required by state law. Under state code, the governor may fill the vacancy with any person qualified to serve as a chancery court judge in the district. The vacancy was created when Judge Steven W. Maroney was elevated to the appellate bench.

Knox County Schools is appealing a ruling that found the district violated the rights of a middle school student with autism under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), according to the Knox News. The dispute centers on whether the student should remain at Farragut Middle School or be transferred to Ridgedale Alternative School for additional support. An administrative law judge ruled the district failed to provide the student with a free and appropriate public education, did not adequately address communication needs and violated disability protections by showing “deliberate indifference” to those needs. Court filings also reveal the student was physically restrained dozens of times during the school year. The case is now before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch expressed concern Sunday about ongoing leaks of the court’s internal deliberations, saying the justices need space for “candid conversations” as they consider cases, Reuters reports. Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Gorsuch said transparency is important but argued the court also must preserve private discussions that allow justices to work toward agreement. His comments follow a recent New York Times report detailing leaked memos related to the court’s 2016 action blocking former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. On the issue of public access to the court, Gorsuch pointed to the court’s live audio of oral arguments as an example of transparency and said the public can evaluate justices' views through the court’s written opinions.

The Shelby County Commission will fund a lawsuit over a new state law taking authority over Tennessee's largest school district. During a meeting on May 4, a resolution from Commissioners Mickell Lowery and Matthew Szalaj to give $200,000 from the county’s general fund to Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) was approved on an 8-3 vote. The county chose to fund the lawsuit due to MSCS not being able to, the Commercial Appeal reports. The district already passed a resolution that allows MSCS to hire an attorney to challenge the legislation, but a new state law bars school districts from using public dollars to fight state accountability efforts. That prohibition was signed into law on April 21, the same day MSCS voted to hire legal representation to challenge the takeover.

In recognition of Well-Being Week in Law and Mental Health Awareness Month, the TBA is offering a special CLE package featuring three hours of programming focused on attorney wellness, mindfulness and compassionate lawyering. The package includes sessions on preventing burnout, addressing bias in the legal system and fostering empathy in legal practice through programs such as “Thriving Under Pressure: Mindfulness Techniques to Prevent Burnout and Ensure Ethical Legal Practice,” “The Rookie Series: Compassionate Lawyering” and “Realign — Justice, Well-Being and the Law Addressing Bias.” The offering also coincides with National Treatment Court Month. The TBA has a foundational program on Tennessee’s recovery courts also scheduled. Learn more about that program on the TBA website.

On Wednesday, Chancellor I’Ashea Myles transferred Christa Pike’s legal challenge to Tennessee’s revised lethal injection protocol from Davidson County Chancery Court to the Tennessee Supreme Court, according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. Pike, the only woman currently on death row in the state, argues that the protocol is unconstitutional because it violates her “unique medical conditions.” The state sought to dismiss the case, but Myles ordered it transferred to the high court due to a recent amended rule requiring “collateral litigation” related to the “method or timing” of an execution to be filed with the court. That amendment followed a 2025 ruling in which the high court overturned a Davidson County Chancery Court ruling related to Byron Black’s execution. Pike is on death row for a murder she committed in 1996 when she was 18. Her execution is scheduled for Sept. 30.

Former Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Gerald Skahan died May 5 at age 61. Skahan, who worked as both a private defense attorney and public defender before taking the bench, was first elected in 2014 and became the first judge to preside over the county’s newly established mental health court. He served until 2022, when Judge Sheila Renfroe was elected to the seat. Skahan earned his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1991. After leaving the bench, he served as special assistant for post-conviction litigation in the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Read more in the Daily Memphian. 

Tennessee lawyers will gather in June for the 2026 TBA Annual Convention. This year's CLE lineup, which will offer 8.5 hours of credit, will include a joint program produced by the TBA and the Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers. The session — which will honor Black entrepreneur Marie Van Brittan Brown, the inventor of the first home security system — will examine the balance between governmental interests in public safety and individuals’ constitutional rights to privacy. The discussion will address legal considerations under the Fourth Amendment, including protections against unreasonable searches and seizures, as well as the potential implications of surveillance technologies on First Amendment rights, particularly freedom of speech. The session will take place June 11 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. EDT at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Knoxville. Learn more about the convention and register here.

If you plan to attend the 2026 TBA Convention but have not yet booked your hotel, time is running out! The TBA hotel room block at the Crowne Plaza Knoxville will tomorrow, May 8, at 5 p.m. EDT. Book now to take advantage of our special discounted rate. Can't make it to the full convention? Join colleagues on June 11 for TBA's first-ever Tech Showcase. Day passes for Thursday are now available online.