The Tennessee Supreme Court last week ordered that the Tennessee law license of South Carolina lawyer Keith Lane Edmiston be removed from disability inactive status, but that Edmiston remain on inactive status pending resolution of disciplinary complaints against him. Edmiston filed a petition for reinstatement on Feb. 27.

The Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers and Professionals for the Arts is joining the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings to provide free legal services for nonprofits and Black-owned small businesses in Nashville on April 20. Advice will cover business formation, corporate governance, contracts and navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Eligible entities may receive up to one hour of assistance. Clients should sign up online. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession will host a webinar Friday to launch its new report, “Leveraging Grit and Growth Mindset to Drive Team Success.” The program will run from 1-2:30 p.m. EDT and requires a nominal fee. The report explores how grit and a growth mindset impact overall team performance, engagement, morale and organizational culture. Register here.

The Knoxville and Nashville bar associations have events planned for next month’s Law Day celebrations. In Knoxville, a luncheon will be held April 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EDT at the downtown Knoxville Hilton. Reserve your spot. The same day, lawyers in Nashville will celebrate with a lunch program at the Downtown Renaissance Hotel from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. Guest speaker will be Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah K. Campbell. Get more information or register. Law Day is celebrated each year on May 1. This year's theme is “Cornerstones of Democracy: Civics, Civility and Collaboration.”

A recent episode of the Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) “Talk Justice” podcast looks at how states are dealing with non-lawyer legal service providers. Co-host Cat Moon is joined by Michael Houlberg, director of special projects for the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS), and Jim Sandman, president emeritus of LSC and IAALS board member, to discuss a report from the institute that reviews alternative service providers in 16 states. The goal of the research is to find ways to expand access to and lower the cost of legal help.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee permanently disbarred Shelby County lawyer Glenda Ann Adams from the practice of law on Friday. The court determined that Adams’ felony convictions for conspiracy to violate the travel act and bribery of a public servant constituted conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation; that was prejudicial to the administration of justice; and that reflected adversely on her honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer. Her actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(a), (b), (c) and (d).

The TBA Young Lawyers Division hosted a unique CLE on Friday, which involved attendees participating in a civil rights tour of Nashville followed by a discussion with former TBA President Bill Harbison and Nashville lawyer John Farringer, both with Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison. They worked on the Tennessee case that established the national right to same sex marriage. The walking tour started at the downtown federal building, where an ADA case led to installation of an elevator. The group moved on to Hume-Fogg High School to talk about education options during the civil rights era, then to the Woolworth Theater, former site of lunch counter sit-ins demanding equal treatment of Black customers, and the Hermitage Hotel, where suffragettes gathered in August 1920 for the Tennessee legislature’s consideration of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote. Watch for details about civil rights walks coming to other Tennessee cities during the next bar year. See pictures from the day.

There is still time to join colleagues on April 28 for the 2023 TBA IP Law Forum. This year's program will look at the impact of artificial intelligence on innovation, authorship and the broader landscape of intellectual property law. Topics include effective patent prosecution strategies related to AI as well as the role of AI and Web 3.0 in copyright and trademark disputes. The four hours of programming also will include one hour of dual credit on IP-related ethical issues.

Andrew Stephen Priestly Williams, an attorney licensed in California and Florida, received a censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court today. The court took the action after Williams filed a motion for pro hac vice admission and identified local counsel in the motion but no signature was included. When the opposing attorney objected to Williams’ motion, Williams filed a reply that included a hand-written signature, however local counsel did not sign the document himself and did not give permission for his name to be signed. These actions were determined to violate Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5.

Davidson County lawyer Edward Kendall White was censured yesterday by the Tennessee Supreme Court for violating Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 3.4 and 8.4(d). The court found that White failed to follow the approved process for securing an expert witness for indigent clients, which resulted in the witness being denied payment. The court also found that in representing a criminal defendant on appeal, White failed to timely file a transcript and statement of evidence, and later withdrew from representation without filing the documents.