TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) outgoing President Sean Aiello presented a number of awards at the group’s annual board dinner in Franklin. The President's Award was given to Nashville attorney Patrick Morrison for his work on developing the YLD CLE Exploration Series and as the division’s health and wellness coordinator. The Public Service Award was presented to Nashville attorney Ashley Tipton for her expansion of the high school mock trial program and to Nashville attorney Alix Rogers and Eighth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Zack Walden for implementation of the YLD's first Rural Judicial Fellows Program. Six board members also were recognized with Star of the Quarter Awards. Read more about these recognitions. Law student members of the 2025 Diversity Leadership Institute class also attended the dinner and were recognized for completing the program. Earlier in the day, law student members of the Rural Judicial Fellows met with justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court. See photos from that gathering.

A news item in Wednesday’s issue of TBA Today about the Environmental Law Section’s 2025 Jon E. Hastings Memorial Award Writing Competition incorrectly identified the law school of one submission. Logan Hawkins attends the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The Nashville office of Thompson Burton has signed a lease to expand its Midtown office space by approximately 16,000 square feet, adding a full floor to its footprint at 1801 West End Ave., the Nashville Business Journal reports. Founded in 2012 by Walt Burton and Kevin Thompson, the firm has has offices in Franklin, Huntsville, Alabama, and Washington, D.C. The Nashville office opened in 2019 with about 5,000 square feet and now occupies more than six times that amount. “We're bursting at the seams right now. This will add space for hopefully another 25 lawyers,” Burton told the Business Journal. “This will give us runway to grow for the next few years, which we really haven't had in a while because physical space has been a confinement of that.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was scheduled to sign an executive order today limiting solitary confinement within the Shelby County Division of Corrections during a ceremony at the County Corrections Center. Harris’ order reportedly would cap solitary confinement at 15 days and require that individuals held in isolation be allowed out of their cells for at least two hours per day, The Daily Memphian reports. Harris plans to follow the executive order with a proposed ordinance, which he will present to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners to codify the policy change. The new limits are part of a broader reform package that includes a point system for infractions, incentives for good behavior, rehabilitation programs, and a contract system in which inmates agree to work toward better outcomes.

President Donald Trump will sign executive order this week again extending the deadline for TikTok’s parent company to divest from the video-sharing app. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the news Tuesday, according to The Hill. The expected order would mark the third extension since Trump took office in January. “This extension will last 90 days, which the administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure,” Leavitt said. Her confirmation of the news came just hours after Trump said he likely would extend the deadline to prevent a ban on TikTok from taking effect in the United States.

The TBA offices will be closed Thursday for Juneteenth, a federal and state holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Specifically, it marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned they were free, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued. The TBA will reopen on Friday at 8 a.m. CDT. Staff information, including emails and direct phone lines, can be accessed on the TBA website.

Family law attorney K.O. Herston will lead “The Art of the Family Law Consultation” webcast on June 26 offering practical guidance for attorneys on how to conduct effective client consultations. The seminar will cover strategies for efficient and empathetic intake and managing consultations to build trust and rapport. Designed for both new and experienced practitioners, the program aims to improve consultation skills and boost client retention. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met in Knoxville to select nominees for a criminal court judgeship in the 6th Judicial District, which covers Knox County. Following a public hearing and interviews of eight candidates, the commission selected three to forward to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. They are Emily F. Abbott, J. Franklin Ammons and Cashauna C. Lattimore. More information about the nominees is posted on the Administrative Office of the Courts' website.

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld Tennessee’s law restricting certain gender-transition treatments for minors, rejecting a legal challenge brought by three transgender adolescents, their families and a Memphis-based medical provider. In a 6-3 decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti, the court sided with Tennessee and dismissed claims that the law — which bans puberty blockers and hormone therapies for individuals under 18 — violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause, National Public Radio reports. The case originated from a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Tennessee, Lambda Legal and the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP following passage of SB1/HB1. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said the court’s role is to determine whether the law complies with the Constitution, not to weigh its policy merits. The justices found that the law does not discriminate on the basis of sex or transgender status and thus does not require heightened judicial scrutiny. Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored a dissent saying the decison would cause "untold harm to transgender children and the parents and families who love them.” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti reacted to the ruling in a press release saying, “In [this] historic Supreme Court win, the common sense of Tennessee voters prevailed over judicial activism.” In contrast, Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Tennessee, said, “We will continue to stand with transgender people in Tennessee and are committed to realizing a world where all people belong, are valued, and can access the necessary healthcare they need.”

Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Alex McVeagh took office as president of the TBA’s Young Lawyers Division (YLD) at the group's Annual Convention meeting in Franklin. He plans to focus on supporting recovery courts in the state and offering a Leadership & Law Academy for high school students. Joining him in leadership of the division is President-elect Jennifer Sneed of Memphis, Vice President Darius Walker Jr. of Nashville, Secretary Judge Zachary Walden of Jacksboro and Treasurer Ashley Tipton of Nashville. During the Lawyers Luncheon, McVeagh thanked outgoing president Sean Aiello for his year of service and honored the mock trial team from Montgomery Bell Academy, which won this year’s state and national high school mock trial competitions. Also during the convention, the YLD held its Annual Meeting and a CLE program on the state of DEI in the legal profession. The YLD Board met on Saturday for committee planning sessions and its first meeting of the new bar year. See the full list of board members.