The Tennessee Supreme Court has transferred the law licenses of Gibson County lawyer Clifford Dwight Hawks and Knox County lawyer William Wright Petty to disability inactive status. Hawks and Petty may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed.

James Thomas “Tommy” Head, age 79 of Henrietta, died Oct. 19. Head was elected to represent District 68 in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1986 and served for nine terms. Current House Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, said, "During his 18 years of service in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Rep. Head was a solid steward of our state tax dollars through his service as vice chair of the Joint Fiscal Review Committee, chair of the House Budget Subcommittee and chair of the House Finance Ways and Means Committee. His exemplary service and dedication helped lay the foundation for Tennessee to be fiscally strong." Services were held Oct. 24. Memorial donations may be made to the Mt. Carmel Cemetery Fund, 425 Mt. Carmel Rd, Clarksville, TN 37043 or the Pat Summitt Foundation, 520 W. Summit Hill Drive, Ste. 1101, Knoxville, TN 37902.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued an order allowing out-of-state lawyers to temporarily offer their services, free of charge, to residents affected by severe flooding in East Tennessee. The order follows a joint request from the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) and Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) asking the court to activate Rule 47 — which was first enacted in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — to help those impacted by natural disasters. Lawyers who register may provide legal services in affected areas without seeking pro hac vice admission or paying an admission fee. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts. The state of North Carolina issued a similar order after Hurricane Helene, allowing Tennessee lawyers to provide pro bono services to storm survivors there.

Judge Kimberly Lund was recently appointed to the 19th Judicial District Chancery Court which serves Robertson and Montgomery counties. In this new role, she will work in the county where she lives, which she has not done previously in her legal career. "I’m excited to work in the county where I live. I haven’t had that experience, so I’m looking forward to serving those folks." Prior to the appointment, Lund served as an assistant district attorney for the 19th Judicial District. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky and her law degree from Michigan State University College of Law. Read more from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Lang Wiseman in November will join Memphis-based First Horizon from Baker Donelson's Memphis office. Law.com reports that Wiseman will come onboard as deputy general counsel and then transition to general counsel in January, on the retirement of current General Counsel Charles Tuggle. Wiseman served as deputy governor and general counsel to Gov. Bill Lee for three years. He previously was a founding partner of Wiseman Bray, counsel to the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and a law clerk for Harry W. Wellford of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. He currently serves as chair of the Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments. Read more in a release from the company.

Juvenile Court Judge Sheila Calloway is urging parents to talk to their children about the seriousness of school threats. WKRN reports that dozens of teens have been arrested for threatening Metro Nashville schools just since school started. “They absolutely don’t understand what they’re doing,” Calloway said in an interview with the news outlet. “They don’t understand how serious that can be. They’re not really thinking about all of the trauma our community has suffered from true school violence.” She said that when teens are in her courtroom, she has heard myriad reasons why students make threats. “It’s anything from ‘I was being bullied and didn’t know how to respond,' to 'I didn’t want to take a test’, ‘I wasn’t ready for my homework’, or ‘I was not wanting to go to school today.'”

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, this week stated that he will file a new universal school voucher proposal on Nov. 6, and expects House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, to do the same in the House. Chalkbeat reports that Johnson plans to have the new bill be the first filed for Tennessee’s upcoming legislative session. Gov. Bill Lee has continued to promote the plan after it did not pass in the last session. The 114th Tennessee General Assembly convenes on Jan. 14, 2025.

Due to damage from Hurricane Helene, several East Tennessee counties have alternate polling places for early voters and for Election Day. Knox News details the changes in Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Tennessee Secretary of State say they are working with local election administrators to ensure every county maintains its access to voting in the lead up to election day on Nov. 5.

Amy Willoughby Bryant, director of the Metro Nashville Office of Conservatorship Management and a member of TBA's Board of Governors, last week was elected as National Guardianship Association (NGA) president at the group's national conference. She will take office in January 2025. NGA represents more than 1000 guardians, conservators and fiduciaries from across the United States. It seeks to protect adults by ensuring that their guardians receive quality education and access to resources. The NGA also partners with other organizations such as the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Bar Association, the National College of Probate Judges and the AARP to affect positive change in guardianship and conservatorship policy.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider five applicants when it meets Nov. 12 in Sevierville to select nominees for a circuit court judge vacancy in the 4th Judicial District, which includes Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. The applicants are Jeremy D. Ball, Lu Ann H. Ballew, Susan Joanne Sheldon, Luke A. Shipley and S. Lane Wolfenbarger. The public hearing will be held in the third-floor courtroom of the Sevier County Courthouse, 125 Court Ave., Sevierville 37862 at 9 a.m. EST. The commission is expected to vote immediately following the interviews and forward three names to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. A vacancy on the court was created following the death of Judge O. Duane Slone on Aug. 24. Learn more about the candidates in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.