The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order seeking comments on proposed changes to Rules 9 and 33, which would increase the annual registration fee from $170 to $270 and allocate the funds as follows: $225 to the Board of Professional Responsibility (up from $140), $15 to the Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection (up from $10), and $30 to the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program (up from $20). The court says the proposal is based on its own comprehensive review of the sufficiency of the annual registration fee and the allocation of funds it generates. Comments should be submitted by Nov. 8 and mailed to Clerk James Hivner, RE: Proposed Amendments to Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9 & 33, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219-1407 or by email to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov. Comments should reference docket number ADM2024-01525.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 4 suspended Williamson County lawyer Jason Scott Mangrum from the practice of law for six months, with one month to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court found that Mangrum failed to adequately communicate with a client, failed to expedite litigation, charged an unreasonable fee, failed to properly withdraw from representation, and disobeyed an obligation under the rules of a tribunal. He agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4, and 8.4 (a) and(d).

Davidson County lawyer John Benneth Iwu received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 7. The court found that Iwu agreed to the setting of a criminal court hearing on a particular date and then failed to attend the hearing. He also failed to advise his client of the date, which led to his client failing to attend the hearing. Iwu agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging that his conduct violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 3.2, 3.4(c) and 8.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 7 suspended Knox County lawyer Loring Edwin Justice for one year. The court found that while he was representing a client in a workers’ compensation matter, Justice failed to communicate reasonably with his client and failed to act diligently to provide the legal services for which he was retained. His actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 and 1.4.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Davidson County lawyer Robert Redman Laser III to the practice of law on Oct. 7. He had been temporarily suspended on Nov. 1, 2023, for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct. On Sept. 25, Laser filed a motion demonstrating he had responded to the complaint and complied with conditions imposed by the suspension.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued a corrected version of an order released on Sept. 23 reassigning justices to the state’s various judicial districts. Jeffrey S. Bivins has replaced recently retired Roger A. Page as the justice for Circuit No. 2, which consists of Judicial Districts 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 31. Mary L. Wagner has replaced Bivins as the justice for Circuit No. 4, which consists of Districts 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26 and 32. The amended order clarifies that Circuit No. 4 includes the 32nd Judicial District.

The U.S. Supreme Court began a new nine-month term on Monday that will involve a case on guns, online pornography, federal regulatory powers concerning nuclear waste storage and vape products, job discrimination, disputes involving Nvidia and Facebook and more. Reuters has a preview. Today, the court declined to take up two reproductive cases, one regarding the Biden administration’s efforts to require Texas hospitals to perform abortions to stabilize a patient's emergency medical condition and a wrongful death claim against an Alabama fertility clinic that allegedly destroyed a couple's frozen embryo. On Friday, the court added more than a dozen cases to its docket, including a challenge to Mexico's lawsuit against American gun companies, a death row inmate's DNA testing case, a nuclear waste storage dispute and a case that will decide if white, straight workers face a higher bar in bias lawsuits.

Henry Leventis, the former, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee has joined Holland & Knight’s Nashville Office. He will serve as a partner in the firm’s Healthcare Regulatory & Enforcement Practice, where he will focus on representing health care companies, executives and providers in government and internal investigations. Leventis announced earlier this month that he would resign from the federal post. Leventis served as the district’s top federal prosecutor since 2022. He previously was the assistant U.S. attorney in Nashville and a trial attorney at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Read more in a release from the firm.

The TBA will host its annual Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) Boot Camp tomorrow in Nashville. The event is designed to provide lawyers with insights into the court's procedures and strategies for success. Attendees will observe oral arguments, participate in discussions with experienced attorneys and enjoy a networking lunch. Registration opens at 9 a.m. CDT, with the program running from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. To register for the CLE, visit the TBA's online course catalog.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order amending Rule 13 to among other things, make changes to the Administrative Office of the Court’s (AOC) Claims and Payment System (ACAP). To give the AOC time to implement the changes, the court set the effective date for Sec. 6(a)(1) as Dec. 1. All other changes — including those related to the financial obligations of parents, legal custodians and guardians in cases when a guardian ad litem is appointed and the crimes that affect the maximum compensation allowed for appointed criminal cases — will take effect immediately. The AOC had proposed various amendments to the rule on March 7. The court accepted comments on the proposal through May 6.