Williamson County lawyer Kathryn Goff Brinton was reinstated to the practice of law effective on March 7. She had been placed on inactive status in November 2006. The Board of Professional Responsibility reports that it found the reinstatement petition to be satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the order on March 22.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals recently held in-person oral arguments at Belmont College of Law, two years after the court held its last pre-pandemic appearance there in March 2020. “We’re back where it all ended two years ago,” said Judge Neal McBrayer. “It’s amazing to see the transformation that has happened to the Tennessee Courts since 2020. Who would have thought all of this was possible? We now have the technology that allows us to do that. It’s an amazing transformation that’s taken place in a short amount of time, in an institution that’s typically resistant to change.” Judge Andy Bennett and Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jill Ayers also participated in the event, which included a question and answer session with students after the arguments. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the event.

Lawrence County attorney William “Mike” Harris has announced his candidacy for Lawrence County General Sessions judge in the upcoming August election. A 1997 graduate of Nashville School of Law, Harris has served for the past five years as an assistant public defender with the 22nd Judicial District Public Defender’s office. Prior to taking that post, Harris spent 20 years as a sole practitioner in Lawrence County.

Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced that Senior Assistant Attorney General Dianna Baker Shew will assume the role of chief deputy. In her new role, Shew will coordinate and oversee the substantive legal work of all sections of the office. Shew joined the office in 2018 and has managed high-profile cases and complex litigation for the state. She was named senior assistant attorney general in 2019. Prior to joining the office, she was associate general counsel at CoreCivic Inc. and a partner at Stites & Harbison. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Cheatham County native Holly Waller has announced her candidacy for circuit court clerk, the Cheatham County Exchange reports. Waller is a senior deputy clerk and jury coordinator for Julie Hibbs, the current court clerk, who is retiring. Waller has been working and training alongside Hibbs for the last six years. The clerk serves the circuit, general sessions and juvenile courts. Prior to joining the clerk’s office, Waller had a career in human resources and accounting.

A number of Chattanooga area lawyers have announced bids for local judgeships or picked up papers to run. Stevie Phillips Persinger has announced a bid for Lookout Mountain judge, while Red Bank Judge Johnny Houston, Signal Mountain Judge Gary Humble and Soddy Daisy Judge Marty Lasley have reelection plans in the works. In East Ridge, Rich Heinsman announced he will run for municipal judge while Collegedale Judge Kevin Wilson has picked up papers for the post but has not yet qualified. The qualifying deadline is Thursday at noon. Read more about the candidates in Chattanoogan.com.

Last Saturday, the Times News ran interviews with two of the three candidates running for Third Judicial District circuit judge. Today, the paper reports that it inadvertently omitted responses from the third candidate, lawyer and former Child Support Magistrate Crystal Jessee. Read her answers to the same five questions answered by Bradley Mercer and William Phillips. All three are running in the Republican primary to serve individuals in Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties.

Legislation designed to shine more light on political actions committees and campaign finances passed its first committee in the state legislature yesterday, Tennessee Lookout reports. The Senate State and Local Government Committee unanimously approved SB1005, sending it to the Senate floor for full consideration. The House version of the bill has been delayed until next week in the Local Government Committee. Three key amendments accompany the bill: increasing the number of Registry of Election Finance members from six to eight, requiring copies of financial transactions of $1,000 to be filed with the registry, and requiring groups that engage in paid political communications within 60 days of an election to register as a political action committee. The news source has a full summary of the bill.

Attorneys are known for their ability to thrive under pressure, manage a significant amount of stress and work much more than the standard 40-hour work week. But according to the American Bar Association, attorneys are among the most sleep-deprived group of professionals. While some are aware of the toll this takes on their personal and social lives, a lesser number understand the impact that working from sun-up until sun-down can have on sleep patterns and overall health. A wellness blog from Thomson Reuters looks at sleep recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, the adverse effects of not getting enough sleep and tips for helping our bodies wind down earlier in the evening.

The TBA’s Corporate Counsel Section will present its Annual Forum virtually on April 29 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CDT. Earn four hours of general CLE credit during this live virtual event that will include updates in labor and employment law, administrative law changes, a discussion of intellectual property and more. Corporate Counsel Section members receive a discount on the course. Not a member of the section? Join today.