Deaner Gives Keynote at 2018 Public Service Luncheon

April 23, 2018
The TBA’s 2018 Public Service Luncheon was held Saturday in Nashville, where four individuals were honored for their contributions to access to justice. Nashville Public Defender Dawn Deaner served as keynote speaker, where she said that Tennessee attorneys can change the justice system for the better. “Justice is evolutionary,” Deaner said. “It can be changed, it can be improved, and we can do that through education, through action, through determination, and through the good acts of the people that are gathered in this room.” See photos of the award winners and watch Deaner’s full address.

TBA Public Service Awards Luncheon This Saturday

April 17, 2018
The TBA's annual Public Service Luncheon will be held this Saturday at the downtown Nashville DoubleTree Hotel. The luncheon will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. and will end before 2 p.m. This year's honorees are Daniel Horwitz, who receives the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award, Mary Michelle Gillum, who was named the Ashley Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year, and Alexa Spata, the Law Student Volunteer of the Year. A special award, the Access to Justice Champion Award, will be presented to TBA Executive Director Emeritus Allan Ramsaur, in acknowledgement of his accomplishments as a bar leader and as a leader in the access to justice community. The luncheon was originally scheduled for January, but was rescheduled due to bad weather.

Yale Law Women Names Top 10 Female-Friendly Firms

April 23, 2018
Yale Law Women has released its annual list of top 10 most family-friendly law firms, as well as a new list topic, the ABA Journal reports. The new 10 Female-Friendly firms list was based on gender equity in hiring, the representation of women in leadership and promotions, and equitable training and mentorship opportunities. The other list is the top 10 “family-friendly” law firms, which considers billable hours and compensation, parental and family accommodations, and flexible work schedules. See the full lists here.

TBI Crime Data Shows Murder, Rape Increases, Fewer DUIs

April 20, 2018
Crime in Tennessee" report, revealing a slight overall increase in reported instances of crime, Humphrey on the Hill reports. The annual study compiles data reported from each law enforcement agency in the state through the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS). The numbers show murders increased by 6.7 percent and rapes increased by 3.2 percent. Juvenile crime is slightly down, accounting for 6.4 percent of all arrests, and DUI arrests continue to trend downward.

ABA Releases Employment Data for Class of 2017

April 20, 2018
Fewer members of the class 2017 have landed full time, long-term legal jobs than those from 2016, according to a new employment report now publicly available from the American Bar Association. While the aggregated school data shows that 75.3 percent of graduates from ABA accredited law schools are employed in the bar-passage-required or J.D. Advantage jobs — up slightly from the year before — the percentage gain is likely due to a roughly 6 percent decline in the size of the graduating class.

Civil Rights Cold Case Bill Advances

April 18, 2018
A bill that would create a state body to investigate civil rights cold cases is nearing passage in the legislature, the Memphis Daily News reports. A key project of soon-to-retire state Rep. Johnnie Turner, D-Memphis, the measure would set up the Tennessee Civil Rights Crimes Information, Reconciliation and Research Center, which would delve into unsolved civil rights crimes. It passed unanimously in the House yesterday and has cleared the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee. It is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville.

Bonnyman Named NLADA’s Kutak-Dodds Prize Winner

May 8, 2018
The National Legal Aid and Defender Association has named Nashville’s G. Gordon Bonnyman as the recipient of its 2018 Kutak-Dodds Civil Prize. The award honors the accomplishments of lawyers who are significantly contributing to the enhancement of human dignity and quality of life of those individuals who are unable to afford legal representation. Bonnyman was recognized primarily for his work fighting for improved access to healthcare for the poor and uninsured at the Tennessee Justice Center, of which he was a co-founder.

