The Putnam County Bar Association recently elected the following officers for 2014: President Shawn Fry, Vice President Jason F. Hicks, Secretary Kelsy Austin Miller, Treasurer Dale Bohannon and Immediate Past President Rachel Moses.

Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Donna Fields has announced that she will seek re-election. Appointed to the bench in February 2004 by Gov. Phil Bredesen, Judge Fields has run unopposed and been re-elected twice. “I am grateful to have the honor of serving the people of Shelby County. I look forward to asking the voters to allow me to serve another term on the bench,” she said in a press release. A reception to kick off her campaign will be held Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Local on Madison in Memphis.

A new survey by the attorney rating company Avvo Inc. says that consumers want a lawyer who is confident and realistic, but reality show fans want lawyers who are aggressive and attractive. The three lowest-ranking characteristics people want in their lawyers are ambitious (12 percent), friendly (15 percent) and reassuring (18 percent). The Nashville Business Journal notes that responsiveness was the top factor, cited by 92 percent of respondents, followed by track record (80 percent).

An attorney for Knoxville-based truck stop chain Flying Pilot J said today that fewer than 20 companies have filed lawsuits against the company, despite nearly 60 refusing Pilot’s settlement offer. At a hearing before Knox County Circuit Judge Harold Wimberly, Pilot attorney Al Harb distributed a list showing nine of the cases were pending in state courts, including actions in Texas and Louisiana, while seven were filed in federal courts. Harb says he expects the company will seek to consolidate the federal cases for pre-trial proceedings likely during a hearing on Jan. 30 when the federal Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation is slated to meet in New Orleans. Knoxnews has more.

Advances in making Tennessee’s judiciary more diverse are evident: women now make up the majority of justices on the Tennessee Supreme Court; Deborah Stevens was recently appointed to serve as a Knox County Circuit Court judge; and Pam Reeves, when confirmed by the Senate, will become the first woman to serve as a federal judge in East Tennessee. However, progress has been slow Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee points out to Knoxnews: “We are not where we should be yet in terms of judicial diversity.” According to a report by the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University of Albany, State University of New York, Tennessee lags behind the national (27.1 percent) and Southeastern average (25.6 percent) with just 18.4 percent of women judges. Lee, other seasoned women attorneys and organizations such as the state and East Tennessee chapters of the Lawyers Association for Women are working to change that by addressing some of the dynamics cited for low advancement among women within the state’s judicial system. 

The U.S. Department of Justice is being sued over its refusal to publicly disclose a $2 million non-prosecution agreement prosecutors reached in 2012 with Houston-based ABC Professional Tree Services Inc. that employed undocumented workers. According to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed last Tuesday, prosecutors will not disclose a copy of the agreement between the government and ABC. The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression represents the challenger, Jonathan Ashley, a business reference librarian at the University of Virginia School of Law. The Blog of the Legal Times has more.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will provide an online resource to help voters learn more about local judicial candidates, Knoxnews reports. Scheduled for a January launch, a “Get to Know Our Judges” section of the KBA’s website will feature information about candidates seeking election to serve eight-year terms as judges in Knox County. The site will include biographical information about the candidates, as well as the courts that they are seeking to oversee, KBA Executive Director Marsha Wilson says. The county’s primary election is May 6, and general election is Aug. 7.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands is hosting a free legal clinic tomorrow at the Williamson County Public Library from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public with no appointment necessary. Visit HobNob Franklin for more information.

Republican Steve Crump has announced he is running for district attorney general for the 10th Judicial District, which includes Monroe, McMinn, Bradley and Polk counties. Crump earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee and has practiced in his hometown of Cleveland since 1994, The Cleveland Daily Banner reports. He spent almost 10 years as an assistant district attorney and has served as a special judge in General Sessions, Juvenile and Family Courts. “It is time for a new direction in the criminal justice system and our local approach to prosecuting crime,” Crump said in announcing his candidacy.

Knox County Circuit Court Judge Deborah Stevens writes about the benefits of leadership training within the legal community in an opinion piece for Knoxnews. The former president and managing shareholder at Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, Stevens praised law schools and legal organizations, including the Tennessee Bar Association, for expending time and money to develop leadership curriculums for lawyers. “As a profession, we must constantly find ways to re-energize our efforts to promote justice and public good.” she wrote. “With an increased focus on leadership skills for lawyers, I am confident that our community will see the benefit in our economy, government and in public service."