Metro Nashville Councilmember Larry Hagar this week picked up a petition to run as a Democrat for Davidson County Division 7 Circuit Court, the Nashville Post reports. Hagar has served Metro’s District 11, which includes Old Hickory and other neighborhoods near Old Hickory Lake, since 2015. “I pretty well accomplished everything I set out to do in the district,” he told the Post. In his law practice, Hagar handles probate matters like those heard by Division 7. He seeks to fill the seat held by retiring Judge Randy Kennedy, whose legacy Hagar says he hopes to continue.  

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon G. Lee this month honored three state employees for their years of service in the Tennessee Appellate Court’s Eastern Division. Becky Doyle (20 years), Francesa Kraft (10 years) and Andy Whaley (10 years) were presented with awards at the celebration, which also included Jim Hivner, Clerk of the Appellate Courts, and members of the Knoxville Appellate Court Clerk’s Office. Doyle and Kraft work in the Appellate Court Clerk’s Office in Knoxville. Whaley is senior clerk to Court of Appeals Chief Judge D. Michael Swiney. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the ceremony.

The upcoming webcast, Essential Law Firm Technology - The Best of What's Out There, will define and explain the technologies that can help any lawyer solve problems, improve client service and make life easier. The program, set for Dec. 23 from 3 to 4 p.m. CST, will teach the essential software and hardware tools to protect client confidentiality, organize case information, manage a practice more efficiently and improve profitability. It is part of the TBA’s annual Year End CLE Event, which offers a variety of live virtual or on-demand programs, CLE packages and much more to help meet your last minute CLE needs. 

Learn practical solutions to take back to your firm in the TBA CLE webcast Driving Profitability in Your Firm, playing at 3 p.m. CST tomorrow. The seminar will show how to track and measure the impact of change, demonstrate real-life examples of productivity tips, deliver tools to transfer to your firm to build a plan for maximum efficiency and more. This program is part of the TBA’s annual Year End CLE Event, which offers a variety of live virtual or on-demand programs, CLE packages and much more to help meet your last minute CLE needs. 

Administrative Office of the Courts Director Deborah Taylor Tate was recently honored by the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals (TARCP) for her work with the organization and with those in recovery courts. TARCP is a nonprofit that supports recovery courts and their partners. “The drive and the passion are unparalleled as to what Debi Tate brings, what she’s brought to this drug court conference since she’s been here,” 4th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge O. Duane Slone said. Obion County General Sessions Judge Jimmy C. Smith also praised Tate for her work at the AOC, calling her a “tremendous asset to judges across the state and the judicial system in general.” Tate announced earlier this month that she will leave the AOC in early 2022. The AOC has more on the story.

Carroll County attorney J. Brent Bradberry was sworn in as circuit court judge for the 24th Judicial District on Oct. 17, filling the vacancy of retired Judge C. Creed McGinley. Bradberry told the Administrative Office of the Courts that the docket on his first day on the bench consisted of 220 defendants. “It was not perfect by any means," Bradberry said, "but it went as well as it could have.” Bradberry was in furniture manufacturing for 20 years before going back to school for his MBA and later a law degree from the Nashville School of Law. “I wasn’t the typical law student. I didn’t start law school until I was 40,” he said. Bradberry maintains that “it’s never too late to go to law school.” Prior to taking the bench, Bradberry was the assistant public defender for the 27th Judicial District. The AOC has more on his journey to becoming judge.

Davidson County Division 7 Circuit Court Judge Randy Kennedy has announced he will retire at the end of his term. Kennedy was appointed to replace Judge Frank Clement in 2003 and was re-elected to the bench three times during his judicial career. Prior to his time as judge, Kennedy was in private practice at Kennedy & Brown and served two terms on the Metro Nashville Council. In a letter announcing his retirement, Kennedy describes Davidson County's probate court as the “busiest single court” in the state. He says he’ll “continue advocating for the allocation of adequate judicial resources of probate administration in Nashville with the same passion we have brought in creating the successful Office of Conservatorship Management.”

Services will be held tomorrow for Nashville lawyer Ed Reynolds Davies, who died Nov. 22 at 90. A third-generation lawyer, Davies served in Korea for the U.S. Marines before earning his law degree from Vanderbilt in 1958. His legal career was spent as a trial lawyer, first at Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis and later Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry. He opened his own firm in 1973 — what would later be known as Davies, Humphreys & Reese — where he practiced with two of his sons until his retirement in 2019. In 1974 he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Chancellor Frank F. Drowota in Part II of Davidson County Chancery Court. A celebration of Davies’ life will be held tomorrow at West End United Methodist Church in Nashville. Visitation will be held from 2 until 3 p.m. CST, followed by a memorial service at 3 p.m. CST. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Webb School or to the West End UMC.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin yesterday pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of George Floyd – the Black man he was found guilty of murdering in 2020, NPR reports. The federal case was scheduled for trial next month, but Chauvin changed his plea to guilty yesterday. In addition to the federal charges against Chauvin relating to Floyd, he was also accused of unreasonable seizure and unreasonable force by a police officer. Those accusations stemmed from a 2017 incident in which Chauvin held a 14-year-old “by the throat” and struck him “multiple times in the head with a flashlight.” Federal prosecutors are recommending a sentence of up to 25 years for the civil rights violations. Chauvin is currently serving a 22.5-year sentence for Floyd’s murder. 

The University of Tennessee College of Law is looking for volunteers to conduct mock interviews with its law students. All interviews will be virtual and can be scheduled at a variety of times Jan. 11-12, 2022. Each interview will last for 30 minutes, allowing for 20-25 minutes to conduct the interview and 5-10 minutes to provide students with feedback. UT will provide the platform for conducting the virtual interview and will send a link to access all interview sessions. Those interested may volunteer by selecting a time on this sign up sheet. If possible, volunteers are asked to sign up for at least one hour (two interviews). If you have any questions, please contact Christie Laird.