News
December 10, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued an opinion in Gary Wygant, et al. v. Bill Lee, Governor, et al., rejecting state constitutional challenges to Tennessee’s redistricting statutes for the state House and Senate.In February 2022, following the 2020 census, the General…
December 9, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that the defendants in a legal malpractice and fraud action were not entitled to dismissal of the lawsuits under the Tennessee Public Participation Act (“TPPA”) because the lawsuits were not filed in response to the defendants’ exercise of the…
November 25, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met in Nashville today to select nominees for the upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court, following the retirement of Justice Holly Kirby on June 30, 2026. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews,…
November 21, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. – On December 3, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases at Bryan College in Dayton, Tennessee, as part of the Court’s SCALES program. SCALES, which stands for Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students, is an initiative launched by…
October 24, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. – On November 5, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its November docket in Jackson, Tennessee. Oral arguments will be heard at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Jackson and livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/@…
October 22, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider five applicants when it meets to select nominees for an upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court after the retirement of Justice Holly Kirby on June 30, 2026. The applicants include: J. Ross DyerKyle…
October 13, 2025
The Tennessee Supreme Court today held that a woman who filed a wrongful death lawsuit complied with the state’s health care liability pre-suit notice statute when she identified herself as the claimant authorizing the notice and the mother of the patient.Bobbie Jo Denson sent pre-suit notice and…
October 13, 2025
Today in Matthew Long v. Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund, the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated the Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund’s (Fund) denial of the plaintiff’s pension benefits. The plaintiff, Matthew Long, was a firefighter. In 2020, he applied for job-…
October 8, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court today held that the warrantless seizure of a firearm did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The Court found that the firearm was seized properly under the “plain view exception.” Seizures made without first obtaining a warrant generally are considered…
October 3, 2025
The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court following the retirement of Justice Holly Kirby on June 30, 2026.Qualified applicants must be licensed attorneys who are at least 35 years of age, have been residents of…
September 23, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. – On October 1, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its October docket in Nashville, Tennessee. Oral arguments will be heard at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville and livestreamed here. Beginning at 9:00 am CDT, the Court will…
September 23, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. – Justice Holly Kirby has announced she will retire from the Tennessee Supreme Court, effective June 30, 2026.Justice Kirby was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court by Governor Bill Haslam in 2014, serving as Chief Justice from 2023-2025. Throughout her legal career, Justice…
September 19, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court today affirmed the suspension of a Davidson County attorney for his disclosure of confidential client communications in violation of the ethics rules for lawyers. The violations stemmed from attorney James B. Johnson’s representation of a client…
September 4, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Supreme Court has elected Justice Jeff Bivins to be the next Chief Justice of the Court. Justice Bivins was unanimously elected by the Court for a three-year term, effective September 1, 2025. This is the second time Justice Bivins will serve as Chief Justice. He…
August 29, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - On September 4, 2025, the Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its September docket in Knoxville, Tennessee. Oral arguments will be heard at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Knoxville and livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page here. Beginning…
July 18, 2025
The Tennessee Supreme Court held today in State of Tennessee v. Shanessa L. Sokolosky, that an appeal of a probation revocation order was not moot even when the defendant fully served her sentence.Shanessa Sokolosky pleaded guilty in 2019 to two misdemeanors. Instead of serving time in…
June 16, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued a decision in State of Tennessee v. Pervis Tyrone Payne affirming the trial court’s modification of Payne’s death sentences but vacating the trial court’s decision to order that Payne’s sentences be served concurrently instead of…
May 12, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court has four cases on its May 29, 2025 docket in Nashville, Tennessee. Oral arguments in three cases will be heard at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville, beginning at 9:00 a.m. CST, and livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page. …
May 22, 2025
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on May 28, 2025, before an accomplished group of rising high school seniors at the Tennessee American Legion Boys State at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. The event is part of the Court’s SCALES…
May 9, 2025
Today, the Tennessee Supreme Court held that the Quality Improvement Committee (“QIC”) privilege is waivable. Under Tennessee law, healthcare organizations may form a QIC to evaluate patient care. The statute, Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-272(c)(1), protects any records and statements “relating to…