Shelby County Attorney Disbarred

May 9, 2018
On May 8, Scott Eric Crawford, of Collierville, was disbarred from the practice of law by order of the Tennessee Supreme Court, effective May 18. As a condition of reinstatement, he must make restitution to one client. Crawford represented his client in a fire loss dispute with an insurance company. A hearing panel found that Crawford forged his client’s signature on the insurance payment checks, failed to deposit them into his trust account as required, failed to adequately communicate with his client, failed to maintain adequate records and to account for the distribution of funds, and failed to remit his client’s portion in a timely manner. In addition, Crawford was found to have concealed the payment of a portion of his fees by the insurance carrier when he was not entitled to any fees, and misappropriated an amount he claimed he was holding in escrow for the client’s payment of contractor expenses. 

Hamblen County Lawyer Placed on Disability Inactive Status

May 9, 2018
By order of the Tennessee Supreme Court entered May 9, the law license of Richard Dale Darby was transferred to disability inactive status pursuant to Section 27.3 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. Darby cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the court upon showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

LAS Honors 2 at Nashville Law Day Luncheon

May 4, 2018
The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands announced the recipients of two awards to honor outstanding pro bono work. The Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year award was given to Chris Mayfield, assistant vice president of development for HCA Inc., and the Pro Bono Leadership Award was given to the Tennessee Office of the Attorney General & Reporter. Legal Aid Society Executive Director DarKenya Waller presented the awards today during the Nashville Bar Association’s annual Law Day lunch.

Supreme Court Suspends Rutherford County Attorney

May 4, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has suspended a Rutherford County attorney, James Carl Cope, for an additional 25 months. Cope was temporarily suspended in October 2016, and he requested that his final suspension be retroactive to the date of his initial suspension. The Court rejected his request and also rejected the Board of Professional Responsibility’s request to disbar him. Cope pleaded guilty to insider trading in 2016, and the Tennessee Supreme Court immediately suspended him and referred the matter to the Board of Professional Responsibility to determine his final discipline. A hearing panel of lawyers determined he be suspended retroactive to his summary suspension in 2016, but the Supreme Court disagreed, and ordered the suspension to begin upon the filing of their opinion.

Ellis Honored with KBA's Law and Liberty Award

May 3, 2018
Attorney Kathryn Ellis was given the Knoxville Bar Association’s Law and Liberty Award at the organization’s annual Law Day Luncheon today. Chosen by the Barristers Executive Committee, the award is given to someone who strives to maintain good relationships between the legal profession and the community, sets an example of good citizenship, volunteers their time and expresses concern for the safeguard of personal, political, civil and religious liberties. Ellis serves as the Pro Bono Director for Legal Aid of East Tennessee.

Doug Blaze Receives UTK’s Macebearer Award

April 24, 2018
At the 2018 University of Tennessee’s Chancellor’s Honors Banquet, Doug Blaze was given the Macebearer Award, the highest faculty honor the institution offers. Blaze, an Art Stolnitz Distinguished Professor since 2002 and an Elvin E. Overton Distinguished Professor since 2004, is responsible for helping students set up UT Pro Bono, the College of Law’s student-directed community service organization. He joined the university in 1993 as the director of the Legal Clinic, and now serves as director of the Institute for Professional Leadership. The Macebearer is “symbolic of the faculty’s commitment of service to students, to scholarship, and to society.”

TLAW Panel Addresses Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession

TBA President Lucian Pera led a panel discussion on sexual harassment in the legal profession during today's Empowerment Conference presented by the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women. Joining Pera on the panel were the Hon. Chris Craft of the 30th Judicial District Criminal Court, Baker Donelson shareholder Charles K. Grant, Unum Group Assistant Vice President and Special Counsel Angela A. Ripper and University of Tennessee College of Law Dean Melanie Wilson. The conference continues all day tomorrow at Waller in Nashville.

Civil Rights Cold Case Bill Heads to Haslam's Desk

A bill that would create a state body to investigate civil rights cold cases passed the Tennessee House yesterday. Sponsored by Rep. Johnnie Turner, D-Memphis, the measure would set up the Tennessee Civil Rights Crimes Information, Reconciliation and Research Center, which would delve into unsolved civil rights crimes. It also passed the Senate on Monday, where it is sponsored by Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville. It now heads to Gov. Haslam's desk for final approval.