Kyle A. Hixson, the newest Knox County criminal court judge, was sworn into office earlier this week and will begin hearing cases Monday, WBIR reports. A formal investiture will take place Thursday at 3 p.m. EST. Gov. Bill Lee will perform the ceremony at the Tennessee Supreme Court Building in Knoxville, 505 Main St., Ste 200, Knoxville 37902. A former Knox County prosecutor, Hixson was appointed to the bench to take the place of retiring judge Bob McGee.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday denied a third petition from Davidson County lawyer Brian Phillip Manookian to dissolve a suspension re-imposed on him on May 17, 2019, after he failed to comply with requirements for probation. Manookian filed, and the court denied, two previous petitions for dissolution this past fall. The third petition, filed on Dec. 13, 2019, argued that the Board of Professional Responsibility had failed to proceed with “all due speed” in his case. The court again denied the petition, saying that Manookian continues to pose a threat of substantial harm to the public and has failed to establish good cause for dissolution or modification of the suspension.

Georgia lawyer Chuck Richard Pardue was reinstated to the practice of law on Dec. 16, 2019. He had been placed on inactive status in June 2012. Pardue petitioned the court for reinstatement and the court found his petition to be satisfactory and reinstatement to be appropriate. The court issued the order on Dec. 30, 2019.

The Washington County Bar Association has named new officers for 2020. They are: President Lindsay Daniel, President-elect Jesse Campbell, Vice President Sunny Sandos, Secretary Grace Spurrell Studer and Treasurer Morgan Taylor. Daniel takes over from 2019 President Brandy Balding. New board members are Brandy Balding, Elizabeth Jones, Nora Koffman, Solange McDaniel, Richard Phillips and Tom Smith.

The Tennessee Supreme Court recently recognized Tennessee attorneys and law students who performed 50 or more hours of pro bono service. Individual attorneys who performed the required hours in 2019 earned the designation “Attorney for Justice.” Recent law school graduates who performed 50 or more hours throughout their law school career were recognized as a “Law Student for Justice.” Law firms may also apply for recognition but the court has not released the 2019 "Law Firm for Justice" list yet. This year marks the sixth year the court has offered the Pro Bono Recognition Program. 

Knoxville-area legal organizations will hold their monthly Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic on Jan. 8 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office. Lawyers interested in volunteering can sign up online to help. The clinic is a joint project of the Knoxville Bar Association and its Access to Justice Committee; the Knoxville Barristers and it’s Access to Justice Committee; Legal Aid of East Tennessee; the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office; the University of Tennessee College of Law; Lincoln Memorial University’s Duncan School of Law; and the local Veterans Affairs office.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division's annual Transactional Practice CLE is a six-hour seminar that provides lawyers with the information, tools and tips needed to successfully handle transactional, traditional business and regulatory matters. This year's program will take place Friday in Nashville and will offer insight into the new and developing practice area of hemp law, as well as mergers and acquisitions, and issues specific to advertising and media. The course offers five general and one dual credits.

Former Savannah city manager Garry Welch has announced his bid for the GOP nomination to represent House District 71, TNJ: On the Hill reports. That is the seat currently held by Rep. David Byrd, R-Waynesboro, who recently told colleagues he would not seek reelection amid allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls in the 1980’s. Welch, who retired in 2018 after serving 12 years as city manager, says he is well qualified to represent the district, which covers all of Hardin, Lewis and Wayne counties and part of Lawrence County.

Ahead of a special report on the legal industry being published tomorrow, the Nashville Business Journal spoke with local lawyers, asking them, “What employee perk sets your firm apart?” The list ranged from ghosts to extra days off. DarKenya Waller of Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee & the Cumberlands, for example, applauds LAS’ parental leave policy, while Charles Robert Bone talks up Bone McAllester Norton’s “Summer Fun Days.” Check out the NBJ slideshow with responses from 14 attorneys. 

Nashville TV station WSMV has settled a lawsuit with former star anchor Demetria Kalodimos, the Tennessean reports. Kalodimos sued the station more than a year ago alleging age and gender discrimination after she was abruptly let go in 2017 after spending 33 years on-air. Details of the settlement were not made public, but WSMV owner Meredith Local Media Group and Kalodimos issued a joint statement today in which the news station apologized for Kalodimos’ dismissal, but did not directly address the accusations of discrimination. Former WSMV personalities Dennis Ferrier, Jennifer Johnson and Nancy Van Camp also filed a discrimination lawsuit against the station. That suit was settled in early 2019.