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.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday temporarily suspended Janet Monique Okoye from the practice of law after finding she failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning three complaints of misconduct. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for the immediate summary suspension of an attorney’s license for failure to respond to a complaint of misconduct. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday suspended Sir Ashley James Harrison of Huntersville, North Carolina, from the practice of law for five years, retroactive to December 8, 2015. The court took the reciprocal action after the North Carolina State Bar suspended Harrison for five years. Harrison must comply with Sections 28 and 30.4 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9 regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and must pay the costs and expenses of the proceeding prior to any reinstatement.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today held that probation revocation proceedings involve a two-step inquiry on the part of the trial court. The “two separate exercises of discretion” that should take place after a trial court finds that a defendant has violated the conditions of probation are: (1) determine whether to revoke probation, and (2) determine the appropriate consequence to impose upon revocation. When reviewing these decisions, appellate courts must consider each decisions separately. The court also held that if the trial court has properly placed its findings on the record, the standard of appellate review for probation revocations is abuse of discretion with a presumption of reasonableness.

TurnSignl, an app that helps drivers record roadside interactions with law enforcement and immediately access lawyers via videoconferencing, won the Startup Alley pitch competition at the ABA Techshow 2022 this week, the ABA Journal reports. Jazz Hampton, CEO and general counsel at TurnSignl, said, “Our mission is simple and three pronged: It’s to protect drivers’ civil rights, to de-escalate roadside interactions and third, and most importantly, ensure every driver and law enforcement officer returns home safe at the end of the day.” App users gain 24/7 access to a network of attorneys who have all gone through third-party de-escalation training as a condition of being allowed onto the platform. The app is currently available to drivers in California, Georgia and Minnesota, but the company’s goal is to expand to all 50 states.

Smyrna Town Court Clerk Brittany Stevens has announced her candidacy for Smyrna municipal judge in the Aug. 4 election, Murfreesboro Post reports. Stevens has served as Smyrna’s court clerk since 2016. She touts her work improving efficiencies in the court system, including automating procedures, an online payments system and a public online record search portal. She says the clerk’s office also was the among the first in the state to partner with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations for an electronic data exchange for expungements. Stevens earned her law degree from the Nashville School of Law and was in private practice at her family’s law office until joining the clerk’s office.

The Shelby County Commission yesterday voted to approve state Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, as the new interim state senator for District 33. Lamar will fill the seat formerly held by Katrina Robinson and serve until the Nov. 8 election, the Commercial Appeal reports. Robinson had endorsed Rep. Torrey Harris to replace her but the commission eliminated him from consideration after candidate interviews and initial rounds of voting, Tennessee Lookout reports. The news outlet also is reporting that Lamar has indicated she will run for a full Senate term.

The state last week set three new execution dates for inmates in 2022, driving the total number of executions planned this year to five, the Tennessean reports. The state had temporarily halted executions during the pandemic but is currently planning one execution every other month beginning in April. The new dates include an Aug. 18 execution for Byron Black, a Dec. 8 execution date for Donald Middlebrooks, and an Oct. 6 execution date for Gary Sutton. The Tennessee Supreme Court last fall set execution dates of April 21 for Oscar Smith and June 9 for Harold Nichols. The Nashville Scene and Chattanoogan.com have more on those cases.