Tennessee has joined 20 other states in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review and overturn a federal appellate decision that struck down a Pennsylvania law requiring voters to handwrite the date on mail-in ballots. According to a press release, the brief supports a petition filed by the Republican National Committee and argues that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit wrongly invalidated the rule in Eakin v. Adams County Board of Elections. The states contend the decision interferes with the authority of state legislatures to regulate elections and oversteps constitutional limits on the judicial role. In the filing, the states argue the ruling undermines federalism and the separation of powers by giving federal courts undue authority over election administration. The coalition also noted that the Supreme Court has never held that a neutral ballot-casting regulation imposes a severe burden on the right to vote when it applies equally to all voters and asked the court to grant review and ultimately reverse the Third Circuit’s decision.

Metro Councilmember Zulfat Suara's federal lawsuit against her former employer, Meharry Medical College, now has a tentative schedule. According to the Nashville Banner newsletter, on Friday, the court set a date of Sept. 21, 2027. Suara sued last year, alleging that her 2024 dismissal from a finance position at the historically Black medical college was discriminatory, as she contended that other similarly situated employees not of her national origin and religious beliefs were treated differently when they were dismissed. Meharry is seeking dismissal and has responded by claiming that Suara has put nothing on the record to substantiate the claim that Suara's treatment was due to her religious beliefs or national origin.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expanded public assistance eligibility for impacts from Winter Storm Fern to more than 20 additional counties, including Shelby County, the Commercial Appeal reports. The program provides grant funding to eligible applicants to support emergency response, debris removal and the repair or restoration of damaged public infrastructure. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, called the funding “essential” to help the county recover from the storm’s effects, which he said caused “extensive damages,” in a Feb. 9 letter to Gov. Bill Lee.

Entries for the TBA Administrative Law Section's Annual Writing Competition for law students currently enrolled in a Tennessee law school are due April 30. The section hosts the competition to promote an interest in and understanding of administrative law in the state, and to strengthen the relationship among administrative law professors, students and practitioners in Tennessee. The winning submission will be published in the Administrative Law Section newsletter and the winner will be awarded $1,000. View the competition rules for more information.

Lawyers representing Tennessee foster children have filed a motion in the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee, for an emergency preliminary injunction in a lawsuit against the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS), the Nashville Post reports. The legal team is urging the court to end alleged “inhumane conditions” in transitional housing. A Better Childhood, a New York-based nonprofit watchdog organization, filed the lawsuit last year. The nonprofit is being assisted by lawyers at Bass Berry & Sims, Willkie Farr & Gallagher and the Barbara McDowell Social Justice Center. The new motion outlines “inhumane and unconstitutional conditions,” including physical abuse, overcrowding, lack of showers and medical care based on a December 2025 state audit of DCS. The motion seeks to correct these conditions for youths living in transitional housing and seeks ongoing monitoring of the facilities.

The TBA Animal Law Forum 2026 will take place Oct. 9 at the Nashville Zoo. This annual favorite provides updates on trends and advancements in animal law and related practice areas. Participants can meet with other animal lovers and enjoy the fun the zoo offers. Zoo admission, breakfast, lunch and an animal meet and greet are included with the program. Topics and more information coming soon. Do not miss this event, you never know who is going to show up! Register now.

Entries for the TBA Administrative Law Section's Annual Writing Competition for law students currently enrolled in a Tennessee law school are due April 30. The section hosts the competition to promote an interest in and understanding of administrative law in the state, and to strengthen the relationship among administrative law professors, students and practitioners in Tennessee. The winning submission will be published in the Administrative Law Section newsletter and the winner will be awarded $1,000. View the competition rules for more information.

A bill that sought to charge women who seek abortions with homicide, and potentially the death penalty, died in a Tennessee House subcommittee on March 10, The Tennessean reports. HB570, sponsored by Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, would have removed legal protections currently in state law for pregnant women and classified harm done to an unborn child as equal to assaults on a person “born alive.” No member of the House Population Subcommittee made a motion to hear the bill, which effectively killed the legislation. Barrett said the bill was intended to align with the state’s Human Life Protection Act, a trigger law that took effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. The Nashville Banner has more on Barrett's comments.

Marion Scudder Griffin, the first woman licensed to practice law in Tennessee, is now honored with a historical marker in Memphis recognizing her legal career. According to Local Memphis, Griffin made history in 1907 after the Tennessee legislature passed a law clarifying that women could obtain law licenses. She previously had passed an oral law examination but was denied a license by the Tennessee Supreme Court because state law did not explicitly permit women to practice. Griffin later enrolled at the University of Michigan Law School, completed her studies and reapplied as supporters lobbied lawmakers to change the law. She went on to practice law for more than 40 years and later became the first woman to serve in the Tennessee General Assembly before retiring in 1949. Historians say her achievements helped pave the way for future generations of women in the legal profession.

Estefany Rodríguez, a Nashville journalist detained earlier this month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, was scheduled to appear in a Louisiana immigration court for a bond hearing today. Separately, a federal judge in Nashville has set a hearing for Tuesday to consider constitutional challenges to her detention from her attorneys, the Tennessee Lookout reports. Rodríguez, a reporter for the Spanish-language outlet Nashville Noticias, was arrested by ICE agents March 4. Government attorneys say she is subject to deportation after allegedly overstaying her visa.