The Tennessee Supreme Court has imposed a one-year suspension on Connecticut lawyer Jason Russell Buckley based on imposition of the same discipline by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court in September 2023. Maine took the action after Buckley requested CLE credit for two webcast seminars that occurred simultaneously. On April 8, the Tennessee court asked Buckley to file an answer as to why it should not apply the same discipline. Buckley filed a response on May 6, arguing that identical discipline should not be imposed in Tennessee based on Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9, § 25.4. The Board of Professional Responsibility reviewed the claim and found that none of the elements in the rule apply to this case. The court agreed and imposed the suspension retroactive to Sept. 7, 2023.

A $1 million gift made on behalf of Chattanooga-based law firm Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers will support students and faculty at the University of Tennessee College of Law. The school reports that the gift will fund scholarships for students interested in pursuing legal careers in advocacy as well as support for the College of Law Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, Legal Clinic and Douglas A. Blaze Leadership Scholarship. The gift continues Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers longstanding support of the law school and students who intend to focus on advocacy, the school said in a release. Firm founder Jerry H. Summers, a 1966 graduate of the law school, also co-founded the school’s Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution.

Stephen Hatchett, who won a three-way race for district attorney for the 10th Judicial District in March, is asking the local chancery court to rule on whether he can occupy the office immediately. Hatchett says he should be allowed to do so since the March 5 primary election has been certified, Chattanoogan.com reports. Hatchett did not face Democratic opposition in the August election. Shari L. Tayloe, who was named to the post by Gov. Bill Lee after Steve Crump left, says she is not leaving until her term expires on Aug. 31. The district includes Bradley, McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold its annual Bench & Bar Celebration on Sept. 5 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. EDT at the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St., 37902. The program will begin at 6:15 p.m. EDT. The event will honor local members of the judiciary and justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court, and include a special welcome to the Tennessee Supreme Court’s newest justice, Mary L. Wagner. Get details and a link to register on the KBA website.

Ordinary Americans are “getting whacked” by too many laws and regulations, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch says in a new book that underscores his skepticism of federal agencies and the power they wield. “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law” was co-authored by his former law clerk Janie Nitze and focuses on the real life stories of Americans who risked jail time, fines, deportation and other hardships over federal rules. “Too little law and we’re not safe, and our liberties aren’t protected … But too much law and you actually impair those same things,” Gorsuch told The Associated Press in an interview.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s office has filed a notice of appeal after a three-judge panel threw out a state law that would have required the Nashville Metro Council to be cut from 40 seats to 20, the Tennessean reports. The panel ruled 2-1 at the end of July that the law violated the Tennessee Constitution’s Home Rule Amendment, which protects local governments from legislation targeting them. The law had been under injunction since April 2023, allowing Nashville to proceed with its August 2023 Metro Council elections with its full governing body. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti released a statement today and provided a link to the filing.

Paralegals in Texas who are licensed under a proposed new program will be able to provide some legal services to low-income individuals, Reuters reports. Paralegals will have to abide by rules preliminarily approved by the state's top court. Joining other U.S. states that have created similar programs, the Texas Supreme Court said in an order that allowing licensed legal paraprofessionals to deliver limited legal services in areas including family law, estate planning, probate law and consumer debt law will help close the "justice gap" and address unmet civil legal needs.

As part of its 50th anniversary campaign, "Protecting the Promise," the Legal Services Commission (LSC) commissioned a survey to look at perceptions of civil legal aid. Results of the survey have been released and, according to the group, show that more than half of Americans (56%) mistakenly believe they are entitled to free legal representation for all civil matters if they cannot afford a lawyer. That number is even higher for young adults (18-34) with two out of three (67%) holding that belief, LSC said. Results also revealed that many Americans who experienced civil legal issues in the past three years did not seek legal help, thinking that the issues were not serious enough or that they could handle them on their own.

The Hamilton County Commission will select an attorney to fill the Hamilton County General Sessions Court seat that Judge Alex McVeagh will vacate when he takes office as circuit court judge on Sept. 1. Applications are now being accepted from qualified attorneys interested in the appointment, Chattanoogan.com reports. To apply, a letter of interest and resume should be filed with the Hamilton County Commission, 401 Hamilton County Courthouse, 625 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37402. The application period will close on Aug. 13 at 2 p.m. EDT. Interviews with commissioners will determine the top six candidates, who then will appear before the commission on Aug. 21 at 11 a.m. EDT. The appointee will serve until the August 2026 general election. The winner of that election will serve until 2030, which is when the McVeagh’s term would have expired.

Registration is now open for the next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits, set for Aug. 15 in Nashville. The clinic, sponsored by the Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Prospective clients should register by Aug. 12. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.