The Legal Services Corporation recently released a research brief as the first step in a new, yearlong study on the eviction crisis. Congress directed the LSC to conduct the study in the FY 2020 appropriations legislation to address concerns about the high rate of evictions in the country and the patchwork nature of local laws and regulations governing the eviction process. The initial research provides an overview of the eviction process in Shelby County. The organization found that the vast majority of eviction cases there resulted in successful rulings for landlords, with tenants receiving a clear positive outcome just 1.3% of the time.

The Human Rights Campaign recently released results of its 2021 corporate equality index, identifying 130 law firms across the country deemed to be “best places to work” for LGBTQ equality. In Tennessee, the following 13 firms achieved a perfect score of 100: Bass, Berry & Sims; Dickinson Wright; Fisher Phillips; Frost Brown Todd; Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani; Greenberg Traurig; Husch Blackwell; Jackson Lewis; Littler Mendelson; Loeb & Loeb; Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman; and Polsinelli. Two other law firms, Baker Donelson and Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, each received a high score of 90. Factors considered by the index include a firm's nondiscrimination policies, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families, support for an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility. Law firms are considered for the designation if they are on the American Lawyer list of the nation’s top 200 highest-grossing law firms. The ABA Journal has the full list.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday suspended Delaware lawyer Matthew Ledvina from the practice of law for six years, with four years to be served on active suspension and the remainder to be served on probation retroactive to March 11, 2020. The court also directed Ledvina to file a petition to surrender his law license to practice law in Tennessee. The action was taken after Ledvina’s felony conviction for conspiracy to commit securities fraud in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Ledvina submitted a conditional guilty plea admitting his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(a), (b) and (c). He also agreed to petition the Supreme Court to surrender his license.

Campbell County lawyer Jody Rodenborn Troutman was placed on disability inactive status on Oct. 23, 2015, and subsequently suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Dec. 21, 2020. On Oct. 13, 2020, she petitioned the court to remove her from disability inactive status. On Jan. 21, she also petitioned the court for reinstatement to active status. Today, the court removed Troutman from disability inactive status but conditioned reinstatement on the resolution of any pending disciplinary proceedings, including the December suspension which remains in effect.

The TBA Mock Trial Committee is seeking sitting judges, attorneys and law students to volunteer for the 2021 Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition. This year, because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the competition will be held virtually on the Empire Mock Trial platform. Also, rather than the traditional 14 district competitions, the qualifying competitions will be based on the state’s three grand divisions. Grand division competitions will be held simultaneously the weekend of Feb. 19-21 with nearly 70 teams vying for a spot at the state competition. Finalists will be announced on March 1. The state competition will take place March 19-21. Learn more about volunteer opportunities and get links to registration forms on the TBA mock trial website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today permanently disbarred Williamson County lawyer Matthew David Dunn from the practice of law and ordered him to pay restitution in the amount of $5,995 and costs of the disciplinary proceeding. Dunn accepted a referral from an intermediary organization not properly registered with the board, received a fee for services from a client but did not perform any legal services, failed to respond to the client’s requests for information about the representation or communicate in any manner, and abandoned the client. Dunn must comply with the requirements regarding the obligations and responsibilities of permanently disbarred attorneys.

Lauderdale County lawyer Jennifer Lynn Mayham was today suspended from the practice of law by the Tennessee Supreme Court for a period of five years, with one-year active suspension. She must also obtain an evaluation with the Tennessee Lawyer’s Assistance Program, engage the services of a practice monitor, pay restitution in the amount of $4,700 and reimburse the board for all costs in the disciplinary proceeding. Mayham was convicted of misdemeanor drug possession and plead guilty to misdemeanor perjury. She failed to reasonably communicate with seven clients regarding the status of their case and accepted retainers, after which she failed to perform the professional services for which she was retained. She also failed to respond to the board’s request for information during the investigation and comply with the Order of Temporary Suspension entered in 2018. She must comply with the requirements regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.

Memphis attorney Virginia Watson Griffee passed away on Dec. 11. While in law school at the University of Memphis, Griffee served as Comments Editor on the Law Review and graduated in the top ten percent of her class. After graduation, she clerked for Judge Harry Wellford on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She then worked as an associate attorney for Armstrong Allen, and later as in-house counsel for Great Western Consumer Finance Group until the early 1990s. At the time of her death, Griffee was a solo practitioner, specializing in Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Probate and Elder Law. A memorial service for Griffee will be held at a later date.

Recommendations for the next generation of the bar exam won support from the National Conference of Bar Examiners on Thursday, setting in motion an implementation process that is expected to take four to five years to complete. A snapshot of the proposal shows changes to the timing, mode and frequency of the testing, the content to be assessed, the scoring, the delivery and more.  

The TBA’s Year End CLE programming was recognized today as the state’s top continuing education program by the Tennessee Society of Association Executives. The TBA was forced to revamp its December course lineup because of COVID-19 restrictions, converting its live programs into virtual presentations, moving the annual last-minute blast onto YouTube and Mediasite platforms for distribution and packaging existing content into useful bundles. In all, nearly 10,000 hours of CLE was completed by Tennessee lawyers during the month-long span. The TBA’s continuing legal education department is led by Jennifer Vossler, with team members Jarod Word, Chelsea Bennett, Maresa Whaley and Michael Milligan.