Stay current with legal news in Tennessee. This page features the latest news for and about the Tennessee legal community, either produced by the Tennessee Bar Association or collected from news sources.
Former Sullivan County Criminal Court Judge Edgar Calhoun died Monday (Aug. 6) after a long illness. He was 81. A Scott County native, Calhoun worked in the Tennessee Comptroller's Office after earning his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He later moved to Kingsport and entered private practice. He worked in the Sullivan County District Attorney General's office before being appointed to the bench in 1976. He held that position until his retirement in August 1994. Arrangements are incomplete at this time. TriCities.com reported the news
Legal Aid of East Tennessee recently honored lawyers who donate services to low-income clients at its Pro Bono Celebration. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee presented the Law Firm of the Year Award to Paine, Tarwater & Bickers, the Lawyer of the Year Award to Rachel P. Hurt of Arnett, Draper & Hagood, and the Law Student of the Year Award to Crista M. Cuccaro, a student at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Knoxville Bar Association President J. William Coley gave awards to 21 lawyers who donated at least 25 hours of service through Legal Aid's Pro Bono Project. In the past year, more than 750 lawyers and 120 law students contributed their services through the project. Download more from LAET
The law license of Rogersville attorney John Douglas Godbee was temporarily suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday after the court determined that he poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. Download the BPR release
The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended the law license of Wilson County attorney Gary Wayne Vandever yesterday based on his pleading guilty to three counts of theft of property over $60,000. The court further ordered the Board of Professional Responsibility to institute a formal proceeding to determine the extent of final discipline. Download the BPR release
An opinion issued last week by Attorney General Robert Cooper confirms there is a vacancy in the District 2 Hawkins County Commission. The seat was held by Dustin Dean, who through an oversight had been considered a District 2 resident while his residence of the past six years is actually located just a few feet inside the District 3 boundary. The opinion says that Dean's seat "is automatically vacant with no judicial determination necessary to establish a vacancy" and that the spot could be put on the ballot for the Nov. 6 election. Candidates have until Aug. 16 to qualify. The Kingsport Times-News has the story
Get all of your CLE for 2012 at the Tennessee Bar Association’s General Practice Boot Camp. Topics touch on the areas of law important to general and solo practitioners. For Middle Tennessee lawyers the program will be Aug. 16-18 and for practitioners in West and East Tennessee the program is Aug. 24. Check out the details for the programs in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville.
Public defenders in Memphis are joining a movement to reform how indigent defendants are treated in and out of the courthouse. The approach is based on the idea that public defenders may be able to help curb recidivism by helping clients address underlying problems such as mental illness, unemployment and drug or alcohol addiction. The cutting-edge initiative earned the city a spot in the national Public Defenders Corp. program. More than 450 law school graduates from across the country applied to participate, with just 19 making the final cut. After intensive training, the group is now a week into their new assignments. The Commercial Appeal has more
Lawyers handling the Shelby County Commission's municipal school-district lawsuit have asked the entire Tennessee legislature for "all communications or letters," including e-mail, regarding the consolidation of the city and county schools and the creation of new municipal school districts. The request by lawyers from the Baker Donelson law firm includes communications from "any citizen, constituents, residents or anyone else," legislative administrators said today. The request is not a subpoena but legislative officials said they are complying and sent a letter Friday to all 132 members of the General Assembly and their aides asking them if they had anything they felt fell under the scope of the request. The Commercial Appeal has more
The president of the University of Memphis has launched an internal investigation into allegations that funding was cut to the school newspaper, the Helmsman, based on its content. University counsel Sheri Lipman said that she is not aware of any First Amendment violations that have taken place. Helmsman Editor-in-Chief Chelsea Boozer said multiple committee members told her they took issue with the paper's coverage, or lack of coverage, of various campus events and that this had a direct influence on their decision to cut the paper's funding. The Commercial Appeal reports
In an editorial, the Johnson City Press acknowledges that there is perhaps nothing Americans dread more than receiving a jury summons in the mail, but that serving "is one of the most crucial tasks a citizen is asked to do in our country."
