Tennessee recently adopted a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (“Anti-SLAPP”) statute to provide additional protections for certain fundamental constitutional rights. The Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA),1 sponsored by Sen. Steve Dickerson, R-Nashville, and Rep. Bob Ramsey, R-Maryville, was passed without opposition in the 111th General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee, effective July 1, 2019.

DISABILITY INACTIVE

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Shelby County lawyer Gilbert Henry Jacobson to disability inactive status on June 18. Jacobson may not practice law while inactive. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement, which requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and he is fit to resume the practice of law.

Three attorneys previously with the Middle Tennessee law firm of Bone McAllester Norton have joined the Nashville office of Burr & Forman. Alex Little, (below left) who joins the firm as a partner, will lead a new white collar criminal defense team. Before entering private practice, he was an assistant U.S. attorney in Nashville and Washington, D.C. Emily Mack, who also joins the firm as a partner, will practice in the areas of labor and employment, education law and complex litigation. Zack Lawson joins the firm as an associate. He will focus on criminal defense, government investigations, appeals, victims’ rights and complex litigation.

Opioid Task Force Report Shows Impact on Legal Aid Organizations

Legal Services Corporation released its Opioid Task Force Report this summer at the Tennessee Supreme Court in Nashville. The report provides background on the opioid epidemic and addresses the intersection of civil legal aid and the need for coordinated responses to this crisis. Speakers included Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Tennessee Courts Director Deborah Taylor Tate. Tate served as a member of the LSC task force and is the co-chair of the National Judicial Opioid Task Force.

Bar Foundation Awards More Than $1.1 Million

The Tennessee Bar Foundation has awarded $1,122,735, from the Tennessee Legal Initiatives Fund (TLIF) intended to be used to “extend the capacity of organizations to break the cycle of poverty and the barriers to justice by using civil legal aid and education to increase productivity and success for vulnerable populations.”

Leaders from Tennessee’s legal community gathered at the Equal Justice Conference in Louisville in May. Among those organizations represented at the event were the TBA Access to Justice Committee, Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Memphis Area Legal Services and West Tennessee Legal Services.

Nashville lawyer Christine Lapps has been named deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Revenue. She took office on April 22. Lapp has spent the last 12 years working on state and local taxation issues for corporate clients at Ernst & Young. She previously worked at the Department of Revenue in the Legal and Administrative Hearing Office and was a litigator in the Tennessee Attorney General’s office.

TBA Delegation Visits Capitol Hill for Lobbying Event

A delegation of eight lawyers from Tennessee met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., in April for “ABA Day on the Hill.” U.S. Rep. David Kustoff met with TBA President Jason Pannu, President-elect Sarah Sheppeard and other members of the group. They also met with Reps. Scott DesJarlais, Steve Cohen and Tim Burchett, and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Lamar Alexander. Main topics were increased funding for the Legal Services Corporation and maintaining the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

TBA OFFERS WEEKLY LEGISLATIVE UPDATES VIA LIVESTREAM, TBA TODAY

The Tennessee Bar Association launched a series of weekly legislative video updates in February, which are livestreamed most Thursdays via Facebook while the Tennessee General Assembly is in session. Also available are weekly round-ups of bills from the previous week impacting the legal community each Friday in TBA Today.

Henley Awarded TBA YLD CASA Volunteer of the Year

Gail Henley of Madisonville was awarded the 2018-2019 CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) Volunteer of the Year Award by the TBA Young Lawyers Division. Now in its 15th year, the award is designed to recognize the outstanding efforts of a CASA volunteer who goes the extra mile in his or her work with a CASA program in Tennessee.

Henley, who was nominated by CASA Monroe’s Executive Director Alisa Hobbs, has been a volunteer with the organization for 10 years.