TBA President Tasha Blakney presented U.S. District Court Judge Katherine A. Crytzer with a ceremonial gavel on behalf of the association during Friday's investiture ceremony. The event was organized by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee and held at the Howard H. Baker Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville. Crytzer was nominated to the bench by former President Donald Trump and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2020. She replaces former U.S. District Judge and former TBA President Pamela Reeves, who died earlier that year after a battle with cancer. Crytzer previously was the principal deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Policy. See a photo from the ceremony.

The Lawrence County Board of Education is seeking legal representation services and accepting proposals from interested attorneys and law firms. Responses should include the firm’s name, address, phone number and website link, as well as a list of the school systems the firm is representing or has represented, the attorneys who represent school systems and their areas of expertise, and a summary of the firm’s credentials to deliver the needed services. Information should be submitted by Nov. 1. To read the full request for proposals and get instructions for applying visit the TBA’s JobLink platform.

The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation will hold the 22nd Annual Dick Jerman Memorial Golf Tournament on Oct. 24 at Indian Hills Golf Course, 405 Calumet Trace, Murfreesboro 37127. The event is co-sponsored by the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association and the Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association. Money raised will benefit the foundation’s scholarship fund. For more information contact Judge Don Ash at 615-295-2518, Jessie Snider, 731-660-1529 or Suzanne Keith, 615-739-7716.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. CDT to discuss state tax obligations and resources for new businesses in Tennessee. Learn more about the program or register here.

The Tennessee Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider four applicants for a circuit court vacancy in the 20th Judicial District. They are: solo practioners Tusca R.S. Alexis and Audrey Lee Anderson, Stanley A. Kweller with Watkins & McNeilly, and Stephanie J. Williams, special master for the judicial district’s Fourth Circuit Court. The vacancy was created by the death of Judge Philip E. Smith on Sept. 4. The commission will hold a public hearing on Oct. 18 at 9 a.m. CDT to interview the candidates and is expected to vote immediately following the interviews on the three names to send to Gov. Bill Lee for his consideration. Read more about the applicants and details about attending the hearing from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Metro Nashville may not enforce some of its new regulations for party buses, Davidson County Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal ruled today. Moskal said that for now, the city cannot require “transpotainment” operators to fully enclose their vehicles or obtain liquor liability insurance, the Nashville Post reports. The city can, however, enforce its limits on party buses operating during rush hour or late at night. The decision came in a suit brought by Honky Tonk Party Express, which operates a dozen party vehicles. The company argued that the city had set an arbitrary timeline for compliance with the new rules, and that it would be impossible and prohibitively expensive to comply by the deadline.

A portrait unveiling will take place Monday for former Shelby County Circuit Court Judge James F. Russell. The event will be held at the Memphis Botanic Garden from 4-5:30 p.m. CDT. Russell, who decided not to seek reelection this year, was appointed to the court in 1998. A 1970 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Law, he was in private practice at Apperson, Crump, Duzane & Maxwell before joining the court. While serving as a judge, Russell received the Memphis Bar Association’s 2000 Charles A. Rond Outstanding Judge of the Year Award and served on the Judicial Ethics Committee and Alternative Dispute Resolution Commission. He is a former chair of the Tennessee Judicial Conference’s ADR Committee, program chair of the Leo Bearman Sr. American Inn of Court and president of the Memphis Bar Association.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced a consumer restitution program to provide refunds for cancelled “Fan Fest” events organized by Walker Stalkers LLC. Consumers wishing to request refunds must file by Jan. 30, 2023. The CEO of Walker Stalkers, James Frazier, began operating the company in 2013 and put on dozens of “Walker Stalker Con” and ‘Fan Fest” events in the United States and London. The events were opportunities for fans to meet famous actors and artists associated with popular television programs such as “The Walking Dead.” Beginning in 2018, several of the events were canceled and promised refunds never materialized. Frazier agreed to a settlement in 2020. Amber Shaw, managing partner of Harris Shelton Hanover Walsh, will serve as restitution administrator, facilitating claims and refunds.

The Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Hamilton County lawyer John Scott Wesson from the practice of law today after finding he was not in compliance with his Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) monitoring agreement. Section 12.3 of Supreme Court Rule 9 provides for immediate summary suspension when an attorney fails to substantially comply with their monitoring agreement. Wesson is immediately precluded from accepting new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Oct. 30. The court also issued an order allowing the Board of Professional Responsibility to file under seal an attachment to the affidavit of TLAP Executive Director J.E. “Buddy” Stockwell III because the document contains sensitive health care information.

Save the date for the Memphis Bar Association’s Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Dec. 8 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. CST at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Watch for more details coming soon.