Attorney Michael Barry Swindle of Altamonte Springs, Florida, died on June 18. He was 77. Swingle attended college at the University of Tennessee and, after a brief stint with the U.S. Army and as a member of the Office of Staff Judges Advocate (JAG), returned to UT where he earned his law degree from the College of Law. Swindle eventually made his way to the Orlando area, where he practiced law for the remainder of his career. Though he lived for many years in Florida, his friends say he always identified as a Tennessean. A celebration of life will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. EDT at All Saints Episcopal Church of Winter Park, 338 East Lyman Ave., Winter Park, FL 32789. The family asks in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to All Saints Episcopal Church in Winter Park.

James “Jim” Montague Jr., a longtime Knoxville criminal defense attorney, passed away Saturday. He was 66. Originally from Nashville, Montague moved to Knoxville and earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He practiced with Randall Reagan at the firm Montague and Reagan before joining the Knox County Public Defender’s Office where he spent the last 25 years of his career. A funeral mass will be held tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT at Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, 711 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville. A celebration of life will follow at approximately 3:30 p.m. EDT at The Square Room, 4 Market Square. Burial and graveside service will occur later in the week at Calvary Cemetery in Nashville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Montague’s honor to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation - Make a Memorial Donation.

Eighth Judicial District Judge E. Shayne Sexton has left the bench after more than two decades of service. Speaking with the Administrative Office of the Courts, Sexton says he feels good about his years of service to Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties. “We made a difference,” Sexton said, noting his work on the creation of the district’s recovery court. He spent nine years as assistant district attorney general in the 8th district and one year in private practice before being elected to the bench in 1998. Although his official retirement date was June 30, Sexton will continue his judicial duties through the end of August.

The TBA’s Tennessee FastTrack program is coming to Nashville on Sept. 16. 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 provide you with 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 Nashville program will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. CDT at Belmont University College of Law. The series will also hold sessions in Memphis on Aug. 26 and Knoxville on Sept. 23.

Memphis law firm Nahon Saharovich & Trotz PLC is now accepting resumes for an associate attorney position. Successful candidates will have one year of legal experience and strong academic background. Experience in the personal injury field is preferred. To apply, email Greg Coen. Read more about this posting and find others like it on the TBA’s JobLink site.  

A celebration of life for former Davidson County General Sessions and Circuit Court Judge Barbara Haynes has been set for July 16 at 1:30 p.m. CDT at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3900 West End Ave., Nashville. Haynes passed away in January after a long illness. She was 84. Haynes was the first woman elected general sessions judge in the county and was later elected to the circuit court. Guests are asked to consider wearing orange in honor of Haynes’ love for the UT Vols or red as she was proud to wear a red robe on the bench. Guests are also invited to join the family at the Hillwood Country Club afterwards and toast to Haynes. The Tennessean has more on the ceremony and Haynes’ life.

Five attorneys have applied to fill a vacancy on the Sixth Judicial District Criminal Court, which includes Knox County. The vacancy was created after Judge Kyle A. Hixon was confirmed to the Criminal Court of Appeals – Eastern Section. Emily Faye Abbott, Ashley McDermott, Nathaniel R. Ogle, Hector I. Sanchez and Wesley D. Stone will appear before the Trial Court Vacancy Commission public hearing on Aug. 2 for interviews. The hearing will begin at 9 a.m. EDT and will result in the commission forwarding three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more information on the applicants.

Civil rights icons Diane Nash and Fred Gray were this afternoon awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Joe Biden, the Tennessean reports. The nation’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who made significant contributions in the U.S. or internationally in politics, philanthropy, science, sports, the arts and other arenas. Gray, a civil rights attorney and global icon for Black American jurists, and Nash, a civil rights activist, were among 15 who received the award. "Fred’s legal brilliance and strategy desegregated schools and secured the right to vote," Biden said of Gray during the ceremony. The president also praised Nash’s "unshakeable courage," during the Civil Rights Movement.

Memphis lawyer Terry Smart died on June 26. He was 75. A graduate of the Memphis State Law School, where he would later serve as an adjunct professor, Smart practiced law in Memphis his entire career. After he retired from the legal profession, Smart co-authored "Evans Duck Decoy Factory, a Collectors Comprehensive Pictorial Reference Guide,” a book about the history of duck decoys. Smart was an avid decoy collector and a large sample of his decoys can be found on display at the Ducks Unlimited Museum in Memphis’ Bass Pro Pyramid. Services will be provided for Smart at the Goosepond Cemetery in Scottsboro, Alabama. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Goosepond Cemetery, (251) 259-1069.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today adopted amendments to Rule 46 regarding electronic filing. The revised rule replaces the prior transitional Rule 46 and continues to authorize parties to e-file documents voluntarily. Read the order, which went into effect on July 1.