News

September 29, 2023
In a lawsuit against a Davidson County physician, the Tennessee Supreme Court today upheld the trial court’s pre-trial ruling prohibiting the defendant doctor from using evidence that another physician, who was not in the lawsuit, caused the plaintiff’s injuries, because the defendant doctor did…

September 29, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today held that the 2017 amendment to the probation eligibility statute, Tennessee Code Annotated section 40-35-303, prohibits defendants who are convicted of vehicular homicide by intoxication from receiving any form of probation. In August 2020, Ebony Robinson struck…

September 28, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today ruled that the economic loss doctrine applies only to products liability cases and should not be expanded. The doctrine generally prevents a contracting party who suffers only economic losses from recovering additional damages under tort law principles. Because it…

September 28, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today reversed a decision of the Court of Appeals that had allowed a lawsuit against an Alabama homebuilder for alleged construction defects in a house built in Alabama to proceed in Tennessee.  At issue in the case was the concept of personal jurisdiction, which deals…

September 22, 2023
Several members of the Tennessee judicial branch recently attended the Court Technology Conference sponsored by the National Center for State Courts. The conference covered the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, access to justice, data management, cybersecurity, and continuity of…

September 8, 2023
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight E. Tarwater received a warm welcome to the bench this week when family, friends, colleagues, elected officials, and the judiciary joined him in Knoxville for his ceremonial investiture by Governor Bill Lee. Justice Tarwater was confirmed as a Supreme Court…

September 1, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court has two cases set for its September 6, 2023, docket. The first case will be heard in Knoxville beginning at 9 a.m. EDT. The second case will be submitted on briefs. The first case will be livestreamed to the TNCourts YouTube page at: www.youtube.com/@TNCourts/featured.…

August 31, 2023
The Tennessee Supreme Court today rejected a Memphis nursing home’s argument that the trial court could not consider whether a resident with Down syndrome was competent to authorize his brother to act as his agent.  The nursing home sought to enforce an arbitration agreement signed on the resident’…

Chief Justice Holly Kirby
August 31, 2023
The Supreme Court has elected Justice Holly Kirby to be the next Chief Justice of the Court. Justice Kirby was unanimously elected by the Court for a two-year term, effective September 1, 2023. She becomes only the fourth woman to serve as the Court’s Chief Justice.   Justice Kirby was appointed…

Retired Chief Justice Janice Holder, Justice Jeff Bivins, Justice Sharon Lee and Claire Drowota
August 31, 2023
Tennessee Access to Justice leaders have established the Justice Frank F. Drowota Trust to provide supplemental funds to direct providers of legal services to Tennessee’s low-income citizens. The Trust was announced at the August 31, 2023, Equal Justice University luncheon sponsored by Tennessee…