Nashville-based Gibson Guitar Corp. will pay a $300,000 fine and make a $50,000 community-service payment for conservation in response to federal allegations that the company used illegally obtained ebony wood in the manufacture of its products. The U.S. Justice Department said in a news release that the settlement resolves a criminal investigation into allegations that the company violated the Lacey Act by illegally purchasing and importing ebony wood from Madagascar and rosewood and ebony from India. The agreement was announced today by Assistant Attorney General Ignacia S. Moreno of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Jerry Martin and Dan Ashe, director of the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The criminal enforcement agreement defers prosecution for criminal violations. The Blog of Legal TImes has more
Thursday's state legislative primary results likely signal more infighting among Republicans in the next two-year legislative term, particularly between the GOP's pro-business and tea party wings in the House, the Commercial Appeal argues. The paper calls the results "a mixed bag" for more conservative challengers. Read its election follow-up
Judges and court clerks are eligible to apply for some of the $100,000 grant the Administrative Office of the Courts has received to enhance courtroom technology throughout the state. The one-time funds are from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant. Applications are due on Sept. 15. Learn more here
Tennessee Bar Association President Jackie Dixon was among the panelists on a program put on by the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Civic Education in the Nation’s Schools during the ABA meeting in Chicago over the weekend. The program highlighted the Civics & Law Academy activities developed and implemented by the TBA Public Education Committee, led by immediate past chair Jimmie Lynn Ramsaur. The activities also are featured in the commission's Year End Report. Dixon shared her experience in teaching a class at Nashville’s McGavock High School and said one of her goals as TBA president is to expand the program to other parts of the state. Learn more about the Civics & Law Academy
Little Rock, Ark., lawyer Robert "Robby" M. Wilson Jr. died on Aug. 3. He was 60. After graduating from the University of Arkansas School of Law, Mr. Wilson began his legal career, and soon founded Wilson & Associates PLLC, focusing on representation of the mortgage banking industry. The firm has three offices in Arkansas and offices in Knoxville, Nashville and Memphis. Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wilson History & Research Center, 27 Rahling Circle, Little Rock, AR 72223. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wilson History & Research Center Inc., www.militaryheadgear.com or UAMS Cancer Institute, 4301 West Markham St., Little Rock, AR 72205. Read his obituary
Tennessee 2nd House District challenger Ben Mallicote said today he hasn’t ruled out contesting his narrow loss to incumbent state Rep. Tony Shipley in the Republican primary by 11 votes, the Times-News reports. Tennessee law does not permit a recount, only a “contest” which may only be filed by a candidate or the incumbent office holder, according to Sullivan County Elections Administrator Jason Booher.
The Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and the law firm of Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop are teaming up to host the second annual Law Firm Trivia Challenge on Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. in Nashville. The event will take place at Bar Louie’s in the Gulch. Teams will be composed of five people. The entry fee for each team is $250. Individuals are welcome at $50 per person, and a team can be coordinated for you. All money raised will benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Middle Tennessee. For more information or to register your team, please contact Mary Beth Haltom at mhaltom@lewisking.com or Jenney Keaty at jkeaty@kcbattys.com, or download this flyer.
Primary election coverage in Friday's issue of TBA Today contained two inaccuracies. Thomas Gray in the 4th District will face former Speaker and Independent candidate Kent Williams. The story also incorrectly identified Phillip North, Democratic nominee in the substantially redrawn Senate District 20 in Nashville. We regret the errors. Review the corrected results
Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Betty Adams Green plans to retire from the bench in six weeks, ending 14 years in that role, the City Paper reports. The Metro Council will choose a replacement.
With results in a couple of races still uncertain, one thing is clear about the next General Assembly: there will be more lawyers in the House. In the Senate, retirements left a big gap to fill.
In the House, there will be at least five lawyers and possibly as many as nine when the legislature returns in January. Four incumbents -- Craig Fitzhugh, Mike Stewart, Vance Dennis and John Mark Windle -- are expected to return after receiving their party's nod. Linda Elam is the only incumbent lawyer who did not qualify to return.
Mike Carter will represent Ooltewah after claiming the Republican nomination there and Jeremy Durham will represent a portion of Williamson. Neither face Democratic opposition. In the 4th District, Thomas Gray was unopposed in the Republican primary and has no Democratic opponent. He will, however, face former Speaker and Independent candidate Kent Williams in the general election.
One race between Steven Glaser and William Lambert will feature a faceoff between two lawyers assuring a sixth seat. Sevierville lawyer Andrew Farmer is the Republican nominee in the heavily Republican 3rd District.
In the Senate, three incumbent Republican lawyer lawmakers -- Doug Overbey, Ken Yager and Mark Norris -- should return, along with Democratic Leader Jim Kyle, after each won their party races. With the retirement of Mike Faulk, Andy Berke, Roy Herron and Joe Haynes, the number of lawyers in the upper chamber will decline by at least one. Lawyer candidates Tim Barnes, John Stephens and Phillip North all face what are expected to be hard fought fall campaigns to keep the body close to what it was in 2012.
