As part of its ongoing effort to gather feedback from Tennessee attorneys on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order seeking public comment on seven areas of potential regulatory changes to the legal profession, the TBA’s Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force will host a series of virtual town halls this month. Each town hall will focus on specific issues outlined in the order, starting with a discussion about Alternative Education and Licensure Pathways on Feb. 10 at noon CST. Additional sessions will address Nonlawyer Ownership and Fee Sharing on Feb. 13 at 11 a.m., Paraprofessionals on Feb. 19 at noon,  ABA Accreditation on Feb. 23 at noon, and Interstate Mobility and Reciprocity on Feb. 26 at noon. All times are central time zone. There is no cost to attend but registration is required to receive the meeting link. Attorneys also are encouraged to review the TBA’s Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page before attending.

The TBA Pro Bono Portal provides a centralized source for lawyers and law students to find pro bono opportunities across Tennessee, like the following case through West Tennessee Legal Services (WTLS). A client in McNairy County needs assistance with bankruptcy advice. The work can be performed remotely or in person. Get more information about the requirements associated with this opportunity and browse other pro bono needs. A free half hour CLE is available on the TBA’s website to introduce attorneys to this innovative platform. The webcast includes a live demonstration of the portal and shows attorneys how to search and sign up for pro bono opportunities in their practice areas.

Memphis attorney Robert Miles Mason Sr. died Feb. 1 at age 61 after a long battle with cancer. He received his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in 1994. A Memphis native, Mason founded Miles Mason Law Group PLC and was a certified public accountant. Mason served on the Tennessee Bar Journal's Editorial Board from 2003-2006 and as chair of the TBA's Family Law Section. He received the Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing in 2024 for his article “You Are the Father!: Untangling Custody Rights in Tennessee Between Unmarried Parents,” which appeared in the November/December 2023 issue of the Journal. Mason’s father-in-law, the late Judge Joe B. Jones, was the first recipient of the award in 1981. A funeral Mass will be held Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church, 190 Adams Ave., Memphis 38103, preceded by the rosary at 11:30 a.m. and visitation at noon. Burial will take place at 2:30 p.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery, 5668 Poplar Ave., Memphis 38119. All times CST. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mason's name to Christian Brothers High School or the Orpheum Theatre Group.

Thousands of legal immigrants will lose access to TennCare beginning in October under a new Trump administration policy, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. Tennessee officials also separately are considering barring pregnant women without legal immigration status from publicly funded prenatal care, the paper reports. The director of TennCare told lawmakers last month that about 8,500 refugees and asylum-seekers would be removed from the state’s Medicaid program beginning Oct. 1. The changes stem from federal policy provisions included in a federal bill signed into law last year. State officials also are reviewing whether Tennessee’s Child Health Insurance Program could exclude pregnant women without legal status from receiving prenatal care.

Memphis is celebrating Black History Month with a variety of events throughout February. The Dixon Gallery and Gardens will feature "Black Artists in America: From the Bicentennial to September 11" through March 29. The Hattiloo Theatre will present "Dreamgirls" through March 8. The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art will host a free "Super Saturday" on Feb. 7 highlighting artist Chakaia Booker. On Feb. 20, author Emily Yellin and John Lawson will discuss their new book "Nonviolent" at the National Civil Rights Museum. The Collage Dance Collective will perform "Rise" on Feb. 20-22. Dom Flemons will bring The Bronze Buckaroo Film & Songster Show to Crosstown on Feb. 23. Finally, Black Children’s Books and Authors will hold a free read-in "Our Stories Matter" on Feb. 28 at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. The Commercial Appeal has more on these events.

Newly appointed Shelby County Interim Chief Public Defender Jerri Green has plans to improve morale, client experience and staffing, the Daily Memphian reports. Green was appointed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris on Jan. 6 following the retirement of longtime chief Phyllis Aluko. In an interview with the paper, Green says she is focused on making the office more welcoming for clients while addressing long-standing resource gaps and increased caseloads tied to a recent surge in arrests. The office has faced staffing shortages and morale challenges, even as demand for its services remains high in a county where many defendants cannot afford private counsel. Green, a Memphis City Council member and Democratic candidate for governor, said her priority is quality representation over speed, emphasizing constitutional rights and opposing what she described as “assembly line justice.”

Gov. Bill Lee used his final State of the State address Monday to urge lawmakers to significantly expand Tennessee’s school voucher program, while unveiling a $57.9 billion budget proposal that would double the number of available vouchers, Axios reports. The Education Freedom Scholarship program currently serves 20,000 students, but Lee said 54,000 applications already have been submitted for the upcoming academic year, prompting his proposal to spend $155 million to add more slots. The budget also includes $339 million in new public school funding, including higher starting pay for teachers, and funding for road and bridge projects, the state park system and crime prevention efforts in Memphis. Lee also proposed permanently assigning 100 Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers to Shelby County, rolling back health care regulations to unlock more than $1 billion in potential federal rural health grants, and investing in emerging technologies, including nuclear technology companies and the quantum computing industry. Read more in the press release from the governor's office.

Ahead of the address, Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari of Memphis released a video prebuttal criticizing the administration and arguing that the governor's priorities fail to address rising costs for working families. Akbari called for ending the grocery tax, expanding health coverage and increasing investment in public schools according to the Tennessee Tribune.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Friday it will deliver more than $11 million in combined emergency assistance to Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana to speed disaster responses following a severe winter storm, according to Tennessee Lookout. The funding includes $3.75 million to reimburse the state of Tennessee. The money may be used for generator deployment, temporary heating for facilities and vulnerable populations, emergency debris removal, shelter operations, activation of state and local emergency operations centers, emergency logistics, medical support and law enforcement and public safety operations. Last week, President Donald Trump approved emergency declarations for 12 states, including Tennessee. Gov. Bill Lee also is seeking an expedited major disaster declaration for 23 counties in the state.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that states across the country have reached settlements totaling $17.85 million with two drug companies, Lannett and Bausch Health. According to a press release, the settlements are part of a nationwide effort to hold drug companies accountable for alleged price-fixing schemes, which reportedly increased the cost of everyday medications. Under the settlements, the companies will compensate consumers and change internal practices to promote fair competition. They also agreed to cooperate with ongoing lawsuits against other companies involved in the alleged schemes. Consumers who purchased generic prescription drugs made by Lannett or Bausch Health between May 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2019, may be eligible for compensation.

University of Tennessee (UT) quarterback Joey Aguilar has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court seeking to extend his eligibility and play for the Volunteers in the 2026 season. According to Knox News, Aguilar is seeking a temporary restraining order against the NCAA, whose rules state that he has exhausted his eligibility. The complaint states that UT football has an available roster spot and name, image and likeness (NIL) money for him in the 2026 season. The filing comes after Aguilar separated from a federal lawsuit brought by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, which challenges the NCAA’s eligibility rules regarding former junior college players. Pavia’s lawsuit has 25 additional players remaining as plaintiffs.