Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee recently announced two judicial appointments and one district attorney appointment. Lee named Chris Frulla as the new circuit court judge and Raymond Lepone as the new criminal court judge in the 30th Judicial District, which covers Shelby County. Frulla currently serves as a partner at Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell. He will take the bench immediately to fill a vacancy created by the elevation of Judge Valerie Smith to the Court of Appeals. Lepone currently serves as an assistant attorney general in the Criminal Appeals Division of the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. He will take the bench immediately to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Paula Skahan. Finally, Lee named Thomas Dean as new district attorney general for the 18th Judicial District, which serves Sumner County. He currently works as an assistant district attorney in the office and will take over when Ray Whitley retires on Sept. 1.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order on Aug. 27 referring Sevier County lawyer Aaron Michael Kimsey to the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) for whatever action it may deem warranted. The court took the action after Kimsey pled guilty to one count of driving under the influence, a Class A misdemeanor. He was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days, with all but 48 hours to be served on supervised probation.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Anderson County lawyer of Steven R. Seivers to disability inactive status on Aug. 27. Seivers may not practice law while on inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the court upon showing that his disability has been removed.

A story in the Aug. 20 issue of TBA Today highlighted a number of new hires at Tennessee law schools. A new professor at Belmont College of Law was omitted. Joe Sliskovich will be teaching courses in business associations, federal income tax and business and tax planning. Previously, Sliskovich was tenured at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Read more about him on the school’s website.

The next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits is set for Sept. 18 in Nashville. The clinic, sponsored by the Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Prospective clients should register by Sept. 15. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

A plan to require more hands-on training for law students was pulled just prior to consideration by the American Bar Association (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar. The proposal, which would double the number of required hands-on learning credits for American law students from six to 12 credits, had met with strong opposition, according to Reuters. Clinical legal professors and externship supervisors largely have backed the change, as have some attorneys and members of the public, saying it will help produce practice-ready attorneys. But many deans of ABA-accredited law schools said the change would be too costly.

When you’re busy, it’s difficult to think of a ringing phone as a prospective client rather than a mere interruption. The TBA's Law Firm in a Box offers a chart comparing services that not only answer phones but can help with client screening, intake and more. Access this and more resources in the Opening a Firm section.

Retired Rutherford County lawyer Allen D. Hale died Aug. 23 at age 73. A lifelong resident of the county, he worked as paramedic, police detective, assistant district attorney and private practice attorney. Visitation will be this Friday at 10:30 a.m. CDT at Jennings and Ayers Funeral Home, 820 S. Church St., Murfreesboro 37130. A service will follow at 12:30 p.m. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Gardens, 5350 NW Broad St., Murfreesboro 37129. Condolences for the family may be shared online at www.jenningsandayers.com.

A Nashville grand jury that declined to indict dozens of cases earlier this year has left some defendants facing higher bail and extended jail time, The Tennessean reports. The grand jury, led by foreperson and community organizer Theeda Murphy, issued “no true bills” in 47 cases from January to March, about 15 times more than the five other grand juries that have met since January 2024. While Murphy said prosecutors failed to present enough evidence, defense attorneys argue the move backfired, forcing defendants to pay bail twice or remain in custody. Judges and bonding companies are now untangling the fallout, which attorneys have called “insanely unfair.”

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners plans to set up an ad hoc committee next month to explore new jail options, the Daily Memphian reports. Incoming commission chair Shante Avant announced the move Monday as the commission delayed action on putting out a call for proposals to implement a master plan proposed for the new jail. Commissioners voted 8-1 to push consideration of a request for proposals to Sept. 17, after amending the resolution to broaden possible sites beyond county-owned land, allow rebuilding or relocation of the jail and consider private as well as public funding. Much of the debate centered on whether the former Firestone plant site in North Memphis should remain under consideration when exploring options for the jail.