The TBA Leadership Academy 2022 returns to an in-person format on Dec. 16 at the Nashville Public Library’s downtown branch. This unique program provides an avenue to learn the skills and characteristics needed to be an effective leader. The event will feature Douglas Blaze with the University of Tennessee College of Law, George “Buck” Lewis III with Baker Donelson and William Lockett Jr. of Knoxville. Leaders will mentor and encourage participants while identifying strategies to overcome challenges. Don’t miss this chance to learn necessary leadership skills to benefit both your legal career and station in life.

Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC (GSRM Law) is seeking an associate attorney for its Nashville office. The focus of the position will be commercial and business matters. The individual will serve in the firm’s Litigation Section. The successful candidate should have one to three years of experience with litigation-related tasks, including investigations, preparation of motions and pleadings, discovery and trial. Federal clerkship and law review experience is preferred. Get the full job description and instructions for applying on the TBA’s JobLink platform.

The Tennessee Supreme Court last week suspended 21 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; nine of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the November fee suspension order and November IOLTA suspension order. One lawyer has since been reinstated. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2022 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

Don't miss the TBA Construction Law Section's Construction Law Basics this Friday in Memphis. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT and feature Jeremy Alpert with Glankler Brown; Shea Sisk Wellford with Martin Tate; Melody McAnally and Andrew Schrack with Butler Snow. The three-hour program will cover mechanics’ and materialman's liens, construction contract essentials and the Prompt Pay Act.  

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of eight attorneys general last week in sending a letter to five solar lending companies: Dividend Solar Finance, GoodLeap, Riverbank, Sunlight Financial and Solar Mosaic. The letter urges the companies to suspend loan payments and accrual of interest for customers who financed the purchase of a solar power system from Pink Energy and have not received a working solar power system. The letter also asks the lenders to assist customers who are experiencing functionality and installation issues. The move follows complaints filed against Pink Energy, which abruptly closed operations and filed for bankruptcy in October. Customers allege that the company misled them about the performance of its products and their potential eligibility for tax credits.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments is now accepting applications for the Tennessee Supreme Court vacancy that will be created by the retirement of Justice Sharon G. Lee on Aug. 31, 2023. Interested applicants must be licensed attorneys who are at least 35 years of age, residents of the state for five years and a resident of the Eastern Tennessee Grand Division. Applicants must complete the designated application and submit it to the Administrative Office of the Courts by noon CST on Dec. 12. Applicants will be interviewed on Jan. 4 at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy in Knoxville. Complete application instructions are available on the Administrative Office of the Courts website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Nov. 22 suspended McMinn County lawyer Joseph H. Crabtree Jr. from the practice of law for three years, with one year to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. During the first year of probation, the court directed Crabtree to engage a practice monitor at his own expense. It also conditioned reinstatement on Crabtree completing six hours of continuing legal education on ethics and six hours on law office management, paying restitution to two former clients, and reimbursing the Tennessee Lawyers Fund for Client Protection for any payments to complainants. The court took the action after finding that Crabtree’s conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.8 (h), 3.2, 3.4 (c) ,8.1 (b) and 8.4 (a), (c) and (d). The court explains why it rejected the Board of Professional Responsibility's recommendation for discipline as "inadequate" in this opinion.

More law schools have announced that they are pulling out of rankings by U.S. News & World Report because of concerns that they discourage programs to support public-interest careers. Yale Law School, which has been ranked No. 1 since the inception of the rankings, was first to make such an announcement. Since then, several law schools have followed, incluiding Harvard Law School, the University of California at Berkeley School of Law, Stanford Law School, the Georgetown University Law Center, Columbia Law School, the University of Michigan Law School, the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, the Duke University School of Law and the University of California at Irvine School of Law. Read more from the ABA Journal about why schools are taking this step and why some lower-ranked institutions are reluctant to withdraw.

State House Democrats voted 11-10 over the weekend to replace Caucus Chair Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, with John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville. Dixie had served just two years in the position after beating Clemmons for the job in 2020, the Nashville Post reports. Democrats also voted to return Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, to her leadership position. She is running for mayor of Memphis next year. Other leaders elected were: Nashville Rep. Harold Love, assistant minority leader; Nashville Rep. Bill Beck, house floor leader; Nashville Rep. Jason Powell, minority whip; Nashville Rep. Bob Freeman, caucus vice-chair; Knoxville Rep. Gloria Johnson, caucus treasurer; Clarksville Rep. Ronnie Glynn, caucus secretary; and Memphis Rep. Larry Miller, leader pro tempore.

The Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims Appeals Board will return to in-person oral arguments this Friday after a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. This week’s arguments will take place at the Supreme Court Building in Nashville beginning at 9 a.m. CST. Cases on docket include challenges to the sufficiency of notices regarding gradually occurring injuries, a challenge to an expedited hearing order granting benefits, and a challenge to the board’s authority to award fees after finding an appeal frivolous. Read more about the cases.