The TBA Federal Law Section will host its annual forum on May 18 as a live virtual program. This year’s forum is being produced by Audrey Calkins with the Memphis office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. Section members enjoy additional savings on this program. Not a section member yet? Join here. Watch for more details coming soon.

The following attorneys were suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on March 3, 2022, for failing to pay the state professional privilege tax pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 67-4-1702. Pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 26, attorneys who are deemed noncompliant for 90 days or more are summarily suspended. Those who since have complied with the rule are noted as reinstated.

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The 20th Edition of the Alimony Bench Book is now available. Published by the TBA’s Family Law Section, the book provides a ready source for dealing with alimony cases in Tennessee. Current Family Law Section members can access their copy at no cost on the Family Law eCommunity page, but must be logged into their TBA account. Others may purchase an electronic copy for $25, a hard copy in loose-leaf format for $40, or a hard copy in a binder for $50 from the TBA Store.

A story in yesterday’s issue of TBA Today, which summarized the provisions of a petition filed by the Board of Tennessee Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection (TLFCP) with the Tennessee Supreme Court, incorrectly stated that the petition asked the court to raise the cap on each claim. In fact, the board is asking the court to amend existing limitations in Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 25 Section 13.01 to raise the attorney cap from $250,000 to $400,000 upon recommendation of the board and with approval of the court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended 32 attorneys who did not pay the annual professional privilege tax as required. The attorneys include those living in Tennessee as well as 12 other states. Download the order. See the list with any reinstatements noted here.

Knoxville Legal Ministry and Administer Justice will hold a legal clinic on March 12 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST. The groups will offer the clinic on the second Saturday of each month. Volunteer attorneys are needed to staff the clinic. If you are interested contact Crystal Schrof. The state’s first Administer Justice Gospel Justice Center — a national non-profit that works with local churches to provide legal services for those in need — was established in West Knoxville at Cokesbury United Methodist Church this past fall.

K&L Gates has named Lauren Patten as the new managing partner for its Nashville office. Patten, a Nashville native, joined the firm when it opened the office in early 2021. A member of the firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation and Disputes group, Lauren is a trial lawyer who handles complex commercial disputes, arbitrations and internal investigations, representing clients in both jury and bench trials in state and federal courts. Having recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its establishment, the Nashville office now includes more than 40 lawyers across a variety of practice groups. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2008.

The Senate Judiciary Committee said this week that confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson will begin March 21, keeping the Senate on track for a possible final vote next month, the Associated Press reports. As is tradition, the hearings will last four days, with opening statements on March 21, testimony and questioning on the second and third days, and testimony from outside witnesses on the fourth day. If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve as a justice in the court’s 200-plus year history. WBIR has the AP story.

Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, has decided to not seek reelection, the Nashville Post reports. In October, a Nashville federal grand jury indicted Kelsey on campaign finance charges related to his unsuccessful 2016 run for Congress. His trial has been pushed back to 2023. In social media posts, Kelsey said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family. He added that he will continue “fighting for American values in the court system" and hopes to run for elected office again “in the coming years.” Kelsey was first elected to the state House in 2004 and the Senate in 2009. He has chaired both the Senate Judiciary Committee and Education Committee. Those already filing for the seat include Democrat Ruby Powell-Dennis and Republicans Brent Taylor and Brandon Toney.