Cornelius & Collins is seeking an associate attorney in its Nashville office to handle insurance defense, construction law, employment law and health care liability matters. Preference will be given to those with experience conducting discovery and depositions, working with expert witnesses, and handling motions before state and federal courts. To apply, send a cover letter, resume, law school transcript and writing sample to Peter Robison pcrobison@cclawtn.com. See the full job posting and application instructions on the TBA JobLink platform.

The TBA’s Tennessee FastTrack program is coming to Knoxville on Sept. 23. Fulfill all your annual CLE requirements with this program, which will provide attendees with tips and updates in a wide range of practice areas. The program will offer a combination of 15 hours of live credit and prepaid credits to complete online anytime — at home or on your mobile device — allowing you to customize your learning to your schedule. The Knoxville program will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT at the University of Tennessee Conference Center. The series also will hold sessions in Memphis on Aug. 26 and Nashville on Sept. 16.

White County lawyer Stephanie Branam Johnson was reinstated to the practice of law on July 8. Johnson had been suspended on June 13 for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding complaints of misconduct. The board reported to the court that Johnson provided a response that was deemed sufficient for dissolution of the suspension.

The Tennessee Supreme Court last week dismissed a petition for reinstatement filed by Florida attorney David Brian Wilford. After receiving the petition, The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility reported to the court that Wilford had paid outstanding professional privilege taxes but remained noncompliant with continuing legal education requirements. The court sent two letters to Wilford advising him of the CLE requirements, and that the petition would be dismissed if he did not respond by July 5. The court reports that Wilford had not responded.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently rejected a recommendation for discipline as too lenient. The Board of Professional Responsibility had recommended that Sevierville lawyer James Ralph Hickman Jr. be suspended for one year, with “no less than 90 days” to be served on active suspension and the remainder on conditional probation. The court said it was concerned that the punishment was too lenient and “not comparable to the punishment imposed in similar cases.” It also expressed concern about the indefinite language used to define the period of active suspension. The board now has 30 days to file additional information. Hickman has 20 days to file his brief, after which, the board will have 20 days to file its brief.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally confirmed Friday they are considering a special session to adopt legislation that would bypass the Metro Nashville Council and deal directly with the Convention and Visitors Bureau for a host agreement with the Republican National Convention. Tennessee Lookout also reports that legislators could penalize the council for refusing to consider the agreement with convention planners. The council had been set to vote on an agreement last week but pulled the measure before votes were cast, the Tennessean reports. In a statement, Sexton said he hopes "bipartisanship will prevail, and in the next two weeks, we will have a better idea of what needs to be done — if anything — to secure the convention.”

The U.S. Justice Department is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out a recent ruling that sidelined the Biden administration’s immigration enforcement priorities, Bloomberg Law reports. Department lawyers filed a request for a stay, arguing that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas overstepped its authority when it halted the policy. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to stay the district court decision. The guidelines in question direct immigration officials to prioritize the detention and deportation of people who threaten national security, public safety or border security. The Trump administration had cast a broader net, targeting anyone in the country without authorization. The government argues that given limited resources, it must focus on the most serious cases.

Longtime Memphis resident and attorney, James Lloyd “Skeet” Gordon, died July 1 at the age of 83. Gordon received his bachelor’s degree from Memphis State University in 1962 and his law degree from the school in 1974. He practiced law in Memphis for 48 years. In addition to practicing law, Gordon was certified as a river pilot, was an avid reader and loved sports and the outdoors. He was a lifelong member of St Luke's Methodist Church and a member of the DeSoto Masonic Lodge, No 299. A graveside service celebrating his life was held on July 7 at Memorial Park Cemetery.

The Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association recently elected Nashville attorney Mark Chalos as president for the 2022-2023 term. He replaces Tony Seaton of Johnson City, who now assumes the role of immediate past president. Carey Acerra of Memphis has advanced to the office of president-elect. Chalos is managing partner of Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein’s Nashville office and handles complex civil litigation, including representing communities across America in the national opioids litigation. Other executive officers taking office are Vice President (East) Danny Ellis of Chattanooga, Vice President (West) Angela Polk of Memphis, Vice President (Middle) Brandon Bass of Brentwood, Secretary Troy Jones of Knoxville, Treasurer Caroline Taylor of Nashville and Parliamentarian George Spanos of Nashville. See a release from the group for all leaders including at-large executive appointees, young lawyers and district governors on the board.

The White House held a ceremony today to celebrate the passage of new gun safety legislation, which makes it harder for young people and domestic abusers to possess firearms, encourages states to pass so called “red-flag laws” and provides billions of dollars in mental health funding. Though he lauded the rare bipartisan agreement, President Joe Biden said more needs to be done, Bloomberg News reports. Specifically, the president called on Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, expand background checks, and enact laws making gun owners liable for not securing their firearms.