The TBA Criminal Justice Section will host its annual forum on Dec. 5 with a focus on exploring how lawyers can ethically and effectively manage media relations in high-profile cases. Based on personal experience and real-world scenarios, News Channel 5 reporter Nick Beres — along with former reporter turned lawyer Amy Mohan, criminal defense expert David Raybin and communications expert Eric Kowalczyk — will detail the balance between protecting a client's legal interests and shaping the public narrative. The session will address avoiding common pitfalls, complying with ethical obligations and utilizing communication strategies to safeguard both legal outcomes and clients' reputations. Learn more and register here. Criminal Justice Section members enjoy a discounted rate. Not a section member yet? Join here.

Some 30 lawyers have had their credentials misused to fraudulently secure trademark protections, a growing problem facing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), Bloomberg Law reports. Scammers have faked application materials, misused attorney credentials or used social engineering to hijack applicants’ accounts to file fraudulent applications. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), more than a third of the 2.8 million trademark applications received by the PTO may be false or inaccurate. The GAO advised the PTO to more regularly assess fraud risk of the trademark register while improving its data systems for stronger risk management. The PTO is encouraging lawyers to help spread the word about these scams.

Aspiring lawyers consistently have given law schools high marks over the past two decades, with about 80% rating their experience as either “good” or “excellent.” This year’s Law School Survey of Student Engagement is no different, according to Reuters. The survey also revealed that satisfaction rates among students of color remained consistently lower than among white counterparts. The survey found that 84% of white students rated their overall law school experience as good or excellent, whereas just 67% of Black students and 77% of Latino students gave similar high ratings. The survey, conducted by Indiana University's Center for Postsecondary Research, marked its 20th edition this year with a look back at how student diversity, debt loads, career plans and satisfaction levels have changed — or not — over the years.

Cheatham Middle School in Ashland City must choose a new mascot after the University of Cincinnati (UC) sent a cease-and-desist letter concerning copyright and licensing infringements regarding the school's current mascot, the Bearcats. In a social media post, Cheatham Middle School submitted a proposal to UC agreeing to remove the logo and create a new one but was denied and informed that the school can no longer use or refer to themselves as the "Bearcats." UC owns a sports licensing copyright for the word. The Tennessean reports that, after gathering community input, the top four choices for a new mascot are Musketeers, Bobcats, Cubs or Coyotes.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases on Dec. 4 at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville as part of its Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students (SCALES) program. The cases are Theresa Thompson Locke et al. v. Jason D. Aston M.D. et al. and State of Tennessee v. Ambreia Washington. SCALES is an initiative launched by the court in 1995 to educate high school students about the Tennessee legal system and the functions of the judicial branch. SCALES has provided more than 40,000 students from more than 500 high schools the ability to witness the Tennessee Supreme Court in action. Read more about the program and the cases to be heard beginning at 9 a.m. CST that day. The session also will be livestreamed on the court's Youtube page.

The Tennessee Supreme Court summarily suspended Knox County lawyer Adam Sanford Moncier from the practice of law on Nov. 21 for failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements. The court noted that Moncier was provided notice of the noncompliance 90 days ago. The suspension took effective immediately. Moncier may file an application for reinstatement upon demonstrating compliance with the rules. The filing comes as a supplement to the court’s annual order suspending 123 attorneys in August.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Nov. 25 suspended 10 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; nine of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2024 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

A story that ran in yesterday's issue of TBA Today was based on an early 2024 Axios article regarding the governor’s budget for FY 2024-2025. To clarify, that budget is not the 2025-2026 budget, which is currently under development and has not been released. We regret the error and any confusion this may have caused.

Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, recently announced a review of Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Bill Anderson’s cases, stating that the judge "stands with violent criminals rather than law enforcement, victims, families and protecting Memphis." The Daily Memphian reports that Anderson has been criticized for releasing several defendants on their own recognizance in recent months. Recently, Anderson released without bail a defendant accused of shooting at police during a 12-hour standoff and three other suspects charged in the shooting of a FedEx employee at a company facility near Memphis International Airport. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy says he will appeal some of those decisions. Anderson responded saying, "I will only say that Speaker Sexton or anyone else who wants to review my cases is certainly free to do so as much as they please. Mine is a court of public record and is open to the public." In April, a Shelby County commissioner also called on Anderson to resign.

The State Building Commission recently authorized $43 million in emergency funds to keep Tennessee State University (TSU) operational through the end of the year. The crisis allegedly stems from financial mismanagement under immediate past President Glenda Glover's administration. Interim TSU President Ronald Johnson has criticized the lack of oversight by the previous Board of Trustees, which was vacated earlier this year by the state legislature. According to Johnson, the board signed an $800,000 advisory contract with the outgoing president despite the university's financial struggles. Others point to historic underfunding as a major reason for the current financial straits. The commission has urged TSU to implement an emergency plan, restructure its leadership and consider selling property as a way to stabilize finances and enrollment. The Tennessee Lookout has the story.