A survey of law students from 39 law schools has found that students are reporting a need for help with emotional or mental health problems, and more are reporting a past diagnosis of depression or anxiety, the ABA Journal reports. Eleven percent of the law students had thought seriously about suicide in the past year, compared to 6% in 2014. Nearly 33% of the students reported they had thought about attempting suicide in their lifetime, up from 21% in 2014. Nearly 70% of the law students thought they needed help in the last year for emotional or mental health problems compared to 2014’s 42%. The study’s authors suggest law school faculty and staff should “invest more energy and creativity and resources in supporting law student well-being.” They also suggested that law school deans of students should hold information sessions on how seeking help might impact the character and fitness evaluation for admission to the bar. Read the survey.

Joe D. Spicer, founding member Memphis law firm Spicer Rudstrom PLLC, passed away Monday. He was 89. Spicer earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law before moving to Memphis to begin his law practice. A skilled trial lawyer, Spicer would spend the next 50 years in courtrooms across Memphis and Tennessee. “Joe’s litigation skills were unmatched,” said Spicer Rudstrom Managing Partner Clint Woodfin in a release. “Perhaps lesser known was his business acumen. His decision to take Spicer Rudstrom statewide in 1996 now serves as the road map for the regional expansion of mid-sized litigation firms. He will truly be missed.” Funeral services for Spicer will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to any charitable organization of your choice.

Hit the slopes in beautiful Snowmass, Colorado, while earning CLE credit! The TBA’s 36th Annual CLE Ski program will take place on Jan. 21-26, 2023. This special event combines 15 hours of quality CLE on a variety of practice areas and topics with the beautiful slopes of one of Colorado's premier ski resorts as its setting. Attendees will stay at the Stonebridge Inn, just 10 miles southwest of Aspen. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information on topics and speakers.

The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Board of Professional Responsibility today censured attorney Brette Baldini Healy. Healy was employed as an in-house attorney in Georgia for a seven-year period while her Tennessee law license was administratively suspended. During this time, Healy was not licensed in any other jurisdiction. Her actions violated Rule 5.5 regarding unauthorized practice of law. A public censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue has added attorney Courtney Swim as its new chief of staff, the Chattanoogan reports. Swim previously served as the department’s director of legislation from 2019 through 2021. She first joined the agency in 2017 as an associate general counsel. In her new role as chief of staff, Swim will oversee the department’s offices of Legislation, Communications, Research and Tax Policy. Prior to rejoining the Department of Revenue, Swim was an associate counsel for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, where she researched and advised on federal, state and local laws impacting the beverage alcohol industry.

Sumner County General Sessions Judge Mike Carter died yesterday. He was 64. Carter was appointed to the bench in 2015 after a third General Sessions judge position was created in the county. He won re-election in 2016 to a six-year term. Carter played a pivotal role in the creation of the Sumner County Mental Health Court in 2018. He earned his law degree from the Nashville School of Law and was in private practice until his appointment to the bench in 2015. Carter was diagnosed with ALS in 2020. The Administrative Office of the Courts will update its story as more information becomes available.

The Tennessee Department of Health is now accepting applications for a litigation attorney to serve as a senior associate counsel in its Office of General Counsel. In this role, an attorney will provide legal advice and drafting services to healthcare licensure boards, analyze proposed legislation affecting public health, review and revise contracts involving the maintenance and sharing of data and more. Salary will be based on experience with a starting rate of $7,087 per month. To apply, email TDH.TalentManagement@tn.gov or complete the application process on www.tn.gov/careers. View this listing or browse all job listings on the TBA’s JobLink page.

Meet the new editor of the Tennessee Bar Journal, Julia Wilburn! Julia works with the Editorial Board to decide what will be published in each bimonthly issue, and with the publications coordinator on design and production. She is part of the communications team and she also helps edit section Connect e-newsletters and produce the TBA Today newsletter. Julia’s special talents include untangling any kind of knot and her most irrational fear is going to debtor’s prison for messing up her taxes, even though she hires an accountant and knows debtor’s prison isn’t a real thing!

The #TeamTBA series offers members a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the TBA and how each staff members makes the association run. Check back every Wednesday for a new staff profile in TBA Today and on the TBA's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

The TBA’s Tennessee FastTrack program is coming to Knoxville on Sept. 23. 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 offer 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 Knoxville program will run from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. EDT at the University of Tennessee Conference Center. The series also will hold sessions in Memphis on Aug. 26 and Nashville on Sept. 16.

The New York Times recently ran an article on the 50th anniversary of Title IX – legislation signed by former President Richard Nixon in 1972 that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools or education programs that receive federal funding. Featured in the article is Cookeville attorney Sam Schiller of the Schiller Law Firm, whose practice is dedicated to cases involving sex discrimination of high school or middle school athletes. According to the article, Schiller has filed Title IX lawsuits against school districts in more than 30 states and has never lost a case. “We’re now at the point where women who were high school athletes are raising families, and they definitely know their daughters are supposed to have what the men have had all along. It’s Title IX 2.0,” Schiller told the Times. Read the full article.