Nashville litigator John L. Chambers died on Nov. 25. He was 81. Chambers practiced at the Nashville office of Adams and Reese as a member of the Litigation Practice Group and Commercial Dispute Practice Team. Prior to his legal practice, Chambers earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1960 and served in the U.S. Navy, ending his service as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve. He served as secretary/treasurer of the Nashville Bar Association from 1969-1970, director in 2001-2003 and first vice president in 2003. He was president-elect of the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society and a member of its Board of Directors. Services will be held Dec. 7 at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at 11:45 a.m., at Christ Church Cathedral, 900 Broadway in Nashville. In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, 300 Deaderick Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37201.

The law license of Sadia Sexton Staton was transferred to disability inactive status today, pursuant to Section 27.3 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. Staton cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. She may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and she is fit to resume the practice of law.

The Tennessee Court of Appeals has reversed a ruling that would have required Nashville TV reporter Phil Williams to turn over documents related to his investigation of District Attorney Glenn Funk, The Tennessean reports. In January, Senior Judge William Acree ruled that NewsChannel5’s Williams must turn over the documents as part of Funk’s $200 million libel lawsuit against the reporter. In the appellate ruling, Judge Andy Bennett found that if Williams’ attorneys can show that his stories were “fair and accurate,” “they will be entitled to rely on the fair report privilege as a defense to Mr. Funk’s defamation claims.”

The University of Tennessee College of Law is accepting applications for an Employer Relations Coordinator based in Nashville. Qualified candidates must have a law degree plus two or three years full-time experience. It is a limited duration appointment, contingent upon continued funding.

The law license of James Joseph Montague Jr. was transferred to disability inactive status today, pursuant to Section 27.3 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. Montague cannot practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Sessions at this year's Criminal Law Forum will address sentencing issues, case law statutory updates, indigent representation task force recommendations, post-conviction relief, voir dire and ethical considerations. Earn seven hours of CLE credit Dec. 8 at this Tennessee Bar Center program in Nashville.

Kevin Stack, director of graduate students for Vanderbilt University’s Ph.D. program in Law and Economics, has been appointed to a Lee S. and Charles A. Speir Chair in Law. Stack has previously been a recipient of the American Bar Association’s Annual Scholarship Prize in Administrative Law thanks to a 2012 Michigan Law Review article, “Interpreting Regulations,” which is now considered the leading treatment of how courts should interpret federal administrative regulations. Stack holds the second Speir chair, which was established by Charles and Lee S. Speir.

Metro Nashville’s General Sessions Court judges have elected Melissa Blackburn to serve as presiding judge of the court until Sept. 1, 2018, the Nashville Post reports. Blackburn will take over for Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton, who was recently appointed to the 20th Judicial District Criminal Court by Gov. Bill Haslam. Blackburn was first elected to the court in 2014, and also presides over Davidson County’s Mental Health Court and Veterans Specialty Treatment Court.

The ABA 2018 Paris Sessions will be June 7-10 at Intercontinental Paris Le Grand Hotel in Paris, France. More information can be found here.

The ABA YLD welcomes you to Vancouver on Feb. 2 – 4 for Assembly and Business Meetings at the ABA 2018 Midyear Meeting.

While with us in Vancouver, you can:

• Get your voice heard at the YLD Assembly;
• Sharpen your leadership skills at our business meetings;
• Participate in the thrill of debate at the YLD Fellows Debate; and
• Flex young lawyer muscle during the ABA House of Delegates caucus.

YLD HQ is the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, 55 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2R7 Canada.

Please note: A valid passport is required for travel to Canada; passport must not expire three months before date of travel.

Registration information can be found here. Delegate certification information can be found here.