The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on May 27 to discuss the professional privilege tax. The tax is due on June 1 each year for individuals licensed to practice law in Tennessee, as well as other professions listed in Tenn. Code Ann. §67-4-1702.  The webinar will discuss the process, including who is required to pay and how and when to file payment. Register for the webinar or see all upcoming educational events from the department.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued an emergency order allowing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to proceed with plans to end protected status for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans while a legal challenge to the plan moves through the appeals process. The decision overturns a San Francisco-based federal district judge who put a hold on efforts to lift Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for these individuals and begin deportation proceedings. Only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson indicated she would deny the application. Neither Jackson nor the majority explained their decision in the one-page order. SCOTUSblog has more on the administration’s plan and the challenge brought by the National TPS Alliance.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) is accepting nominations for its three annual Access to Justice Awards: the Janice M. Holder Award, the B. Riney Green Award and the New Advocate of the Year Award. Nominations and any supporting documents must be submitted by July 20. The awards will be presented at the Equal Justice University (EJU) Conference, which will take place Aug. 27-29. Learn more about the awards process or EJU 2025.

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred Knox County lawyer Melvin Jacob Werner from the practice of law on May 19. The court took the action based on two separate complaints of ethical misconduct and after finding that Werner committed fraud; made false representations of fact; knowingly violated Massachusetts law by engaging in unlawful, unfair or deceptive acts or practices; misled a client to induce her into entering a fraudulent investment agreement, resulting in a loss to the client of $650,000.00; misappropriated and converted client funds without the client’s knowledge or consent; impermissibly commingled client and personal funds; and made knowing misrepresentations of fact to his client. These actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.15 and 8.4(c).

Shelby County lawyer Alisha Irene Wyatt was reinstated to the practice of law on May 14 after being on inactive status for more than five years. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Wyatt’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory. The court issued the order on May 16.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Knox County lawyer Linn Marie Guerrero from the practice of law on May 16 for five years, with two years to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with conditions. During the probation period, Guerrero must engage a practice monitor and pay all costs and expenses of the disciplinary proceeding. The court took the action based on five separate complaints of misconduct. It found that Guerrero engaged in conduct that involved significant conflicts of interest between clients in adverse positions, entered into fee agreements without client authorization, charged excessive and unreasonable fees unsupported by billing records, and abused her fiduciary relationship. Guerrero also failed to reasonably communicate with or diligently represent clients, failed to protect client’s interests after withdrawing and abandoned client matters without returning the client’s property or otherwise protecting their interests. Guerrero agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging she violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1,7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.16, 3.2 and 8.4(c) and (d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred McMinn County attorney Joseph Houston Crabtree Jr. from the practice of law on May 16. The court determined that in a personal injury matter, Crabtree abandoned his client and pending litigation, failed to respond to subsequent communications from his client and failed to turn over the client’s file to successor counsel. Further, when Crabtree was suspended from the practice of law on Nov. 22, 2022, for an unrelated matter, he failed to notify either his client or opposing counsel of the suspension. Finally, the court found that Crabtree failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding the disciplinary complaints. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4(c), 8.1(b) and 8.4(g).

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday extended its ban on the removal of Venezuelan men currently in immigration custody in Texas, under the Alien Enemies Act, SCOTUSblog reports. In an unsigned opinion, the justices found that the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals erred when it dismissed the detainees’ appeal of their removal based on a belief that it lacked authority to review it. The justices sent the case back to the appeals court for a determination of the procedures detainees are entitled to in order to challenge their removal. The opinion also stressed that it was not addressing the underlying question of whether detainees can be removed under the Alien Enemies Act. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas issued a dissent saying the court had “no authority to issue any relief.” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a short concurring opinion arguing that the Supreme Court should have resolved the issue itself, rather than sending it back to the lower court. In March, the administration initiated efforts to remove noncitizens designated as members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under the Alien Enemies Act. Lower courts, including those in Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington, D.C., have issued various rulings on the effort.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill into law protecting educators and school contractors from disciplinary action and lawsuits if they misgender or deadname students, staff or others within their school district, WBIR reports. In addition, the new law shields public schools and districts from liability in such cases. Those who are disciplined may sue for monetary damages after going through a complaint process. The law, which was sponsored by Rep. Mark Cochran, R-Englewood, in the House and by Sen. Paul Rose, R-Covington, in the Senate, also prohibits schools and teachers from requiring students, employees or contractors to share preferred pronouns and names, and educators may not ask students to refer to them by a preferred pronoun. For institutions of higher education, the bill prohibits the disciplining of students, faculty, employees or contractors who refuse to provide preferred pronouns. The law went into effect on May 9.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a case involving President Donald Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. At the center of the case is the question of whether federal judges can issue nationwide orders to block policies as legal challenges move through lower courts. According to SCOTUSblog, no clear picture emerged of how the justices will resolve that dispute. The administration in March asked the court to weigh in on preliminary injunctions imposed by lower courts. A decision in the case is expected by late June or early July according to the news source.