The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law will hold its annual Orr Symposium on April 16 from noon to 4:45 p.m. EDT. The event, sponsored by the law school’s legal clinic and Tennessee Law Review as well as the Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission, will focus on “Closing the Rural Justice Gap: Innovation and Regulatory Reform.” Speakers will address the shortage of legal services in rural communities and examine solutions to expand legal help in underserved areas. The free program will be presented in person and virtually. Register here. Contact Joy Radice at legalclinic@utk.edu with any questions.

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts recently spoke at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in Houston. His comments included expressing concern about how artificial intelligence (AI) might impact the legal profession, especially for new lawyers, as well as the potential for AI to be involved in court decisions or to pressure judges. On another issue, Roberts rejected the idea that Supreme Court justices are solely carrying out the agendas of those who appointed them. “You’ve got eight other views to factor in …” he said. Finally, Roberts addressed criticism of judges, saying that while opinions by judges are fair game for criticism, personal attacks cross the line. “Personally directed hostility is dangerous, and it’s got to stop,” he said according to Bloomberg Law. The Houston Business Journal has more on the appearance.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s (AG) Office is warning consumers about scam websites posing as legitimate classic car and heavy equipment dealerships. These scams often involve sophisticated websites advertising vehicles or heavy machinery at extremely low prices. Fraudsters may go to great lengths to appear legitimate — answering phone calls, sending videos and even providing fake business licenses. But consumers who send money will ultimately lose it because the vehicles or equipment do not exist. In a news release, AG Jonathan Skrmetti says consumers should be cautious when shopping online and recommends inspecting items in person and taking precautions to verify the seller’s legitimacy before purchasing anything.

A divided Rutherford County Library System Board voted to move 132 books to adult sections in an effort members said is meant to protect children from gender confusion and violence. The move comes after a review of nearly 3,000 titles. The board defended its decision saying parents still can allow their children to have access to the books. Prior to the meeting, the national Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in Philadelphia wrote to members opposing any book bans. "Neither state nor federal law requires such removal, and removing books based on disagreement with their message would violate the First Amendment," the letter from FIRE said. The Tennessean has more on the story.

Tennessee Republicans have asked election officials to exclude 40 candidates from the primary ballot in August, according to the Nashville Banner. The list of names includes former legislative aide Cade Cothren, who is seeking to challenge Rep. Kip Capley, R-Summertown. Cothren ran afoul of the party by donating to Democratic Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin J. Pearson of Memphis. Cothren reportedly donated $100 to each representative after they were ousted from the House in 2023 for their involvement in gun safety protests. Cothren was convicted, and then pardoned, in a public corruption trial alongside former House Speaker Glen Casada.

President Donald Trump will be in Memphis on Monday to "highlight the incredible achievements of the Memphis Safe Task Force," according to a White House spokesperson. The Commercial Appeal reports that the visit comes about six months after the task force began working in Memphis. Last November, U.S. Attorney Pam Bondi, U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces Serralta, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, Gov. Bill Lee and U.S. Sens. Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn were in the city to tout the work of the task force, which is made up of Tennessee National Guard and a dozen federal agencies.

The TBA’s annual Immigration Law Forum will take place May 15 at the new TBA office, located at 3010 Poston Ave., Nashville 37203. The in-person program will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CDT and offer up to six general credit hours. Stay tuned for more information coming soon.

The Judicial Ethics Committee released an ethics opinion on March 6 in response to a request for guidance on whether a part-time judge or a pro tempore part-time judge may function as a legal analyst providing “gavel to gavel” coverage of pending cases for a local television news station. The committee found that such a role would not be allowed under the Rules of Judicial Conduct. In the opinion, the committee cites Rule 2.10, which allows a judge to make public statements in the course of official duties, such as explaining court procedures, but prohibits “any public statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court … .” The committee concludes that allowing a judge to comment on how a case should proceed, is handled or was resolved “allows both the public and the judiciary to question our judicial system and could reasonably affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a pending or impending matter.” Read the full opinion.

Estefany Rodríguez, a Nashville news reporter arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was granted a $10,000 bond Monday but remains detained in Louisiana after government lawyers reserved the right to appeal, the Tennessee Lookout reports. If ICE appeals, she will remain in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center until the Board of Immigration Appeals reviews the case; if they do not, she can be released on bond, according to the Nashville Banner. Rodríguez’s attorneys asked in their latest filing for her immediate release and an injunction preventing re-detention. The filing also detailed some of what she has endured since her detention on March 4, including five days in isolation in Alabama before her transfer late last week.

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the Trump administration’s authority to end temporary immigration protections for migrants from countries facing extraordinary conditions, taking up cases involving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and Syria, The Hill reports. The justices left in place lower court rulings that block the administration from terminating the protections while the case proceeds, with oral arguments expected the week of April 27 and a decision likely by summer. Created by Congress in 1990, TPS allows foreign nationals to remain in the United States and obtain work authorization when conditions such as armed conflict or natural disasters make it unsafe to return home.