The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear five cases on Feb. 10 in Nashville, including two cases at the Nashville School of Law (NSL). The court will hear three civil cases in a morning session at 9 a.m. at the Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Ave, N. The evening docket will begin at 5 p.m. at NSL, 4013 Armory Oaks Dr. Oral arguments are open to the public.

The state Supreme Court yesterday disbarred Knoxville attorney Billy J. Reed after the court found Reed abandoned his clients and his practice without proper or sufficient notice to his clients and failed to respond to the petition for discipline or appear at trial. Reed must pay the Board of Professional Responsibility’s costs and expenses, and the court costs within 90 days of the entry of the order of enforcement. Read the BPR release.

Clarksville lawyer John Edward Herbison was suspended yesterday from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court for two years, with 60 days to be served as an active suspension. He is also required to pay $7,500 in restitution to his former clients. As a condition of probation, Herbison must engage a practice monitor at his expense. The court took the action after Herbison failed to refund a fee after failing to prepare an application for clemency and reasonably communicate with his clients. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today disbarred Maury County lawyer Matthew Bastian after he failed to refund unearned fees and abandoned his clients and practice. Bastian also failed to respond to the petition for discipline or appear at trial. He is required to pay restitution to a former client and the Board of Professional Responsibility’s costs in the disciplinary action. Read the BPR release.

It’s been nearly 10 years since U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas asked a question during oral arguments, the ABA Journal reports. His last question was on Feb. 22, 2006, in a death penalty case. His reason: “I think we should listen to lawyers who are arguing their cases, and I think we should allow the advocates to advocate,” he said in 2013 at a Harvard Law School appearance.

A new study sheds light on the substantial levels of problem drinking and mental health issues plaguing attorneys, according to the American Bar Association. The national study, conducted by the ABA Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and reported this week in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, found that rates of problem drinking increased as individuals spent more time in the legal profession. The study reports that 21 percent of licensed, employed attorneys qualify as problem drinkers and that 28 percent of attorneys struggle with some level of depression.

“Any way you look at it, this data is very alarming, and paints the picture of an unsustainable professional culture that’s harming too many people,” said Patrick R. Krill, lead author of the study. In Tennessee, help is available through the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP). Learn more about how TLAP can help.

The Knox County Law Director's Office and attorney Troy L. Bowlin II reached a $50,000 settlement last month in a federal civil-rights lawsuit filed on behalf of an inmate who was strapped into a controversial restraint chair. Convicted killer Lavonte Simmons was strapped to the chair – known as the “be sweet chair” – for nearly 48 hours in 2014. The settlement also brings a change in policy for the chair, which includes approval from a designated officer and time limits. Read more from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

A proposal set before the state House Civil Justice Committee would allow the general assembly to set the term limits for trial court judges. Tennessee main trail court judges currently serve a term of eight years. Gavel to Gavel reports that no other states give the legislature “unrestricted power” to set judicial terms.

Lawmakers on Tuesday debated a bill (SB1618) that would give judges the discretion to determine whether to allow courtroom facility dogs in courtrooms, The Tennessean reports. Bill sponsor Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, said there is currently no state code on the practice, so some judges are hesitant to allow the dogs into their courtrooms. The courtroom facility dogs are used to provide comfort to children who may be apprehensive to testify in court. “Who is losing in that whole process of waiting are the children,” said Marianne Schroer, executive director of Williamson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).

Juvenile Court Judge Kenlyn Foster shared education memories and encouragement for teachers during her keynote speech last night at Blount County Schools’ Excellence in Education Banquet. Foster is a 1986 graduate of the county's Heritage High School. Read more from The Daily Times.