White County lawyer Stephanie Branam Johnson was today temporarily suspended from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Johnson failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning complaints of misconduct. She cannot accept new cases and must stop representing clients by July 13. Johnson must notify all clients being represented in pending matters, as well as co-counsel and opposing counsel, of her suspension. This suspension remains in effect until dissolution or modification by the Supreme Court. Johnson may, for good cause, request dissolution or modification of the suspension by petition to the court.  

The Center Square, a national news organization with operations in Tennessee, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), claiming the Tennessee Judicial Conference’s blanket closure of meetings violates the First Amendment rights of access. The organization asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction so that it can attend and cover the conference, set to begin Wednesday in Franklin. AOC Director Michelle Long in February established a new blanket closure policy that prohibits members of the press from attending. The lawsuit claims this policy cannot overcome the rights of access to judicial proceedings provided under the First Amendment. Read more on the story from Tennessee Coalition for Open Government.

Vanderbilt Law School has announced it will launch a new student-edited legal journal in 2022-2023. The “Social Justice Reporter” will publish scholarship focusing on social justice, civil rights and public interest lawyering by leading researchers, practitioners, policymakers and law students. It will be published online and will feature a mix of scholarship, short essays and opinion pieces. Five students worked throughout the 2020-2021 year to lay the foundation for the journal, which will be edited by class of 2023 student Isiah Ellison. Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Community Yesha Yadav, who will serve as faculty adviser, says the journal will provide a visible, accessible and impactful hub for leading scholarship, dialogue and debate on social justice, civil rights and public interest lawyering at this critical juncture in our nation’s history.” Vanderbilt Law has more on the story.  

TBA YLD, in partnership with Belmont University College of Law and the Administrative Office of the Courts Access to Justice Initiative, launched its first Essential Documents for Essential Workers clinic on Saturday. Volunteer attorneys met with officers from the Williamson County Police Department to draft and execute wills, powers of attorney and advanced healthcare directives. Nineteen attorneys and eight law students assisted 28 families during the clinic and provided $21,000 in free legal services. Special thank you to coordinator Charles Ferguson and to Thomas Reuters and Chambliss for their sponsorship. To volunteer at an Essential Documents for Essential Workers clinic in your area, contact YLD Public Service Chair Alix Rogers.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division’s Diversity Committee has created and produced a four-part podcast series in honor of the first anniversary of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The series, which will be released on the TBA YLD Presents: War Stories show, will feature interviews with attorneys and judges from across the state who share their wisdom in the journey towards professional success through a diversity lens. Episodes include conversations with Nashville attorney Charles Grant, Court of Appeals Judge John McClarty and U.S. District Court Judge Curtis Collier, Shelby County Chancellor Will Perry and more. One episode will premiere each day of the TBA Annual Convention, Wednesday through Saturday. TBA YLD Presents: War Stories is part of the TBA Podcast Network and can be found on the TBA’s website and anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Tennessee’s pause on executions through 2022 could potentially be a yearslong hiatus, the Associated Press reports. Gov. Bill Lee stopped the execution of Oscar Smith in April, an hour before Smith was set to die by lethal injection, after learning the drugs hadn’t been tested as required. Lee then paused all executions and appointed Butler Snow attorney Edward Stanton to lead an investigation into state protocols. Two men on death row have filed challenges to the state’s execution process, which have revealed that the state has struggled to follow its own lethal injection rules at nearly every step. The attorney general’s office in a May 6 court filing said there may be “factual inaccuracies or misstatements” in its previous filings and that corrections will be made “once the truth has been ascertained.” Lee and the AG’s office haven’t predicted when executions could restart, but Robert Durham, executive director of the Washington-based nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, says the “large number of problems” with the system could mean a yearslong pause.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has declined to rehear the challenge to Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher program, the Tennessean reports. Metro Nashville and Shelby County governments petitioned the high court earlier this month to review its decision that the Education Savings Account was not in violation of the state’s “Home Rule Amendment.” In an order issued today, the Supreme Court said it had thoroughly reviewed the petition. "The Court previously considered the issues raised in the petition in the course of its resolution of the appeal," the order stated. "The petition, therefore, is respectfully denied." No word yet from the Governor’s Office or the Department of Education on when they will implement the program.

Former longtime editor of the Tennessee Bar Journal, Suzanne Craig Robertson, will be honored next week during the TBA Annual Convention for more than 30 years of service with the TBA. Robertson announced earlier this year that she would be leaving TBA in the spring after 34 years as editor. Join colleagues next Friday from 5 until 6 p.m. CDT for a reception at the Downtown Nashville Hilton as we toast to Suzanne’s good work.

Admission ceremonies for those who passed the February 2022 Tennessee Bar Exam continued today virtually and at an in-person ceremony in Memphis. TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson virtually introduced several attorneys and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby administered the oath of office. Additional virtual ceremonies will be held tomorrow.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission today announced it will launch the Tennessee Justice Bus on Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. CDT at the Embassy Suites in Franklin. Outfitted with computers, a printer, internet access and video displays, the Justice Bus is a mobile law office that brings technology to rural and disadvantaged communities. Lawyers and volunteers will be able to provide on-the-spot access to legal help and meet Tennesseans where they are. The goal of the Justice Bus project is to address the technology gap faced by many rural and disadvantaged citizens. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page, Justice Jeff Bivins, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services Executive Director Laura Brown and former Administrative Office of the Courts Director Deborah Taylor Tate are set to speak at the launch event.