Programming at TBA’s 2026 Convention kicks off June 11 at 9 a.m. EDT with Catherine Sanders Reach, director of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Center for Practice Management. Every legal tech vendor has an AI pitch, but is your firm actually ready to buy? This session will cut through the hype with a problem-first approach to technology purchasing. Reach will cover how to audit current technology for gaps and redundancies, calculate real ROI on the tools already owned, and build a framework for evaluating new products. Reach has spent over two decades helping legal professionals integrate technology into their practices. She has been with the North Carolina Bar Association since 2018. She previously was director of the ABA’s Legal Technology Resource Center and director of law practice management and technology at the Chicago Bar Association. Check out all the CLE planned for Convention and register today!

The TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast returns this week with attorneys and TBA lobbyists Berkley Schwarz with Pier Strategies and Ashley Harbin of Adams & Reese. This week they discuss the 2026 legislative session winding down, the passing of the state's budget and what's left before legislators hit the campaign trail. Tune in on the TBA website or through this link. Attorneys interested in supporting the TBA’s lobbying efforts may do so by contributing to LAWPAC.

National law firm Adams & Reese, with offices in Chattanooga, Memphis and Nashville, is expanding its presence in Nashville's Midtown Broadwest building. According to a release from the firm, the lease covers 5,500-square-feet of space located on the 17th floor of the office tower component of the mixed-used Broadwest, supplementing the current office space. “Adams & Reese is happy to be part of Nashville's thriving business community," said firm managing partner Gif Thornton. "As our office continues to grow, Broadwest offers the modern workspace and convenient location that our team needs to succeed." In recent years, the firm has strengthened its presence in Nashville through lateral hires and expansion of its litigation and crisis management practices.

The Tennessee House and Senate have passed the state’s $58.3 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year. As amended by lawmakers, the budget — HB2631/SB2690 — redirects $282.4 million from the governor’s original proposal to fund $276.4 million of their legislative priorities. Funding includes support for hospitals, addressing critical community needs and a summer meal program the governor had cut, according to the Times Free Press. Specific funding includes $34.5 million for the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) to help reduce caseload ratios, $10.7 million to enhance staff safety at DCS facilities for delinquent youth, $50 million for public safety initiatives in Memphis, $9 million to create the Tennessee Safe Initiative Task Force within the state Bureau of Investigations, $932,000 for digital forensics law enforcement training in East Tennessee, $500,000 for courthouse renovation grants, and a range of funding for programs providing education and re-entry support for incarcerated individuals. Chattanoogan.com has an expanded summary of programs funded in the budget.

Tennessee legislators have passed a bill requiring local law enforcement to "accept and honor" immigration detainers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If signed by the governor, SB1486/HB2018 would take effect on July 1 and require agencies to keep detainees in custody for up to 48 hours (not counting weekends or holidays) after they otherwise would be released, according to Local Memphis. It also means notifying federal authorities as soon as possible before the person is released.

Nicholas Moore of Springfield was sentenced to one year of probation after prosecutors said he illegally accessed the U.S. Supreme Court’s online filing system and posted screenshots on a social media account titled, “I hacked the government.” Senior Judge Beryl Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia announced the sentence today, Bloomberg Law reports. Moore pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor computer fraud charge. He admitted that he accessed the high court’s system on 25 different days in 2023 using an authorized user’s stolen credentials.

This summer, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee will co-sponsor and host "The Supreme Court and My Hometown," a civic education program for high school students. This immersive, two-week day camp is available to rising 10th, 11th or 12th grade students who reside within driving distance of the federal courthouse in Chattanooga. Students participating in the Chattanooga program will learn about the historic Ed Johnson case and the 1909 Supreme Court case of United States v. Shipp. Participants will learn directly from sitting judges, legal scholars and historians. For more information about the program, visit the Supreme Court Historical Society's website. Applications are due by April 24 and must be submitted online.

The Knoxville law firm Valliant, Harrison, Schwartz & Bodie will host a gathering at the Bistro at the Bijou on April 22 at 5 p.m. EDT to celebrate the life of John Peden Valliant Jr. According to the law firm, the event will focus on sharing stories, laughter and memories of a man who meant so much to so many. Valliant died March 29 at the age of 78. A graduate of the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law, Valliant practiced law in Knoxville for five decades. The Bistro is located at 807 S. Gay St., Knoxville 37902.

Make plans now to join colleagues from across the state at the TBA’s 2026 Annual Convention, set for June 10-13, at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Knoxville. In addition to compelling CLE programs and leadership meetings, multiple social and networking events will provide opportunities to connect with colleagues. The convention gets underway Wednesday and will feature a welcome reception that evening. Thursday will begin with the Public Service Breakfast and University of Tennessee Winston College of Law Breakfast, continue with interactive Lunch & Learn sessions, and wrap up with a reception at the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball stadium. Friday will feature a breakfast buffet and the annual Lawyers Luncheon, which will include a look back at TBA President Heidi Barcus’ year in office and the swearing in of new president Charlotte Knight Griffin. See the full schedule. All events are included with full convention registration.

President Donald Trump in mid-March released a national AI regulatory framework building on his December executive order, calling for children's online protections, reduced permitting barriers for data centers, anti-censorship provisions and expanded AI workforce training — while also aiming to preempt the growing patchwork of state-level AI laws, Bloomberg Law reports. Shortly after Trump's announcement, Tennessee hosted its inaugural AI Tennessee Summit in Nashville, uniting federal and state officials, industry executives and university leaders to address how national AI priorities translate to the state level, where AI is projected to affect roughly 500,000 jobs in the near future. The Nashville Post reports on the event and its goals as Tennessee positions itself as a proactive leader in AI innovation and workforce development. Meanwhile, Axios reports that U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, whose own draft proposal closely mirrors the White House framework, released an updated version of her TRUMP AMERICA AI Act, which incorporates a "duty of care" for AI developers, chatbot safety provisions and a full sunset of Section 230, all framed around protecting children, creators, conservatives and communities. Finally, the state legislature is considering a bill requiring a study on how AI is governed in other states and at the federal level, as well as the potential economic impact of regulation on businesses in Tennessee. WKRN reports on that measure.