J. Daniel Breen, a senior judge on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and a former Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) president, will be honored in June with the Judge Pamela L. Reeves Tennessee Professionalism Award. The award, given jointly by the TBA and the Tennessee American Inns of Court, will be presented at the TBA Annual Convention’s Bench Bar Luncheon June 13 in Memphis. In a letter nominating Breen for the award, Jackson lawyer Sarah Barnett wrote of his "legal professionalism and outstanding character" and his work co-founding the Howell Edmunds-Jackson American Inns of Court Chapter. Others highlighted his mentorship of younger lawyers and new judges, his support for colleagues rising to leadership roles and his work promoting mediation as an alternative to trial. TBA President Jim Barry praised Breen's selection. “Judge Breen exemplifies the ideals of the Tennessee Professionalism Award. His service to the judiciary and the legal profession reflects the highest standards of the rule of law and the legal profession in Tennessee.” Read more in the TBA's press release.

The law license of Williamson County lawyer Jay Nelson Chamness was reinstated to active status today, retroactive to April 17. Chamness previously was on disability inactive status.

Hamilton County lawyer Arthur C. Grisham was suspended from the practice of law today. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after finding that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about a misconduct complaint. Grisham is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by May 29.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that he will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. CDT tomorrow about Tennessee’s response to the federal government’s attempted overhaul of Title IX and women’s equality in sports. Joining Skrmetti at the event will be Chief Deputy Attorney General Lacey Mase, Solicitor General Matt Rice, Strategic Litigation Unit Senior Director Whitney Hermandorfer, Litigation Counsel and Assistant Solicitor General Jenna Adamson and Skrmetti’s Chief of Staff Brandon Smith. The event will take place on the steps of the John Sevier Building, 500 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Nashville 37219. RSVP to timothy.meads@ag.tn.gov if you would like to attend.

On Friday, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sued Dr. Jaime M. Vasquez, M.D., and his fertility clinic, the Center for Reproductive Health, following sudden closure of the clinic. The suit was brought under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act and seeks immediate relief from ongoing harms to patients. Skrmetti argues that the clinic closed without warning, leaving patients, many of whom were in the middle of expensive and time-sensitive treatments, in limbo. In addition to filing the suit, Skrmetti also obtained an injunction against Vasquez, freezing operations and putting a local oncologist in charge of the clinic. Read more in a news release.

Williamson County Commissioner Brian Beathard has announced he is running for Tennessee's District 65 House seat, The News TN reports. The seat is currently held by Rep. Sam Whitson, who is not seeking reelection. Beathard has served as Williamson County's 11th district commissioner since 2010, as well as the commission chair following an election by his fellow commissioners in 2022. The Texas native currently resides in Franklin and owns and operates RevHD, a local manufacturer of heavy-duty truck parts.

After news that the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) will not fund Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) for the next fiscal year, leaders with the organization are asking the federal agency to reconsider its decision. Brian Heim, president of MALS’ Board of Directors, says: “We can be better, and that’s what we are trying to do. We think that MALS, especially with our new leadership and our people here in Memphis, are best positioned to continue to serve our community.” Under the LSC’s plan, money previously given to MALS would go to Jackson-based West Tennessee Legal Services, which would then be responsible for serving the Memphis area. Read more Helm’s response in reporting by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit newsroom in Memphis.

Before adjourning last week, lawmakers gave final approval to a bill that would create civil penalties for adults who help minors cross state lines to get transgender medical care without parental consent. According to the Associated Press, it would be the first law of its kind in the nation if signed by Gov. Bill Lee. The bill mirrors almost the same language from an anti-abortion trafficking proposal lawmakers approved just a day prior. Supporters of the bill said it would protect parents’ rights, while opponents argued that it could be applied broadly to include talking to a minor about website resources. The original version of the bill included criminal penalties, but supporters agreed to civil penalties for violators.

Multiple Tennessee school districts are opting out of a bill passed and signed into law last week that authorizes public school teachers and staff to carry concealed firearms, the Tennessee Journal reports. Under the law, teachers can be armed only if they meet certain criteria and are given permission from local public school and law enforcement officials. The measure does not require parents to be informed if a school decides to allow concealed guns in schools. WKRN has a summary of several school district responses.

Nearly half of junior associates at law firms said law school did not adequately prepare them for practice, according to a new survey. Among the 546 junior associates surveyed by legal recruiting firm Major, Lindsey & Africa and legal data intelligence provider Leopard Solutions, 45% said law school did not sufficiently prepare them for their current role. On the question of whether their law firm experience met their expectations coming out of law school, 31% said it did not. When asked what they would change about their law school experience, the most common answer was more practical skills and a greater focus on transactional practices. Reuters has more on the survey’s findings.