The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) gathered last week at the TBA's 2026 Annual Convention in Knoxville. On Friday, the traditional gavel pass and toast were held in conjunction with the Tennessee Bar Foundation as Memphis attorney Jennifer Sneed-Perry took office as YLD president. Others taking office were President-elect Darius Walker Jr. of Nashville, Vice President Judge Zachary Walden of Jacksboro, Secretary Patrick Morrison of Nashville and Treasurer Ashley Tipton of Nashville. The group also held its Annual Meeting. The 2026-2027 Board met on Saturday for a wellness walk to the Tennessee River, and held committee planning sessions and its first board meeting where Bronte Ward and Renee Austin were elected as district representatives. On Friday evening, both the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 boards met for dinner at the Sunsphere. They were joined by the YLD Fellows for the induction of new fellows, members of the Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) Class of 2026 for their graduation and the Rural Judicial Fellows (RJF) Class of 2026. Outgoing YLD President Judge Alex McVeagh also presented awards to members for extraordinary service over the past year. Read more about those honored and see photos.

Several events are planned in Memphis this week to mark the 2026 Juneteenth celebration. The Douglass Freedom & Heritage Festival will take place June 18-20 in North Memphis' historic Douglass Park. The National Civil Rights Museum is offering free admission on June 19 until 2 p.m. CDT, including the museum's recently reopened "Legacy Experience," which focuses on the civil rights movement since the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The museum also this month launched the Bayard Rustin Institute to honor a trusted advisor to King who engineered the 1963 March on Washington. Also on June 19, the The Four Way Soul Food Restaurant will hold a special outdoor event. On June 20, the Elmwood Cemetery will hold a walking tour, the Black Farmers Market will take place and a festival will be held at Martyrs Park. Get details about these events in the Commercial Appeal and the Daily Memphian.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will host an event on June 25 with former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander. The event will take place from 3-5 p.m. CDT in the Gordon Ball Reading Room. According to the law school, Alexander will present a “fascinating look into his journey navigating the political landscape from JFK to Trump.” In addition, the event will feature a fireside chat with several friends of the senator, including Bill Gibbons — executive director of the Public Safety Institute at the University of Memphis, former Shelby County district attorney and former special policy assistant to Alexander when he served as governor of Tennessee —and Buck Wellford, a shareholder at Baker Donelson. The event will wrap up with a Q&A session. The first 75 people to register will receive a free copy of Alexander's new book, "The Education of a Senator: From JFK to Trump," thanks to the generous support of Baker Donelson. Learn more or register online.

Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer, also a former county commissioner, was charged on six federal counts including wire fraud, money laundering, theft concerning programs receiving federal funds, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering enterprises. She was arrested and appeared in federal court, the Commercial Appeal reports. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Sawyer allegedly embezzled and stole $44,607.35 in public funds for her own use. The office also said she used procurement cards issued to other county employees, a county travel card and obtained travel advances. Sawyer was released on her own recognizance. Read more in a press release from the U.S. attorney or view the indictment.

Tennessee’s private-prison operator is paying the cost of equipping officers with body cams at the Trousdale Turner facility, Tennessee Lookout reports. State Sen. Tom Hatcher, R-Maryville, who chairs the Senate Corrections Subcommittee, confirmed that Core Civic has agreed to pay an estimated $350,000 for the body cameras and related equipment after the legislature called on the company to increase transparency at the facility. But some argue the body cams will not address underlying security issues. Core Civic came under fire last year for a riot at the facility last year. Three inmates suffered minor injuries and a staff member was stabbed in the incident. The facility also has been under a federal civil rights investigation by the Department of Justice for prisoner deaths and other issues.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has selected his second and final appointee to the state’s Memphis-Shelby County Schools takeover board, completing the body. The Daily Memphian reports that he named Karen Vogelsang, a former Memphis elementary school teacher and Tennessee Teacher of the Year, to the board. The first meeting of the new board is set for Thursday in Nashville. The city and the previous school board previously said they would sue over the takeover legislation.

Prediction platform Kalshi Inc. is facing a federal class action for allegedly sharing user activity with Google LLC and LinkedIn Corp., according to Bloomberg Law. According to the suit, Kalshi violated the federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act by disclosing personally identifiable information of users to third party platforms. The suit alleges that the company embedded tracking pixels on its website to secretly transmit data, included user identities, private financial information, website browsing history and specific wagers.

The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority Board of Commissioners is weighing joining Nashville in its federal lawsuit against the state over HB2507, which Gov. Bill Lee signed into law last month. The bill gives the state authority over the airport authorities in Nashville and four other cities. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell announced last week that the city and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board filed a new lawsuit to block the state's latest attempt to control the airport authority's board of directors. The Tennessee Journal reports on the Chattanooga board’s consideration.

Holland & Knight announced yesterday that it has moved its Nashville office to Symphony Place. The firm will occupy seven floors and 145,000 square feet, making it the anchor tenant of the SoBro building."Our move to Symphony Place reflects our commitment to Nashville's long-term growth, as well as our confidence in the city as an epicenter for healthcare, innovation, professional services and business more broadly," said Chair and Chief Executive Officer Bob Grammig. The move, which the firm first announced in 2025, is the next milestone in its Tennessee presence, which began when it combined with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis in 2023. Known for its health care work, the firm also serves clients in manufacturing, real estate, hospitality, technology, finance and private equity.

Members of the 2026 TBA Leadership Law class (TBALL) selected Nashville lawyer Christopher M. Bellamy as this year’s recipient of the Larry Dean Wilks Leadership Award. Bellamy is a partner in the Nashville office of Fisher Phillips, where he focuses on labor and employment matters. He was honored during the group’s graduation ceremonies in Knoxville last week as part of the TBA Annual Convention. The class has spent the last six months learning about leadership in the legal profession, issues in the courts, policymaking in state government and the importance of community service. The award is named for former TBA president and Springfield lawyer Larry Wilks, who was instrumental in creating the TBALL program. It is given each year to the class member who exemplifies exceptional leadership qualities and enhances the education of others. Wilks' son John was on hand to present the award. Learn more about the Wilks Award and see past recipients.