The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday referred the case of Knox County lawyer Keri Elizabeth Rule to the Board of Professional Responsibility for whatever action the board deems warranted. The court took the step after learning that Rule had pleaded guilty to and was convicted of the charge of driving under the influence (DUI) and two counts of reckless endangerment.

Retired Knoxville lawyer Allen J. Ware Jr. died March 2 at 92. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, Ware practiced real estate law for more than 50 years, first as a partner at Ayres, Parkey, Skaggs & Ware, and then for many years as a solo attorney. He was a member of the South Knoxville Optimist Club, West Knoxville Kiwanis Club, where he served as president, and Sons of the Revolution. He also volunteered as a Little League baseball coach, intramural basketball coach, Boy Scout leader and “Big Brother” for Kids Hope USA. The family requests memorial contributions be made to Every Home for Christ, P.O. Box 64000, Colorado Springs, CO 80962 or to a charity of the donor’s choice.

Legal experts will explore the history of the troubled teen industry, addressing the current issues and progress toward reform in the second installment of the Troubled Teen Industry Webinar Series from the ABA. The free webinar will take place Friday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. EDT. Learn more about the series and register here.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking a GS12/13 attorney for its Nashville District Office of Counsel. The successful candidate will serve as the primary contact for issues dealing with real property law, civil works and environmental law. To learn more about the position see the job description or contact District Counsel Jim Roth at 615-736-7692. Interested applicants must apply through USAJobs website. The application period closes on March 25.

Securing a spot at a top law school could become more difficult this year as more people with high scores on the Law School Admission Test are submitting applications, the ABA Journal reports. Based on data from Law.com, applications are up 20% compared to this point last year and up 16.8% compared to two years ago. Interest among Black and Latino applicants is also up with an increase of 24.2% and 20.1% respectively. The data also shows that LSAT scores are up. Observers suggest this may be up due to the new LSAT Flex test, which is taken from home and is shorter than the traditional test, or the free online LSAT prep being offered by the Law School Admission Council through the Khan Academy.

On the one-year anniversary of Breonna Taylor’s death, the slain woman’s family continued its call for justice as hundreds of demonstrators gathered in downtown Louisville over the weekend, the Associated Press reports. The rally came a day after Kenneth Walker, Taylor’s boyfriend, filed a federal lawsuit against the Louisville Metro Police Department, alleging his constitutional rights were violated during last year’s botched raid that resulted in Taylor’s death. WSMV has more on the suit. Walker also has filed a state lawsuit against the city and police, saying he was the victim of assault, battery, false arrest and malicious prosecution. Taylor's death led to widespread protests. The Louisville Metro Council unanimously passed "Breonna's Law" last June banning no-knock search warrants.

NALP, a national association of legal career professionals, recently released its annual Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms, which shows women and people of color continued to make incremental progress in representation at major U.S. law firms in 2020, but remain underrepresented compared to other groups. The percentage of Black associates surpassed 5% for the first time since NALP began collecting data, the percentage of Black partners surpassed 2% for the first time since NALP began collecting data, and Black women finally exceeded the 2009 figure of 2.93%, increasing to 3.04%. After experiencing more than two decades of growth, the percentage of Asian associates plateaued at 12.12%, down slightly from the previous year. Women accounted for over half of all summer associates for the third year in a row. Data for non-binary lawyers was included for the first time with the report showing a steady increase, especially among summer associates.

Tennessee state officials say the investigation into Shelby County's wasted COVID-19 vaccine doses is now finished, and that no one was given a vaccine dose that had expired, the Commercial Appeal reports. Tennessee State Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said in a statement that, "Vaccine stability remained intact for the days in question.” Last week, state investigators found data allowing them to verify the cold chain stability of the vaccine doses given. The investigation into the county’s handling of its vaccine supply was triggered after it was discovered that the local health department wasted thousands of doses.

Today the Tennessee Bar Association salutes the six women who serve and have served on the Tennessee Supreme Court: the Hon. Martha Craig Daughtrey, former Justice Penny White and former Chief Justice Janice Holder, and current justices Cornelia (Connie) Clark, Sharon G. Lee and Holly Kirby. Their early career plans were not to become lawyers — they considered teaching, nursing, accounting, and becoming a Pan Am flight attendant, according to a recent panel discussion — because they said there were few to no women lawyers to serve as examples for them at that time.

Daughtrey was the first woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, in 1990, following a string of “firsts,” including her unprecedented appointment to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in 1975. After the high court, she served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, where she is currently a senior judge. “Prior to Judge Daughtrey’s appointment, the perspective of approximately one half of the citizens of Tennessee was not taken into account on the Tennessee Supreme Court,” Chief Justice Bivins said at the unveiling of her portrait. “She was the trailblazer to bring the perspective there that has now become commonplace on our court.”

Justice White has served as a judge at every level of the court system in Tennessee: as the first female circuit judge in the First Judicial District, the second woman to serve on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals and the Tennessee Supreme Court. She is now UTLaw’s Elvin E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law. Justice Holder, the third woman to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court, was the first woman to serve as chief justice, a role she held 2008 – 2010. Justice Clark was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2005 and was elected to full eight-year terms in 2006 and 2014. She served as chief justice 2010-2012, becoming the second woman in Tennessee history to serve in that role. Justice Lee was appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2008 and retained by the voters in 2010 and 2014. She served as chief justice from 2014 to 2016. Justice Kirby was appointed in 2014, having served for almost 19 years on the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

A new podcast episode from "Reelfoot Forward" by Discovery Park of America features retired West Tennessee lawyer Jim Emison talking about his quest for justice for the murder of Elbert Williams, a civil rights activist and founding member of the NAACP in Haywood County. In June 1940, two officers from the Brownsville Police Department took Elbert Williams to jail for questioning. His body was later found floating in the Hatchie River, making him one of the earliest members of the NAACP murdered for his civil rights work. While his death was ruled a homicide, no one was ever prosecuted. His case remained unsolved for years until the U.S. Justice Department re-opened it. But it was closed again in 2020 without prosecution or referral. Emison, who previously practiced in Crockett and Haywood counties, has written a book on Williams life titled “Elbert Williams: First To Die” and has created a website to honor Williams. Read past coverage of the Williams case from TBA Today.