The Tennessee Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division has distributed nearly $900,000 in grants to local law enforcement agencies participating in federal immigration enforcement efforts, according to a report obtained by the Tennessee Lookout. The division, established in 2025 under the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, oversees coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement through 287(g) agreements, which authorize local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions. Between August and December, the division allocated $866,843 in funding for equipment and operational expenses, though it has not disclosed the agencies receiving the grants. The office, led by Chief Immigration Enforcement Officer Ryan Hubbard, was created by state lawmakers to support expanded immigration enforcement. It has faced criticism over limited transparency, as some records are exempt from public disclosure under state law.

Brett Windrow has announced that he will run for the Tennessee House of Representatives District 13 seat. Windrow, an attorney and graduate of Belmont University College of Law, said he is seeking the office to address economic, infrastructure and education challenges facing the district, which includes parts of Rutherford County. Windrow has prior experience working with the General Assembly and said he aims to improve affordability, support public schools and represent the interests of working families. “Government’s most basic job is to make people’s lives better. For too long in Tennessee, it has failed to do so. I’m running to change that,” Windrow said. Read more in a press release and on his campaign website.

A Tennessee law that went into effect Jan. 1 is the nation's first registry to track repeat domestic violence offenders, but there are holes in the system, according to Knox News. Under Savanna's Law, a "persistent domestic violence offender” — defined as someone with more than one domestic violence offense — is required to register in a public database maintained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. But if the person has an offense expunged, the record no longer shows up and a new conviction would not trigger the registration requirement. Legal experts say the intersection of diversion, expungement and registry requirements exposes limitations of the law as judges cannot consider expunged offenses in setting bond or identifying repeat conduct.

Gov. Bill Lee has proposed that the state cover a funding shortfall for the Tennessee Poison Center following the loss of a federal grant, according to the Tennessee Lookout. The center, based at Vanderbilt University, operates a call service that provides free emergency poison information, reportedly handling more than 50,000 calls annually. Officials estimate the center saved taxpayers $44.6 million in 2024 by reducing unnecessary emergency room visits, particularly among underinsured populations. The center also serves as a surge backup call center for the Tennessee Department of Health during public health emergencies. Lee included funding for the center in his annual budget amendment, which must be approved by state lawmakers before the end of the legislative session.

Fired University of Tennessee (UT) professor, Tamar Shirinian is asking a judge to add specific state and federal legislators to her lawsuit against the university in a new court filing. According to Knox News, the new motion zeroes in on people Shirinian says defamed her and directly intervened with UT leaders to urge that she be fired. Shirinian was fired after her private Facebook comment criticizing Charlie Kirk after his assassination was shared online by another individual. Shirinian added Rep. Chris Todd, R-Jackson, and U.S. Republican Rep. Tim Burchett, along with an anonymous donor who allegedly threatened to pull a $10 million gift to the university's engineering department if she was not fired. The motion also refines Shirinian's claims against university administrators, alleging they “did not rely on, ignored, or purposely failed to seek legal guidance before acting." UT System spokeswoman Melissa Tindell responded to the report saying, “As a matter of practice, the university does not comment on pending or active litigation."

The TBA Intellectual Property Section will present its 2026 CLE offerings as a series of one-hour webcasts scheduled throughout the spring. The series kicks off on April 1 with a session on post-grant patent strategies. Rhett Sexton of Merchant & Gould will discuss the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO)'s recent procedural updates and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of different post-grant proceedings. The series will continue on April 8 with Elizabeth Shah of Bookoff McAndrews discussing changes to the obviousness test for design patents. Then on April 29, section chair Ryan Levy will present on zombie trademarks. Looking for more topics? Watch for more sessions coming in May on copyright issues with AI deepfakes and an IP 101 presentation.

The TBA Environmental Law Section is now accepting essay entries from law students for its annual Jon E. Hastings Memorial Award Writing Competition, in memory of one of the section's founding members. The contest will award a $1,500 cash prize pool, with $1,000 going to the winning entry and $500 going to the runner-up. This competition will be judged by a panel of environmental law practitioners, members of the judiciary, and/or professors selected by the Environmental Law Section. Any law student with an interest in the practice area and enrolled in a Tennessee law school in 2025 or 2026 is eligible to participate. All submissions must be received by April 24. View the contest rules here. Contact Section Coordinator Jarod Word for more information or to submit an entry.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB846/HB1268 with an amendment on March 24. The legislation — introduced by Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, and Rep. Rick Scarbrough, R-Oak Ridge — now goes to the Senate Finance Committee. The bill as amended creates two additional criminal courts in the 30th Judicial District and requires the governor to appoint judges to serve through Sept. 1, 2028. An election for the posts would be held in August 2028, and the winners of that election would serve until Sept. 1, 20230. At the August 2030 general election, voters would elect judges for a full eight-year term. The bill as approved also would create four assistant district attorney general positions and two criminal investigator positions for the judicial district. The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee is set to consider the bill on April 1. The Commercial Appeal has background on the issue.

Leitner Williams Dooley Napolitan (LWDN) currently is hiring an associate attorney for its Memphis office. Candidates should have three to five years of experience with litigation experience in Tennessee preferred. License to practice in Arkansas or Mississippi in addition to Tennessee is a plus. Salary will be commensurate with experience. LWDN was established in the late 1800s with offices in Knoxville, Nashville, Chattanooga and Memphis and a strong emphasis on civil litigation. Resumes should be sent to Sharon Govan at sharon.govan@leitnerfirm.com. Learn more about this opportunity on TBA’s Career Center.

Student attorneys Alexander J. McGrail and John R. Neal Jr., working with the Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic, have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Hussey v. City of Cambridge, urging the court to strengthen First Amendment protections for public employees, according to a press release from Vanderbilt Law School. The case involves a police officer disciplined over social media comments made in a private capacity on matters of public concern. The brief argues that applying the Pickering balancing test to controversial or unpopular speech should not allow government employers to suppress such expression, warning it could effectively create a “heckler’s veto.” It also contends that employers should be required to provide evidence that employee speech would cause workplace disruption. Joined by several legal scholars and advocacy organizations, the filing asks the full 1st Circuit to reconsider prior rulings in the case, with a decision expected next year.