The Tennessee Supreme Court has publicly censured Williamson County lawyer Jay Nelson Chamness for violating Rules of Professional Conduct 4.1, 8.4(c) and 8.4(a). Chamness represented a plaintiff asserting employment discrimination in a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. Over the course of 11 months, Chamness made at least four false statements to opposing counsel about personal circumstances for which he needed extensions of time. In the last instance, Chamness asked to reschedule depositions and for more time to draft a motion because his mother had died. She was, in fact, still alive.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee has temporarily suspended Matthew Lee Harris from the practice of law after finding that Harris was substantially non-compliant with his Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program Monitoring Agreement. Harris is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by May 17. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court. The court also approved a motion to file documents in the case under seal.

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) is planning to sue Live Nation on antitrust grounds, Axios reports. The ticketing and live event company has faced intense scrutiny from lawmakers and consumer advocacy groups over botched ticket sales for Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" in late 2022. Live Nation acquired Ticketmaster in 2010. At that time, the DOJ did not attempt to block the deal, but it barred the company from pressuring concert venues to use its ticketing software. The 10-year consent decree was extended for more than five years in 2020.

The bar associations of Hamblen, Hawkins and Greene counties will host a meet and greet for newly confirmed Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Mary Wagner. The event will take place April 26 from 5-8 p.m. EDT at Morristown Landing, 4355 Durham Landing, Morristown 37814. Refreshments will be provided. RSVP here, or direct questions to Lauren Carroll at 423-586-5291 or Mark Stapleton at 423-921-9100. Wagner, who currently serves on the Shelby County Circuit Court, was confirmed by the Tennessee General Assembly on March 11. She will join the Supreme Court after Justice Roger A. Page retires on Aug. 31.

The American Bar Association (ABA) will present results from the sixth ABA Survey of Civic Literacy during a free virtual event on April 23 beginning at 10 a.m. EDT. Conducted annually, the survey measures the civics knowledge of the American public as well as views on a range of topical issues. During the event, Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent for PBS NewsHour, will moderate a panel discussion featuring a Harvard University professor, a writer and editor at Protect Democracy, and federal appellate judge. The event is part of the ABA’s Law Day celebration. Register here.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) has extended the deadline for submitting session proposals for this year's Equal Justice University (EJU). Proposals are now due April 24. Topics of interest include employment law, family law, health and benefits, housing and consumer, special education and juvenile justice, as well as professionalism. See all topics and submit proposals online. The 2024 EJU is set for Aug. 28-30 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro.

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 Practice Management Center 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 center's Opening a Firm section.

The Tennessee House and Senate Finance committees have passed the FY2024/25 budget, HB2973/SB2942, which includes $8.6 million in additional recurring funding to increase the hourly rate an additional $10 an hour for court-appointed attorneys representing the indigent. Tennessee’s court-appointed attorneys, who represent indigent citizens who are statutorily and constitutionally entitled to legal counsel, are the lowest paid in the country, and have not had their hourly reimbursement rate raised in 26 years. The TBA has worked hand in hand with the Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts to encourage the General Assembly to fairly compensate attorneys representing the indigent. During the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee meeting, House Finance Committee Chair Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, stated, “This is a start. It’s not market compensation, but it will allow us, hopefully, to address a problem. It’s very difficult for judges to find attorneys to take these indigent cases, so with additional funding, hopefully we will be able to get more cases through our system and stop the roadblocks.” The next step for the budget is passage by the House and Senate before they adjourn next week.

The 2024 Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Initiative (CCPBI) Gala will be held Saturday evening at the Nashville office of Bass, Berry & Sims, located at the Pinnacle at Symphony Place. The event will be a cocktail supper, with live music and a brief presentation, including awarding the inaugural Branham Grants. The CCPBI, a partnership between the TBA Access to Justice Committee, TBA Corporate Counsel Section and the Tennessee Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, established the grants in honor of long-time access to justice champion Andy Branham, who died in 2022. The Branham Grants support pro bono projects designed to provide civil legal resources and support for people with, affected by, or at risk for addiction in Tennessee, as well as those in recovery. Individual tickets may be purchased here. See photos from last year's event. 

Nashville Chancellor I’Ashea Myles started hearing arguments this week from lawyers hoping to have records related to the mass shooting at The Covenant School released to the public. The hearing, which is expected to last into Wednesday, will determine whether some records are released. The Tennessean reports that the key to the case is whether to apply a state rule exempting records that are part of a "pending or contemplated criminal action" from release. Lawyers on different sides of the case differed on the application of the rule given the current status of the police investigation of the shooting.