The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on Sept. 24 on alcohol taxes. Department staff will discuss issues associated with entities that manufacture, sell and/or distribute alcoholic beverages, wine and beer in Tennessee. Learn more or register here. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday dismissed a petition for reinstatement filed by California attorney Bradley Roy Peacock. Peacock had filed for reinstatement on July 11. On Aug. 1, the court notified Peacock that he had outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and the Tennessee Department of Revenue and had until Sept. 16 to satisfy those obligations. On Sept. 18, the court reported that Peacock did not satisfy the outstanding obligations and thus would dismiss the petition.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging Rutherford County school officials not to remove "Beloved" and six other books from campus libraries, arguing that books may not be removed simply because they tell stories about race or racism or include references to sex and the human body. The Daily News Journal reports that the school board is set to meet tonight. In addition to “Beloved,” the other books to be considered are "Homegoing," "Queen of Shadows," "Skin and Bones," "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," "Tower of Dawn" and "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West." The ACLU also urged the board to bring back 30 books it previously removed from school libraries for being “obscene.”

Connecticut lawyer Jason Russell Buckley was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee yesterday. He had been suspended for one year on Aug. 8, 2024, retroactive to Sept. 7, 2023, based on reciprocal discipline after the Supreme Judicial Court for the State of Maine took the same action. Buckley filed a petition for reinstatement on Aug. 23. The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility indicated that reinstatement would be appropriate.

Knox County lawyer Jonathan William Doolan was temporarily suspended from the practice of law today after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that he failed to comply with a Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program monitoring agreement. Doolan must immediately stop accepting new cases and cease representing existing clients by Oct. 19. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court. The court also issued an order approving documents in the case to be filed under seal.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan Taylor Fondren has been named acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee following this week’s resignation of Kevin G. Ritz. Fondren earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law and has served with the U.S. Department of Justice her entire career, first with the Drug Enforcement Administration and then with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In 2014, she returned to her hometown of Memphis to join the U.S. Attorney’s Office as an assistant U.S. attorney. She has served in both the criminal and civil divisions, heading the Civil Rights Unit and leading the Financial Litigation and Bankruptcy divisions. In October 2022, she was named first assistant. Read more about her career in a press release from the office.

The TBA website, member database and discussion forums will be unavailable this Saturday night beginning at 9 p.m. CDT for required maintenance. The site is expected to be operational by 3 a.m., but no later than 6 a.m., CDT on Sunday. Any messages sent to TBA Talk or Section Talk forums will be queued and sent once the maintenance work is done. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Save the date for the annual Animal Law Forum, set for Oct. 4 at the Nashville Zoo. This unique CLE will provide updates on trends and advancements in animal law while allowing participants to network with each other and enjoy all the zoo has to offer. Topics at this year’s forum include a legislative update, veterinarians and animal cruelty, pet trusts, pet liability and attorney wellness. Zoo admission, breakfast and lunch are included with the program. Do not miss this event; you never know who is going to show up!

On Sept. 13, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied a petition to dissolve a suspension against Knox County Mark Steven Graham. The court had suspended Graham’s license on May 20 for “substantial noncompliance with a Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program.” Graham filed a petition on May 4 to dissolve the suspension, which the court dismissed. Graham then filed a request for reconsideration alleging additional facts. That petition was referred to the Board of Professional Responsibility, which held a hearing, with members of the panel recommending that Graham remain suspended.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Hamilton County lawyer Walter Francis Williams to disability inactive status on Sept. 13. Williams may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing that the disability has been removed.