Committees in both the state House and Senate considered several bills today to advance the special session, called by Gov. Bill Lee to redraw the state’s congressional map. Committees in both chambers passed HB7003/SB7004, allowing the legislature to change congressional districts outside of the regular 10-year cycle, and HB7005/SB7005, which provides funding for the special session. Republican leaders released a proposed map this morning that would split the 9th Congressional District, which covers Shelby County, into three parts. One section would be added to the 5th District, one would be added to the 8th District. The remaining section would become the new 9th District. The Daily Memphian has more on the day’s proceedings and a breakdown of the changes. The current 9th District has the state’s highest concentration of Black voters and is represented by the state’s sole Democratic member of Congress.

The May/June issue of the Tennessee Bar Journal is now online and arriving in mailboxes soon. This is the annual access to justice-focused issue, and who better to grace the cover but retiring Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby? Justice Kirby has been a staunch advocate for ATJ-related issues across the state, and her longtime friend Linda Warren Seely captures her commitment to this important work and her sense of fairness in this profile. Additionally, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services Executive Director Laura Brown shares an update on Legal Services Corporation funding. TBA President Heidi Barcus focuses her final president's column on compassion in the legal profession, John Day looks at wrongful death lawsuit outcomes in "Day on Torts" and Ward Phillips and Brandon Morrow unpack remote work and employment disputes. Read about about Mock Trial winners, say farewell to a columnist and much more. Enjoy!

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has received four applications for a vacancy in the 1st Judicial District following the appointment of Judge Stacy Street to the Court of Criminal Appeals. The applicants for the criminal court vacancy are: Elizabethton Assistant Public Defender Mark A. Fulks, Blountville Assistant Public Defender Tessa Nichole Lunceford, Unicoi County General Sessions Judge Robert Mitchell Manuel and Jonesborough Assistant District Attorney Lawrence Scott Shults. The public hearing for this position will be held June 4 at 9 a.m. EDT at the George P. Jaynes Justice Center, 108 West Jackson Blvd., Jonesborough 37659. Any member of the public may attend the public hearing and can express, orally or in writing, objections concerning applicant(s) for the judicial vacancy. Contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson at the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) at John.Jefferson@tncourts.gov or 615-741-2687 with questions. Read more in a press release from the AOC. The 1st Judicial District covers Carter, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 5 dismissed a reinstatement petition filed by Georgia lawyer Meredith Gardial. On Feb. 23, Gardial filed a petition to reinstate her Tennessee law license. The Board of Professional Responsibility opposed the petition, noting that she had outstanding requirements with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. On March 17, the court directed Gardial to satisfy those requirements by May 1 or face dismissal of her petition. It now reports that Gardial has not satisfied those requirements. It dismissed the petition without prejudice so she can refile once she completes all outstanding CLE obligations.

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners today nominated by acclamation Willis Lincoln "TJ" Hardaway III to fill his father's seat in Tennessee House District 93. Democratic State Rep. G.A. Hardaway died on April 24. "This could not have been better timing. Last year, I spent various moments one on one with my father, for no other reason other than wanting to know more about the man ... turns out I already knew the man because I already know myself," Hardaway said. The Commercial Appeal reports that the commission moved quickly to fill the seat due to the specially-called legislative session focused on redrawing the state’s congressional map, including the state’s last Democrat-controlled district in Memphis. TJ Hardaway will travel to Nashville tonight to be sworn in.

Alabama has joined Texas and Florida in removing the American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited law school graduation requirement for bar exam eligibility, part of a broader push to reduce the ABA's influence over lawyer licensing. Reuters reports that the move stems from an ongoing conflict between the ABA and the Trump administration over a number of issues. The U.S. Department of Education also is reviewing whether to strip the ABA of its official law school accreditor status. Tennessee is weighing a similar change, framing it as an access-to-justice issue, and received backing from both the FTC and DOJ's Antitrust Division, who argued the ABA's outsized role limits the supply of lawyers and drives up costs. The ABA maintains that national accreditation is the "gold standard" and prevents a state-by-state patchwork of requirements. Read the TBA's comment filed April 30 with the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Save the date for this year's Elder Law Forum, the premier event for Tennessee senior-centric lawyers. Join speakers Amy Bryant, Barbara Moss, Beverly Sharpe, Jon Toy and Karl Warden on July 17 at the Nashville School of Law for sessions on conservatorships, fraud concerns, guardians ad litem, special needs trusts, ethics and more. For more information and to register, visit the TBA's website.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it will return Rep. Andy Ogles', R-Tennessee, cellphone and destroy data obtained from it and his Google account, a move some say effectively closes its investigation into Ogles' campaign finances. The FBI had seized the phone in August 2024 over discrepancies in Ogles' campaign finance filings — specifically, a reported $320,000 loan to his campaign that was later amended to just $20,000 — but had agreed not to review its contents while Ogles challenged the seizure in court. The probe, which began under the Biden administration, had stalled awaiting a judge's ruling and never advanced to charges, according to the Associated Press. Ogles said in a statement that the DOJ "has effectively acknowledged I was right," He still faces a separate House Ethics Committee investigation.

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law (LMU Law) will welcome Chancellor Christopher D. Heagerty as its commencement speaker during the law school’s graduation ceremony, tomorrow at 4 p.m. EDT. This 14th graduating class is the largest in the law school’s history at 105 graduates. Heagerty was appointed to the Knox County Chancery Court, Division III in 2021 by Gov. Bill Lee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law in 1994. After a clerkship with Hodges, Doughty & Carson during law school, he was hired by the Carpenter & O’Connor firm, where he worked for six years as an associate and four years as a partner. He then practiced with Hodges, Doughty & Carson from 2004 to 2015, handling mostly civil litigation. He started his own firm in 2015, and a large percentage of his practice was in litigation cases. Heagerty has served as an adjunct professor at LMU Law and at Winston College of Law. Read more in a press release.

FisherBroyles, a law firm with an international presence, has opened an office in Nashville with the addition of corporate attorney Stacey Garrett Koju. FisherBroyles partner Ken Cutshaw will join Koju in launching the Nashville office. “Expanding our geographic footprint with attorneys as sophisticated and proven as Stacey and Ken demonstrates our firm’s commitment to providing clients with exceptional counsel and guidance where and when it’s needed, reinforcing the advantages of our distributed model and its continued growth,” said James Fisher II, cofounder and managing partner of the firm. Read more in a press release. The office is located at 222 2nd Ave. S., 17th Floor, Nashville 37201 and can be reached at 866-211-5914.