U.S. Supreme Court justices and federal judges can no longer avoid disclosing the value of travel-related gifts they receive by classifying such free trips as "reimbursements" on their financial disclosure forms under new regulations now in effect, reports Reuters. The new policy, approved by the federal judiciary's Financial Disclosure Committee in January and announced last Friday, took effect on March 13. Officials said the disclosure policies were updated "to reflect past statutory changes more clearly and help ensure complete reporting of gifts and reimbursements consistent with statutory requirements."

Williamson County resident Kiran Sreepada recently confirmed he will run for the Democratic nomination to challenge 5th District U.S. Rep. and Republican Andy Ogles, reports the Tennessee Lookout. Sreepada, a political and public policy professional who ran against U.S. Rep. Mark Green in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District in 2020, is the first Democrat to announce a challenge to Ogles. According to the Tennessean, two other Democrats are considering a primary run. They are Nashville advocate and Metro Human Relations Commission Chair Maryam Abolfazli and Metro Council member Courtney Johnson. Two others have filed paperwork to run in the Republican primary. They are singer-songwriter Stokes Nielson and Brentwood cybersecurity expert Thomas “Tom” Guarente.

The Tennessee House of Representatives last week advanced HB2124/SB2576, which would require law enforcement agencies in the state to communicate with federal immigration authorities if they discover people are in the the country without documentation. It also would broadly mandate cooperation in the process of identifying, catching, detaining and deporting these individuals, the Associated Press reports. The bill is now pending in the Senate, where the State and Local Government Committee advanced it to the Calendar Committee. Opponents of the bill say that the "way it’s written, the bill could raise legal confusion and worsen tensions between law enforcement and immigrant communities by making local officers de-facto immigration agents."

The Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims announced that beginning March 25, all mediations in cases pending before the court will conclude with the issuance of a dispute certification notice. The court explains that issuance of a dispute certification notice will allow for entry of the case into TNComp, the court's electronic court management system, and ensure that a judge shepherds every case to conclusion. Read more about the change in a post from Chief Judge Kenneth M. Switzer on the court's blog.

The Chattanooga chapter of the Federalist Society will host a discussion with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on April 18 at 11:30 a.m. EDT. The free event will take place at the offices of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC, 605 Chestnut St., Ste. 1700, Chattanooga 37450. View the flier for more information.

Join your colleagues on April 5 for this year's TBA Intellectual Property Law Forum! Evolving technology, trends and other disrupters, like artificial intelligence (AI), continuously blur lines between long-standing intellectual property (IP) doctrines and future applications of the law. Attorneys are challenged to stay on top of the incessant cycle of new problems, issues and strategies for IP protection and enforcement that result from these disruptors. Forum attendees will learn about the latest on AI and copyright, AI and patent law and practice, IP issues within the alcohol world, and the intersection between IP and street art. Read about the presenters and register.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free live webinar on March 26 at 9 a.m. CDT to discuss recent franchise and excise tax law changes included in the 2023 Tennessee Works Tax Act. The webinar will highlight the changes and how they affect the fiscal year end tax return. Learn more or register here. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month.

A bill sponsored by Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, passed the full state Senate last week, according to the Nashville Post, but has not been passed by the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee yet. The bill, SB1048/HB1032 would set new caseload requirements for the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and require the department to employ special response team personnel to help maintain standard caseloads. DCS also would have to notify the governor, members of the General Assembly and the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth if requirements are not met.

The death of Max Shelton, Memphis lawyer and founding member of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, was announced by the firm. An obituary posted by the firm recounts milestones in Shelton’s career, from his early years as a health care attorney in 1965, to his work as an arbitrator and mediator, and then in his role as a trusted advisor for both clients and young lawyers. Shelton was a founding member of the Tennessee Society of Hospital Attorneys, which later became the TBA’s Health Law Section. He also was active in organizing and participating in the TBA’s annual Ski CLE program. In the local legal community, he served as president of the Memphis Bar Association and was the 2014 recipient of the Pillars of Excellence Award from the University of Memphis Alumni Association’s Law Chapter. The firm sums up Shelton’s contributions saying, “Max’s dedication, integrity and unwavering commitment to excellence have left an indelible mark on our firm and the legal community at large … As we reflect on Max’s profound contributions to our firm and the legal profession, we remember him not only for his legal acumen, but also for his warmth, humor and genuine camaraderie. His presence will be deeply missed, and his legacy will continue to inspire us. Memorial donations may be made to the Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation, 350 N. Humphreys Blvd., Memphis, TN 38120 or online at www.bmhgiving.org.

After adopting a new rule aimed at curtailing “judge shopping” for cases that challenge government policies, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts has clarified that trial courts have discretion on how to implement the policy. Reuters reports that in an email to district court judges on Friday, the chair of the Judicial Conference committee that developed the policy acknowledged that existing federal law gives the district courts sole discretion to decide how cases are assigned, and said the policy "should not be viewed as impairing a court's authority or discretion." He also said that conference policies "set out various ways for courts to align their case assignment practices with the longstanding Judicial Conference policy of random case assignment."