The TBA today announced a list of 10 attorneys chosen for its third Public Service Academy. The academy is a nonpartisan training fellowship that provides attorneys with the tools to run for local public offices, such as school board, city council and county commission. The program will take place over the course of two sessions during which fellows will hear speakers discuss topics like strategy, campaign finance, work-life balance and more. This year’s class members are: Raven Austin, Chattanooga; Amanda Bradley, Franklin; Duncan Bryant, Memphis; Brian Bush, Chattanooga; Jing Geng, Nashville; Timothy Martin, Pickwick Dam; David O’Neil, Brentwood; Jessica Schultz, Nashville; Ryan Strain, Memphis; and Angela Washington, Columbia. Read more from the TBA.

Twentieth Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Phil Smith died unexpectedly on Sunday. He was 62. Former Gov. Phil Bredesen first appointed Smith to the bench in 2009. He was elected to the role in 2010, 2014 and 2022 and on Thursday had become the presiding judge of the 20th Judicial District. Before his time with the court, Smith was an assistant district attorney in the 20th Judicial District and later served as a special judge for the Davidson County 2nd Circuit Court, 5th Circuit Court, Probate Court and as a special referee for the Davidson County Juvenile Court. He also served as a hearing panel member on the Board of Professional Responsibility. In private practice, he worked for the Norman Law Firm and Robinson, Smith and Oglesby. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on visitation and funeral arrangements for Smith.

Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge John Everett Williams died on Friday. He was 68. In 1998, Williams was appointed to the court by former Gov. Don Sundquist and was retained in elections in 2000, 2006, 2014 and 2022. He was named presiding judge of the Court of Criminal Appeals in 2018, making him the first judge from West Tennessee to hold that position in 25 years. Williams practiced law in Huntingdon for 17 years before his appointment to the court. He served as chairperson of the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program for several years and was a strong advocate for the organization. Williams was known for his colorful dress and bowties as well as summer seersucker suits. He was a longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He was also an established thespian, dazzling audiences at the Dixie Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center just last month. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced. Condolences may be left here.

The TBA Construction Law Section will host two in-person opportunities to learn the basics of construction law. Join us Oct. 7 in Knoxville or Dec. 2 in Memphis. This three-hour program will cover the prompt pay act, contractor licensing, lien law and construction contracts. The program runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. local time. Register for the Knoxville program here and the Memphis program here. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear two cases in Knoxville for its September docket. State of Tennessee v. Johnny Summers Cavin will begin at 9 a.m. EDT and will be followed by State of Tennessee v. Joseph Gevedon. Both cases will be livestreamed on the Administrative Office of the Courts YouTube page. More information on both cases can be found on the AOC’s website.  

Judges from the 15th Judicial District were last week sworn-in by Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell. Included in the swearing-in were: Juvenile Court Judge Barry Tatum, Circuit Court Judge Michael Collins, Chancellor C.K. Smith, Circuit Court Judge Clara Byrd, Criminal Court Judge Brody Kane, General Sessions Judge Jimmy Lea, Magistrate David Kennedy and General Sessions Judge Ensley Hagan. The 15th Judicial District includes Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. See more pictures from the event here.

The TBA has added Laura J. Labenberg, Ed.D, as its new Young Lawyers Division & Law Student Development Coordinator. In her new role, Labenberg will work with the YLD to plan programs, meetings and special projects like pro bono clinics, the annual Tennessee High School Mock Trial Competition and the award-winning Diversity Leadership Institute. Prior to joining the TBA, Labenberg served as a professor of rhetoric at Hofstra University and the executive director of an educational nonprofit in New York. Earlier in her career in higher education, she served as a grants coordinator and conference coordinator. Labenberg earned her doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies at Hofstra University.

The man accused of abducting and murdering Memphis school teacher Eliza Fletcher previously served more than 20 years for kidnapping a prominent Memphis attorney, the Commercial Appeal reports. Fletcher was jogging before dawn on Friday morning when police say she was violently forced into an SUV and later killed. Cleotha Abston, 38, faces multiple charges relating to the crime, including kidnapping and first-degree murder. When he was 16, Abston and another man kidnapped Memphis-based lawyer Kemper Durand at gunpoint, forcing him into the trunk of his car and driving to gas stations to withdraw money from ATMs. Durand was able to escape while at one station. Abston was sentenced to 24 years in prison for the crime and was released in November 2020. Durand died in 2013. In an obituary, Lewis Thomason attorney Bill Haltom wrote of Durand’s response to the kidnapping.

The Legal Aid Society has an immediate opening for a staff attorney in its Clarksville office. The attorney will provide legal representation to income-eligible clients with a focus on home retention including landlord-tenant issues and homeowner issues, federal income tax issues and fair housing discrimination issues. The position is grant-funded and subsequent renewal may result in modification of job duties and responsibilities. Read more on the opening and how to apply or view a full list of available positions on the TBA’s JobLink site.

The City of Franklin’s Board of Mayor and Alderman has appointed Jessica Borne as its new Municipal Court judge, Williamson Source reports. In her new role, Borne will preside over city ordinance, building code and traffic violations at the court, which is held every second and fourth Tuesday and second Thursday at City Hall. Nineteen applied for municipal judge, with Borne advancing to the final five applicants based on scores from her interviews and a writing assignment. Borne is an attorney at Fort, Holloway & Rogers and previously spent 12 years with the Tennessee Office of the District Attorney General 21st Judicial District. She has dedicated the last 10 years of her career working with domestic abuse victims and their families by prosecuting and trying criminal cases involving domestic partners.