The Tennessee Department of Agriculture recently introduced new permanent rules for hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoid (HDC) products, as well as for hemp producers and retailers. Among the changes are regulations limiting the retail sale of THCA, or tetrahydrocannabinolic acid products, reported as the most popular products sold in the state. The Tennessean reports that the changes have some hemp advocates worried that the rules will have harmful effects on the current hemp market and consumers. In 2023, Gov. Bill Lee signed Tennessee's first bill regulating hemp-derived cannabinoids into law and directing the department to establish formal rules and a process for enforcing them. The permanent regulations will go into effect on Dec. 26.

In recognition of Celebrate Pro Bono Month, Nashville lawyer and TBA Young Lawyers Division Board member Alix Rogers writes in a recent piece about how pro bono work not only helps those in need but also can be a valuable tool for professional growth. In "The Professional Power of Pro Bono: Building Skills, Networks and Purpose," Rogers reflects on her own experience and well as those gleaned from working with law students to outline the ways pro bono work can build critical skills and connections. Rogers is director of career and professional development at Belmont University College of Law. She serves on the TBA's Access to Justice Committee as well as Middle Tennessee Governor on the YLD Board. For many years, she also has coordinated the YLD's pro bono activities.

TBA’s 2024 Local Government Forum will take place this Friday, Nov. 1, as a live virtual event. It will start at 9 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. CDT. This year’s forum will feature sessions on parliamentary procedures, local sustainability measures and the ethics of who government attorneys actually represent. Other topics will include parliamentary procedures, First Amendment cases, local sustainability measures and the Tennessee Public Records Act. For more information and to register, visit TBA's website.

The Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) intake/interview session set for tomorrow in Dunlap will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. CDT. The article that ran in Friday’s issue of TBA Today indicated the incorrect time zone. For more information about the event, please call the LAET office in Chattanooga at 423-756-4013.

The TBA Environmental Law Forum will take place Nov. 15 in the Nashville office of Butler Snow. This staple for Tennessee environmental lawyers features government, in-house and private practice attorneys discussing timely topics affecting the practice area. Sessions at this year’s event include endangered species litigation, underground storage tanks, drinking water, Chevron, ethics and more. Do not miss this opportunity to earn CLE while networking with colleagues from across the state. Register now.

With this program, TBA seeks to expand the group of legal advocates certified to serve Tennessee veterans, who are underrepresented in the Veterans Affairs Department’s (VA) claims and appeals processes. Introduction to the Practice of Veterans Law — a live virtual event on Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CDT — will cover information about claims procedures, basic benefits eligibility, right to appeal, disability compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, and pensions. Presenters will be James R. Drysdale with the VA Office of General Counsel in Washington, D.C., and VA certified lawyers Seth Ogden and Rita Gibson Rayford.

Colorado lawyer Melanie Beth Shada has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Shada was hired by a client to prepare estate planning documents. The court found that she sent draft documents to the client, but failed to finalize the documents or respond to multiple requests for information. She also failed to respond in a timely manner to the disciplinary complaint. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 8.1.

Montgomery County lawyer Kevin William Teets Jr. has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The court found that in representing two clients seeking damages from an apartment fire, Teets accepted a retainer but never filed a lawsuit. The same clients then hired Teets to defend them in a detainer matter relating to a different apartment. In that matter, Teets failed to attend multiple court dates, resulting in default judgment and a judgment for damages being entered against the clients. He also failed respond to numerous requests for information from the clients. The court found that his actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.15, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4.

U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amul Thapar recently spoke in Washington, D.C., calling on donors and alumni to reconsider their financial support of law schools until they hire more scholars who embrace "originalism" and better equip lawyers to argue cases based on that legal doctrine. "Make no mistake: money talks," Thapar said, asserting that financial pressure can prompt changes in legal education. Reuters reports that Thapar also called out law schools for their perceived lack of conservative legal thought. He described today's law school curriculum as overly focused on "postmodern philosophy" and critical theory, arguing it does not prepare students for practice in today's courts.

Mark your calendar for TBA's 2025 Day on the Hill and Big Shrimp Legislative Reception, which will be held March 19 in Nashville. The events give Tennessee lawyers an opportunity to meet with legislators and talk to them about issues important to the profession, including funding for indigent representation. Read more about the 2024 events and sign up to connect with TBA's Grassroots Advocacy Initiative and upcoming events.