The Tennessee Supreme Court on June 9 issued an order granting permission for the Board of Professional Responsibility to file a response to Brian Kirk Kelsey’s filing seeking immediate reinstatement. It also allowed Kelsey to file a response to the board’s response if he chooses to do so. The court suspended Kelsey from the practice of law in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to an illegal campaign finance scheme. President Donald Trump pardoned Kelsey in March.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on June 3 directed Davidson County attorney Carrie Archie Russell to complete outstanding requirements with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) after she filed a petition for reinstatement. The court ruled that if the outstanding obligations are not satisfied by July 17, it will dismiss the petition for reinstatement.

The Rutherford County Library Board has reversed its decision to ban books on transgender topics, according to the Daily News Journal. The change comes after board members were counseled they likely would lose any First Amendment-based legal challenges. Board member Cody York, who had presented the ban as a way of protecting children, said he will make it a priority to craft new policies on the issue when he assumes the board chair position next month. In 2023, the board voted to remove four young adult books. The Rutherford County Board of Education also has taken action against certain books in 2024 and 2025.

Knoxville lawyer Donald Eugene Ray, 89, died June 2 after a lengthy battle with cancer. A graduate of the law school at the University of Wisconsin, Ray served four years with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps and later worked as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Energy at Oak Ridge and in Ohio and with Lockheed Martin in Ohio and Oak Ridge. He volunteered for several charities in the Knoxville area including Lions Club, Foster Care Review Board, Domestic Violence Shelter Board and America's Promise mentoring program.

The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law has announced the appointment of Joan Heminway as director of the Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law, effective Aug. 1. Founded in 1995, the center was created to strengthen business law education the law school. Currently the Rick Rose Distinguished Professor of Law, Heminway joined the law school faculty in 2000 and has been closely involved with the center’s growth and success, according to a release from the school. She replaces George Kuney, who served in the role for 24 years and retired in 2024, and associate professor of law Brian Krumm, who served as interim director. KnoxTNToday has the story.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton last week called for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell to rescind an executive order requiring the city to report interactions with federal immigration authorities. In a statement issued on Thursday, Sexton said the order forces city employees "to act as big brother." O'Connell is defending the executive order saying it is an "appropriate, transparent measure." Axios Nashville has more on the issue.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man whose deportation to El Salvador made him a flashpoint in the administration’s immigration policy, has been indicted in federal court in the Middle District of Tennessee on conspiracy to transport undocumented immigrants and MS-13 gang members into the United States. The Tennessean reports that Abrego Garcia was returned to the states on Friday and appeared in an after-hours court hearing in Nashville. He will be arraigned on Friday. The U.S. Department of Justice says Abrego Garcia played a significant role in a nine-year smuggling ring. "He made over 100 trips, the grand jury found, smuggling people throughout our country … This is especially disturbing because Abrego Garcia is also alleged with transporting minor children," Attorney General Pam Bondi said at a news conference. In 2022, the Tennessee Highway Patrol pulled over a Chevrolet Suburban driven by Abrego Garcia on Interstate 40 in Putnam County. “There were nine additional passengers in the Suburban, all of whom were Hispanic males, and none of whom had any identification,” the indictment alleges. Abrego Garcia’s attorney called the charges an “abuse of power.”

Among the many social events providing opportunities for convention attendees to connect and network with colleagues will be a reception hosted by the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC). The event, scheduled for Friday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. CDT, will honor the group’s 2025 Pro Bono Award Recipients and provide an opportunity to learn more about the incredible work and lasting impact of the individuals. It will take place at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in the Saddlebred/Highland Room. For more information about the event, please contact TJC Development Manager Aleena Robinson at arobinson@tnjustice.org. Learn more about the 2025 Annual Convention. Pre-registration has closed but full registration and individual tickets may be purchased on site from the TBA Registration Desk, which will be located in the hotel's conference center.

Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday signed into law legislation aimed at combating AI-generated child pornography, according to Local Memphis.com. The law criminalizes the possession, distribution or production of software or technology designed to create AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Penalties include a Class E felony for possession, a Class C felony for distribution and a Class B felony for production. Lawmakers said the measure is intended to address the misuse of artificial intelligence and protect minors from exploitation, while equipping law enforcement with tools to address the growing threat. The law takes effect July 1.

A federal judge on Wednesday ruled that a group of Venezuelans deported to a Salvadoran prison under the Alien Enemies Act must be given a legal avenue to contest the Trump administration’s accusations that they are gang members, according to The Hill. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg did not specify the steps the administration must take but said it violated due process rights by failing to allow the migrants to challenge their removal before being sent to CECOT, a high-security Salvadoran prison. The Trump administration has argued it lacks the ability to secure the return of anyone held at the facility, and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has said he will not return individuals sent there under regular immigration authorities. While Boasberg acknowledged the administration may have lawfully invoked the rarely used Alien Enemies Act — as another judge has ruled — he emphasized that the deportees were denied basic legal protections and cited evidence suggesting many have no gang affiliation. He gave the administration one week to propose a compliance plan.