The next legal clinic for veterans in Knoxville will take place June 11 from 12-2 p.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. This is a general advice clinic sponsored by the Knoxville Bar Association, KBA Barristers, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, the University of Tennessee College of Law, the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office and the local Veterans Affairs office. Attorneys and law students are needed. Sign up to volunteer here.

Whitney Hermandorfer appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday to answer questions about her nomination to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Tennessee’s senior U.S. senator and Senate Judiciary Committee member Marsha Blackburn introduced Hermandorfer and praised her clerkship experience and commitment to originalist jurisprudence, the Nashville Scene reports. Democrats on the committee focused on Hermandorfer’s experience and her position on President Donald Trump’s interpretation of birthright citizenship, according to Reuters. Several also used the hearing to criticize the administration for recently deciding to remove the American Bar Association (ABA) from its role in vetting judicial nominees. Hermandorfer was nominated by Trump in May to fill the seat of outgoing Judge Jane Branstetter Stranch, who plans to take senior status.

The city of Memphis wants to use the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent decision to retract its civil rights investigation into the Memphis Police Department to limit information it has to share with lawyers representing Tyre Nichols’ family and estate in a civil suit, the Daily Memphian reports. The city and Nichols’ attorneys have sparred for months over access to documents the city gave to DOJ as part of the investigation. The city, in court filings, is arguing that DOJ’s recent decision to drop the investigation should keep it from having to hand over the information. As part of its filing, the city provided a letter from Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon that said, in part, “The current Justice Department does not have faith in the previously reported findings in this case. Accordingly, the findings report is withdrawn in its entirety.”

Bar exam officials have released details about the structure and scoring of the new national test set to debut in July 2026, Reuters reports. The NextGen UBE will be significantly shorter than the current Uniform Bar Exam, according to a new test blueprint issued by the National Conference of Bar Examiners. It also will place greater scoring weight on the performance task portion of the test than the existing exam in an effort to rely more on practical legal skills and less on the memorization of laws. The testing time will be shortened from 12 to nine hours comprised of three testing sessions: three hours for 120 multiple choice questions, three hours for integrated questions and three hours for performance tasks. So far, 41 states and territories across the country have announced plans to transition to the new exam. Tennessee will implement it in July 2027.

The U.S. Supreme Court has made it easier for people from majority backgrounds such as white or straight individuals to pursue claims alleging workplace "reverse" discrimination, The Hill reports. The unanimous decision revives an Ohio woman's lawsuit alleging she was illegally denied a promotion and demoted because she is heterosexual. In another recent opinion, the court rejected Mexico’s lawsuit against firearms maker Smith & Wesson. Bloomberg Law has more on that decision.

An inmate at the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, run by CoreCivic, is suing prison officials, alleging they allowed gang members to repeatedly assault and extort him. The federal lawsuit alleges that Charles Anderson was beaten, sexually assaulted, and forced to have his mother and family friends send money to gang members, despite repeatedly asking prison staff for protection. The Tennessee Lookout reports that the complaint claims staff ignored warnings and failed to place him in protective custody, even after severe attacks and a hospital visit. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in 2024 opened an investigation into conditions at the facility; in April, a former Tennessee state trooper sued CoreCivic after he was allegedly beaten by a cellmate there.

Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Rob Philyaw on Tuesday announced that Court Administrator Sam Mairs has retired. Mairs began his career at the court as a probation officer in November 1992 and worked in increasingly responsible positions for over 30 years. Former Juvenile Court Judge Suzanne Bailey had appointed him administrator in March 2011. Philyaw said that during Mairs' tenure, he was “instrumental in several initiatives that directly affect children and families, including Youth Court, Recovery Court, family law mediation and Safe Baby Court ... Under his leadership, we have improved facilities, invested in staff and implemented system changes to meet the needs of Hamilton County’s citizens." Read more from Chattanoogan.com.

After five decades operating as Larry R. Williams PLLC, the Nashville firm announced they have rebranded as The Williams Firm. Jonathan Williams, son of the firm's founder, now serves as owner and lead trial attorney, alongside a legal team including attorney Gregory Hazelwood. "This rebrand isn’t a departure from who we are — it’s a recommitment to our mission," Williams said. "The Williams Firm continues the legacy my father built by providing aggressive, compassionate representation to real people facing real challenges. We remain family-owned, deeply rooted in Nashville and focused on helping clients navigate some of the most difficult moments of their lives." The firm's offices are at 315 Deaderick St., Ste. 1510, Nashville 37238 and can be reached at 615-256-8880 or www.lrwlawfirm.com. Read more in a press release from the firm.

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred Hamilton County lawyer Alan Christopher Norton from the practice of law on June 4. The court reports that Norton consented to disbarment because he could not successfully defend himself against the disciplinary charges. The court found that Norton forged a chancellor’s signature on three court orders, forged the name of a Tennessee attorney on a fake motion, and forged a deposition transcript he provided to his client. These actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 8.4(b) and 8.4(c). The court had suspended him temporarily on Dec. 16, 2024, finding that he posed a threat of substantial harm to the public.

Judge Steve Sword was honored at an investiture ceremony on June 2 following his appointment to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals by Gov. Bill Lee. The ceremony, held in the historic Supreme Court Building in Knoxville, celebrated Sword’s transition to the appellate bench after 14 years of service with the Knox County Criminal Court, WBIR reports. Surrounded by fellow judges, lawmakers and family, Sword reflected on the honor of continuing his judicial service and paid tribute to his wife, children and late predecessor, Judge James Curwood Witt Jr. Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Holly Kirby called Sword “one of our state’s finest.” He was appointed by Lee on Feb. 28 and confirmed by the General Assembly in March.