Knox County lawyer Keri Elizabeth Rule was reinstated to inactive status from disability inactive status on June 23. The Tennessee Supreme Court ordered that Rule stay on inactive status until further order.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated two lawyers to the practice of law in Tennessee on June 22 after they were on inactive status for more than five years. Knox County lawyer Michael T. Gilmore was reinstated after being on inactive status since August 2014. The court made the reinstatement effective as of June 5. Kentucky lawyer Susan Michele Wilson was reinstated after being on inactive status since April 2012. The court made her reinstatement effective as of June 8.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 16 attorneys last week for failure to pay the annual registration fee; seven of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2023 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The Daily Memphian recently launched a series of reports on local residents’ perceptions of crime and public safety. Each installment is based on results from a public safety poll it commissioned. Daily Memphian CEO Eric Barnes writes in an introduction that survey results must be a “wake-up call for Memphis” to address the lack of accountability, transparency and trust in the local criminal justice system. The first installment, published Thursday, looked at thoughts on local crime and desire for more police. Friday’s piece looked at the range of area support for gun reform while Saturday’s issue explored the problem of speeding. On Sunday, the paper looked at how residents feel about their city. Monday’s installment carried reaction to the poll from Mayor Jim Strickland and the eight candidates running for mayor. Today, the series wrapped up with a look at how perceptions compare to actual crime data.

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Make plans now to attend this year’s Elder Law Forum, which will take place in person on July 21 at the Belmont University College of Law in Nashville. This annual staple for Tennessee attorneys provides an optimal learning experience, while allowing attendees to meet with other professionals sharing their focus. Topics for this year’s program include a probate judge’s panel, redetermination, ethics for elder law attorneys, crisis planning, tax considerations and more. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Don’t miss this once-a-year opportunity! Learn more about our speakers and register here.

More contraband believed to be connected to criminal justice advocate Alex Friedmann — who hid weapons inside the walls of the Downtown Detention Center while it was under construction — was recently discovered in the center, the Tennessean reports. The latest discovery comes more than six months after Friedmann was sentenced to 40 years in prison for felony vandalism in connection to the weapons. Employees found the additional items in a mechanical room in a non-secure area of the jail. The packages, found in the room’s ductwork, included a uniform, $100 cash and a pair of black shoes, one of which had a handcuff key hidden in the sole.

The Tennessee Innocence Project will open a new office in Memphis in September, the Daily Memphian reports. The nonprofit organization, headquartered in Nashville, also has hired two new employees to assist with Memphis cases. Gordon Pera will serve as a staff attorney of the new office while Katie Hagan will serve as senior legal counsel. Pera, a former Shelby County public defender, previously represented indigent clients. Hagan, a Nashville native, has practiced criminal law for 20 years. Previously, she worked at the Nashville District Attorney’s Office and was a partner at Hagan & Todd Law Offices. She will be based in Nashville. Tennessee Innocence Project executive director and lead counsel Jessica Van Dyke said the organization is thrilled to bring its mission to Memphis and “fight for justice and exoneration alongside the Memphis community.”

Montgomery County lawyer Hugh Reid Poland III was censured on June 23 by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Poland represented a client who settled a custody dispute at mediation. The settlement required the client to create a parenting and visitation arrangement for a trial period, and Poland to draft the required agreed order, parenting plan and child support worksheet. The court found that Poland failed to respond to communications from opposing counsel regarding the documents and ultimately failed to draft the documents. Poland also made misrepresentations to his client and ultimately stopped responding to the client’s requests for information. Opposing counsel ended up drafting the required documents but included inaccurate statements about Poland’s client. Poland approved the documents without notifying or obtaining approval from the client. The court found that these actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 8.4(c) and 8.4(d).

Stephanie Williams has announced she is a Democratic candidate for Davidson County Circuit Court. She is running in a special primary election set for March 5, 2024, to replace Judge Philip E. Smith, who died in 2022. Williams has 20 years experience as a family law attorney. Her career began in the Law Office of Richard Manson. From there, she founded the Family Justice Center and represented hundreds of litigants at reduced rates. Most recently she served nine years as the special master of the court under Smith. Williams is one of three candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. In January, Gov. Bill Lee appointed Stanley Kweller to fill the seat until the general election on Aug. 1, 2024.