The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee ruled last week that Tennessee election officials cannot deny voter registration to eligible Tennesseans who have past felony convictions, and that they must inform potential voters of eligibility requirements for voting after a felony. The decision came in the case of NAACP, et al. v. William Lee, et al. The Campaign Legal Center, Free Hearts and Baker Donelson represented voters in the suit. The groups argued that many Tennesseans with a felony conviction never lost the right to vote, or since have had those rights restored, but continue to be treated as those who lost their rights. They also argued that Tennessee’s voter registration form misinformed potential voters on the law. According to the group, Tennessee has the second-largest disenfranchised population in the country and the highest rate of Black disenfranchisement in the country. Read the court’s decision or more from the Campaign Legal Center.

Members of the Tennessee judiciary are remembering retired Knox County Circuit Court Judge Wheeler A. Rosenbalm, who died on April 21. Rosenbalm served as a judge for 22 years, from September 1990 until his retirement in January 2013. Prior to joining the court, Rosenbalm was a partner with the Knoxville law firm of Frantz, McConnell & Seymour LLP. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where he also was an instructor and associate professor of law. Judge Deborah C. Stevens, who succeeded Rosenbalm on the bench, said he was “a very good man, a brilliant lawyer and an extremely well-respected judge.” Rosenbalm was a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, and a fellow in the Tennessee Bar Foundation and American College of Trial Lawyers. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has announced that starting in July 2027, law school graduates applying to become licensed attorneys in Tennessee will take the “NextGen Bar Exam” rather than the Uniform Bar Examination (UBE), which has been used in Tennessee since 2019. According to a news release from the court, Tennessee joins 16 other jurisdictions in announcing plans to adopt the new exam, which will focus on a broad range of foundational skills, using a set of clearly identified legal concepts and principles required for the competent practice of law.

Justice Jeff Bivins, the court’s liaison to the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners, said of the decision: “The NextGen exam furthers our goal of ensuring that new attorneys in Tennessee have the knowledge and skills to meet their clients’ legal needs. It also helps ensure that Tennessee remains part of a broad group of jurisdictions supporting lawyer mobility by offering portable bar exam scores that can be used for admission elsewhere.” The move in Tennessee and elsewhere comes after the National Conference of Bar Examiners launched a comprehensive review of the UBE in 2018, holding listening sessions with more than 400 stakeholders and conducing a nationwide practice analysis with nearly 15,000 lawyers.

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) will hold its annual Conference & Expo Aug. 1-3 in Louisville, Kentucky. This year also marks the association’s 125th Anniversary, which it is celebrating with special coverage of its history and memories from members. NCRA provides educational and informational resources for its members and the public.

Hamilton County lawyer Jennifer Yates Stickley petitioned the Tennessee Supreme Court for reinstatement of her law license on April 5. The Board of Professional Responsibility responded to the petition, stating that Stickley has outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. On April 16, the court issued an order giving her until May 31 to complete those requirements or her petition will be dismissed.

The Tennessee Access to Justice (ATJ) Commission will host a virtual summer law student fellows program to connect students with pro bono opportunities. The A2J Summer Law Student Fellows Program will kick off May 20 and run through July 26. Law students interested in participating can learn more here or sign up here. The commission also is looking for legal organizations to host fellows. To express interest in that opportunity, please fill out this form. Questions about the program can be directed to Anne-Louise Wirthlin at the Administrative Office of the Courts Access to Justice Team. View a handout geared to students or a handout geared to hosting organizations.

Reporters from across the state gathered in Nashville to learn about copyright law, investigative journalism, open records law and more during the annual Reporters Workshop program, produced jointly by the Tennessee Bar Association and the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. Participants were selected from a number of applicants who were interested in developing a deeper understanding of media law issues that affect their everyday work, including access to government information, defamation and privacy concerns in reporting and other timely topics. Panelists included veteran reporters Phil Williams with News Channel 5 in Nashville and Meribah Knight with Nashville Public Radio; copyright attorneys Keane Barger and Tim Warnock with the Nashville office of Loeb & Loeb; and legal media experts Paul McAdoo with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Deborah Fisher, executive director at the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. The program continues tomorrow.

TBA’s Legislative Updates weekly podcast is now available. Join TBA attorneys and lobbyists Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin with Adams and Reese as they provide an update on indigent representation funding; the TBA's adoption birth certificate bill, HB2645/SB2632, and adoption clean-up bill, HB2644/SB2633; what to expect next week; and the upcoming adjournment. Legislative Updates airs each week the legislature is in session on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

More than a third of U.S. law school deans say they oppose an American Bar Association (ABA) proposal that would require greater uniformity across courses, Reuters reports. The group, which included Vanderbilt University Law School Dean Chris Guthrie, argues that the ABA is unnecessarily tightening its grip on law schools and constraining legal educators' freedom in the classroom. “It is unclear why the ABA needs to micromanage law school curricula to such a degree,” the deans wrote in a public comment. Supporters of the proposal argue that more conformity among required classes and the adoption of learning goals for each course would benefit students. Guthrie also signed a separate comment with three other deans.

American Bar Association (ABA) President Mary Smith recently spoke out about threats against judges. In a statement, she notes that serious threats against judges have doubled since 2019, with 457 serious threats targeting federal judges across the country in 2023. Often, these involve threats of physical harm or death, not only to the judges, but also to their families and staff, she says. She calls on lawyers across the country to defend judges and courts that are unjustly criticized as well as teach fellow Americans how to take appropriate actions should they disagree with court opinions. “As lawyers, we have a unique duty to lead our nation in the protection of our judges, the rule of law and American democracy. The time has come to rededicate ourselves to our obligations,” she concludes.