Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal on Tuesday issued a temporary injunction blocking Tennessee health officials from reporting identifying information about certain children enrolled in the Children’s Special Services (CSS) program to immigration enforcement. NewsChannel 5 reports that under the order, the department must restore the status of affected children who were enrolled as of June 1 and disregard requests to remove them from the program. The state also must continue annual recertification for children who received the June 1 warning letter without considering their immigration status. In a press release, Tennessee Justice Center Executive Director Michele Johnson said, "This agreement provides vital protections for families who should never have been forced to choose between their child's healthcare and the fear of immigration enforcement. Children with complex medical needs deserve uninterrupted access to care." Moskal's decision comes after she granted a temporary restraining order to block the policy on June 24.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) volunteered at a Tennessee Free Legal Answers clinic in July in partnership with Memphis Area Legal Services. The pro bono clinic, held monthly, provides members of the Memphis community with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys to discuss a wide range of legal issues. Each month, different organizations and law firms participate by providing volunteer attorneys. During the July clinic, volunteers assisted more than 50 clients. TBA YLD Board members Chris Kelley and Faith Watson were among the 18 attorneys and six non-attorneys who assisted. See a photo from the event.

Jarod Richert was appointed interim Robertson County attorney after his father, Clyde, stepped down from the position effective July 1. County Mayor Billy Vogle told The Connection that a permanent county attorney will be appointed by the incoming county mayor, following the Aug. 6 general election. Jarod Richert earned his law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University and practices at the Springfield law firm of Richert & Dilliha. Clyde Richert will continue his private law practice.

ABA Free Legal Answers, the American Bar Association’s (ABA) national pro bono platform recently surpassed 500,000 civil legal questions answered and is approaching its 10-year anniversary in August. In recognition of this milestone, the ABA Center for Pro Bono is hosting a 10-Year Anniversary Fundraiser on Aug. 2 during the ABA Annual Meeting in Chicago. The event will take place on a river cruise from 1-3 p.m. CDT and will bring together volunteers, partners and supporters to celebrate the growth and impact of the platform over the past decade. Learn more and register for the event.

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elana Kagan testified before the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday to defend the court’s $207 million budget request. The pair appealed to Congress for more security funding, citing personal experiences with “swatting” attacks and other threats. According to Bloomberg Law, the U.S. Marshals Service tracked 564 threats against judges last fiscal year, up from 509 the year before. The federal court system’s request for the high court includes $14.6 million for more agents to protect the justices. The justices also answered questions about whether the court needs an independent ethics code panel. The Hill reports on that discussion.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti recently joined a coalition of 43 attorneys general in announcing a settlement with the bankruptcy trustee for 23andMe. The agreement resolves the states' claims stemming from the company's 2023 data breach that exposed the sensitive genetic and personal information of 6.9 million customers worldwide. States will recover $18 million in available funds, with Tennessee expecting to receive $348,687. The breach affected millions of consumers, including 116,395 Tennesseans, exposing sensitive information such as genetic ancestry data and other personal information. Read more in a press release from the states.

Knox News recently published answers from Knox County General Sessions judicial candidates incumbent Republican Judge Andrea Kline and challenger Democrat Ben Houston II. The two answered questions about what they believe to be the biggest challenge facing the court, the goals they would set for their first term on the bench, and a time when the candidates changed their minds on an important issue, and the cause of that shift. Kline stated that the biggest challenge to the court is efficiently managing large and diverse caseloads while effectively serving the people of Knox County and protecting individual rights. Houston's goals for his first term include expanding access to justice by enacting a pro se indigency motion docket. Read more from the paper.

Led by Dr. Amy Schmisseur, associate professor of communication studies of Belmont University, this webcast examines generational characteristics, workplace expectations, communication preferences and common sources of misunderstanding. Multigenerational workplaces are now the norm, and attorneys in leadership roles must manage differing expectations around work style, feedback and communication. Tune in July 21 at noon CDT and receive one dual credit hour with "Developing Lawyers, Developing Leaders: Communicating Across Generations." Looking for something else? Visit the TBA website for all July offerings.

Effective July 14, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Steven Carl Frazier from the practice of law for nine months, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with conditions. The court directed Frazier to employ a practice monitor during the probationary period and incur no new misconduct complaints. The court took the action after receiving three complaints. It found that Frazier failed to adequately represent clients, communicate with his clients, act diligently and expedite litigation. Frazier agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 3.2 and 8.4. The court also imposed conditions on any future reinstatement to the practice of law.

Attorneys for Darrell Hines, the next person scheduled to be executed in Tennessee, have filed a motion to compel the state to answer two questions: whether the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) plans to use Dr. Mark Fowler — the medical professional who reportedly struggled to establish a central IV line during Tony Carruthers’ failed execution — in Hines’ execution; and whether TDOC plans to use expired drugs in Hines’ execution. The motions are part of an ongoing legal challenge to the state’s lethal injection protocol. WJHL News Channel 11 and WPLN report on the filing. Hines is scheduled to be executed on Aug. 13.