Shelby County lawyer A. Sais Phillips Finney was today temporarily suspended from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court. Finney failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding two complaints of misconduct. Finney is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Nov. 28. After that time, Finney shall not use any indicia of lawyer, legal assistant, or law clerk nor maintain a presence where the practice of law is conducted. She must notify all clients being represented in pending matters, as well as co-counsel and opposing counsel of the Supreme Court’s Order suspending her law license. This suspension remains in effect until dissolution or modification by the Supreme Court.

Eight candidates were today considered by Trial Court Vacancy Commission to fill the 6th Judicial District Chancery Court vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael W. Moyers. The commission ultimately chose three attorneys to forward to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. Those finalists are: Kevin A. Dean, John Keith Harber Sr. and Christopher D. Heagerty. The 6th Judicial District covers Knox County. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The TBA Public Education Committee has launched a Conservatorship Portal, a new tool created to assist low income families in need of conservatorships for adult children in public school. The program’s mission is to establish conservatorships for those who cannot afford counsel through pro bono representation. The committee is seeking attorneys to volunteer to take on these cases. Attorneys are needed from every county in the state to serve on the Conservatorship Portal Panel of Lawyers. Training and resources will be provided to all those who volunteer and a pre-screening for each case will be done to ensure the case fits the proper parameters for the program. To volunteer for the program, contact Public Education Committee Chair Amy Bryant. Volunteers may be eligible for CLE credit. 

Gov. Bill Lee yesterday issued Executive Order 66 to extend authority for remote notarization and remote witnessing of documents, subject to compliance with certain procedures, through Dec. 29. The order also encourages users of these tools to make preparations to implement best practices for a safe return to in-person transactions after Dec. 29. Lee also issued Executive Order 65 to extend authority for remote meetings.

The Tennessee Faith and Justice Alliance will conclude its fourth annual Pro Bono & Faith Days with a virtual training for those in East Tennessee tomorrow at 2 p.m. EDT. The program will feature a panel discussion around the intersection of faith, pro bono and racial justice; legal resource trainings; and virtual legal clinic information. Panelists include Executive Director of the Knoxville Police Advisory & Review Committee Lakenya Middlebrook, East Tennessee State University’s Vice President for Equity and Inclusion Dr. Keith Johnson and more. Registration for the event is required.

TBA member and Nashville attorney Mary Griffin has been appointed to the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority board of directors, the Tennessee Tribune reports. Griffin has served as the State Social Security Administrator since 2011 and describes herself as a “regular WeGo commuter.” She is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Association, a recipient of the Tennessee Supreme Court Attorney for Justice Award and has previously chaired the TBA’s Law Office Technology and Management Section and the Attorney Well-Being Committee. She is an advocate for underserved communities and is passionate about helping those with mental and physical disabilities. WeGo Public Transit CEO Steve Bland called Griffin’s appointment to the board a “welcome addition,” adding that her “public service and strong passion for advocating for others makes her a natural fit for our board to help guide the agency through the challenges ahead.”

Test your knowledge of recent malpractice and ethics issues during the Build a Stronger Firm Through Better Risk Management program. This CLE will cover the law firm risk management processes, applying common business risk analysis tools and will review professional rules of misconduct in the context of issues of explicit or implicit bias, diversity, inclusion or cultural competency. Earn three dual CLE credits during the program on Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. until noon CST. Zoom information will be sent to registrants the morning of the program.  

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met today to consider five candidates for the 6th Judicial District Circuit Court vacancy. Three names were forwarded to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. Those three are: Joshua J. Bond, Toby Ray Carpenter and E. Jerome Melson. The vacancy covers Knox County and was created by the appointment of the Hon. Kristi Davis to the Court of Appeals, Eastern Section.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a host of unforeseen civil legal needs for many, including some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable residents. Legal Aid Society Executive Director DarKenya Waller highlights those hardships and the “tidal wave” of legal needs that is on the horizon in a new op-ed for the Tennessean. Waller points to the free legal clinics, legal consultations and court hearings being held virtually and over the phone as evidence of how LAS attorneys have successfully adapted to the current environment. “The snowball effect of economic hardships encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic will be long term, and Legal Aid Society is here to help restore our economy and the lives of so many,” Waller writes. “Increased support will ensure that civil legal groups can effectively assist low-income Tennesseans through this period of recession and the years of recovery to come.”

A Nashville judge has ruled that the state is not required to alter its post-felony voting rights access laws to match those of other states, the Tennessean reports.  Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle dismissed the case brought by two Tennesseans with out-of-state felony convictions who wanted the state to modify its voting rights restoration policies. There are ways for those with felony convictions to restore their voting rights, but the plaintiffs, both convicted out-of-state, found they were unable to fully become re-eligible to vote. "Because Tennessee is constitutionally permitted to legislate different standards than other states for restoration of the right to vote and Plaintiffs do not allege that they meet these standards, their challenges necessarily fail,” Lyle wrote. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office reports that more than 3,400 individuals with felony convictions have had their voting rights restored since 2016.