April is Help4TNMonth, an annual public awareness campaign to highlight the need for free and reduced fee legal services in Tennessee and spotlight organizations that provide these services throughout the year. The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Initiative is sharing updates via the Help4TNMonth digital campaign and calendar of events. For 2025, the initiative is focused on providing information for the public on “the where, why and how of legal resources across Tennessee.”

A former member of the Tennessee Inmate Disciplinary Oversight Board pleaded guilty to aggravated statutory rape Monday morning. According to the Commercial Appeal, Vanessa Murtaugh was indicted on one count of statutory rape by an authority figure and one count of aggravated rape. She resigned from her position on the board the next day. If convicted of both counts at trial, she could have faced 10 to 16 years in prison. Instead, under the plea deal, Murtaugh will serve four years of diversion and register as a sex offender.

After firing one Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board member last month, the Trump administration now has fired board chair Joe Ritch, a Huntsville, Alabama, lawyer and community leader. The move leaves the governing body of the nation's largest public power provider with four members, which does not constitute a quorum, Knox News reports. The board voted at its February meeting to make Bill Renick of Mississippi its next chair, effective in May or earlier if Ritch was unable to fulfill his duties. Ritch, nominated for a second term by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2022, was set to serve until May 18. The federally owned and self-funded utility was created by Congress during the Great Depression. It produces electricity for 10 million people across seven Southeast states and provides economic development and environmental stewardship to the Tennessee Valley.

Three University of Tennessee at Knoxville students and one former student working on campus are at risk of deportation due to changes made by the federal government to their immigration status, according to an email Chancellor Donde Plowman sent Friday to the campus community. The university discovered the changes in a federal immigration database that processes documents for international students and exchange visitors, Knox News reports. The status change occurred after the students were identified in a criminal records check, making them ineligible to be enrolled or employed at the school and placing them at risk of deportation. UT found one student had been granted judicial diversion for a property crime, and another had been charged with DUI. The university has not determined the cause of the status change for the other two individuals. "The Center for Global Engagement’s International Student and Scholar Services is working to support these individuals as we continue to work to fully understand their situations," Plowman said in the email.

The U.S. Copyright Office has released Part 2 of its Report on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (AI), addressing the copyrightability of AI-generated works. The report maintains that human authorship and creativity remain essential to obtaining copyright protection for works involving materials created by artificial intelligence. Part 1, released last summer, discusses legal and policy issues related to AI and digital replicas, while Part 2 analyzes the type and degree of human contributions needed to bring AI-generated works under U.S. copyright protection. The report also explores how other countries are approaching the copyrightability of AI-generated content and the policy implications of providing additional legal protection for such material, Reuters reports. The office's AI initiative, launched in 2023, aims to issue registration guidance for works incorporating AI-generated content.

Last week, Gov. Bill Lee and other officials toured areas in Selmer hit by tornadoes and flooding that devastated countless homes, News Channel 9 reports. Lee declared a state of emergency Wednesday in anticipation of the storm, and President Donald Trump issued an emergency declaration for federal funding to provide aid. "There are confirmations of deaths across the state, but we also know there are potential other deaths that have not been confirmed ... It's too early to know," Lee said. As of Saturday, the Tennessee Department of Health confirmed 10 weather-related deaths, and nearly 62,000 people were without power in Middle Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. Read more from the governor's office.

The Tennessee Department of Treasury’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Program has provided more than $350 million in assistance to victims of violent crime since its inception in 1982. Financial aid has helped cover expenses such as medical bills, lost wages and mental health counseling. As part of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which runs April 21-27, the program is joining organizations across the country to raise awareness of victims' rights, inspire communities and address unmet needs. State Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. said in a press release that the office aims to increase awareness of online training resources to financially assist victims of crime. Tennesseans are encouraged to review the criminal injuries training available on the department's website.

The Franklin office building that once housed IRS employees is now listed for sale, with an undisclosed asking price. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated the IRS lease for the building at the start of March, Williamson Scene reports. A CoStar listing appeared on March 12, and a sign outside the building indicates it is available for sale or lease. According to the DOGE website, the lease termination resulted in a savings of $31.95 million, with the annual lease cost being $4.6 million. A dozen federal offices in Tennessee, including the Social Security Administration office in Nashville, are scheduled for lease termination.

Attorneys are needed to assist with a Free Legal Advice Clinic from 9-11 a.m. EDT on April 5 at Good Samaritan Ministries, 100 N. Roan St., Johnson City 37601. Volunteers will help answer legal questions for individuals in need. Attorneys interested in volunteering should email Thomas Smith at tsmith@garzalaw.com.

The Memphis Police Department has withdrawn its accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), a credentialing organization that ensures law enforcement agencies meet professional standards, The Daily Memphian reports. CALEA accredits 7% to 8% of U.S. law enforcement agencies, with standards covering topics such as hiring practices and patrol strategies. A regional program manager for CALEA’s Southeast region said it is common for agencies to voluntarily withdraw, with reasons ranging from budgetary issues to staffing shortages or the need to revise policies after significant events. Other local and state departments, including the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Knoxville Police Department, remain accredited by CALEA.