William K. Suter, the clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court, will retire at the end of August after 22 years of service, the Blog of the Legal Times reports. Suter is the 19th person to serve as clerk. Before taking that position, he was an Army major general and served in numerous positions around the world including appellate judge, deputy staff judge advocate of the U.S. Army in Vietnam, staff judge advocate of the 101st Airborne Division, commandant of the JAG school, and assistant judge advocate general of the Army. He has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, and the Parachutist Badge. 

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal judges may not delay executions indefinitely on the chance that condemned prisoners will become mentally competent enough to help their court-appointed attorneys mount new appeals. “At some point, the state must be allowed to defend its judgment of conviction,” Clarence Thomas wrote for the unanimous court. The decision will hasten the end for two death row inmates, Arizona’s Ernest Gonzales and Ohio’s Sean Carter.

In a wrapup of Supreme Court activity over the past few days, ScotusBlog reports that the court denied review in several notable cases including Sherley v. Sebelius, in which the court said it will not stop the government’s funding of embryonic stem cell research. The court also refused to hear an appeal from anti-abortion group The Real Truth About Abortion, which wanted to stop the Federal Election Commission and the Justice Department from enforcing fundraising and advertising regulations against it.

Memphis attorney Lauri Prather decided to parlay her private firm experience into the nonprofit arena when she left Martin Tate Morrow & Marston PC after 12 years to become in-house counsel with ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Prather said losing her mother in 2010 to cancer was an impetus to become more familiar with the mission of the hospital. The Memphis Daily News has the feature. 

American International Group (AIG) announced it will not be joining the $25 billion shareholder lawsuit against the U.S. government over the terms of its bailout at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Facing certain backlash and outrage from Washington and beyond, AIG declined to join the lawsuit especially amidst the "Thank You America" ad campaign it is currently running to show gratitude for being rescued from the brink of collapse. 

Working Mother magazine recently named three law firms with Tennessee offices among the best in the country for working mothers. Bradley Arant Boult Cummings in Nashville, Husch Blackwell in Chattanooga and Memphis, and Littler Mendelson in Memphis and Nashville all were noted for leading the way in attracting, retaining, and promoting women lawyers.

The Supreme Court heard arguments today in a case testing whether police must get a warrant before forcing a drunk driving suspect to have her blood drawn, NPR reports. The court has long held that search warrants are required when government officials order intrusions into the body, such as drawing blood. However, opponents of the law state that time is of the essence since a person’s blood alcohol starts to dissipate after they stop drinking so the need for quick blood-alcohol testing is necessary.

John Tarpley of Lewis King Kreig & Waldrop in Nashville has been named chair of the Editorial Board for the American Bar Association Journal. Tarpley, former president of the Tennessee Bar Association, will assume the role in August for a three-year term.

The 15th Judicial District Bar Association recently elected new officers for 2013: President Jennifer Porth of Stephen Brown PC, Vice President Lisa A. Tomlinson of MacPherson & Youmans, Secretary Karen Parker-Casey of Agee & Agee, and Jonathan M. Tinsley of Tressler and Associates.

Hawkins County attorney James Franklin Taylor was disbarred yesterday and ordered by the Supreme Court to pay restitution before reinstatement. The court temporarily suspended Taylor’s law license last June and suspended him in October. The Board of Professional Responsibility filed petitions for discipline, charging Taylor with misappropriation of client funds and foundation funds, and filing false claims with the Administrative Office of the Courts. Taylor submitted a conditional guilty plea, and was ordered to pay the expenses and costs of the disciplinary proceedings against him and fully comply with the requirements and obligations of disbarred attorneys. Download the BPR notice.