The City of Franklin is seeking a city judge to render legal decisions and administer the city’s municipal court. The city judge will be able to continue to practice law and pursue other business interests to the extent permitted under the Code of Judicial Conduct. The judge will try all persons charged with violation of the ordinances of the city and shall have the power to levy fines, penalties, and forfeitures not exceeding $50, to administer oaths and to punish for contempt by fine and/or imprisonment in cases provided for in Title 29, Chapter 9 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. This is a four-year appointment that will be confirmed by ordinance of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Court experience and a minimum of 10 year’s experience practicing law is preferred. The TBA’s JobLink page has details on how to apply. Check out the full list of job openings from JobLink.  

Programming from this year’s Corporate Counsel Forum is available online as a 1-Click CLE package. The package, worth four hours of general CLE credit, includes updates in labor and employment law, administrative law changes, a discussion of intellectual property and more. Buy this package now or browse all of TBA CLE’s 1-Click Packages.

Pre-registration for the 2022 TBA Convention will close Monday at noon CDT. After that point, attendees will have to register at the door. This year’s event is taking place in-person June 15-18 at the downtown Nashville Hilton. The week will offer nine hours of CLE, including Bench/Bar, Better Right Now and diversity programs. Opportunities to network with colleagues include the Opening Reception, Bench/Bar Luncheon, Joint Reception with the Tennessee Lawyers’ Association for Women (TLAW) and Tennessee Alliance for Black Lawyers (TABL), the Thursday night social event at Fifth & Broadway and the annual Lawyers Luncheon. Sign up now for the full registration package or purchase individual tickets.

Candidates who passed the February 2022 Tennessee Bar Exam are being admitted to the practice of law at ceremonies across the state this week. Today, in-person ceremonies were held in Knoxville and Nashville, and will continue tomorrow in Memphis. Virtual ceremonies will be held Thursday and Friday. TBA President Sherie Edwards, YLD President Billy Leslie and Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson were on hand at the Nashville ceremony. Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Bivins administered the oath of office. In Knoxville, YLD Board Member Zack Walden with Eldridge & Blakney introduced new admittees on behalf of the TBA, while Justice Sharon Lee administered the oath of office. In addressing the new lawyers, Lee encouraged them to “Remember to keep your personal and professional life in balance. Use your license for good and your time to help others.” See photos from today's events.

Hackers are targeting lawyers with malicious “phishing” emails according to several bar associations. According to a warning sent by the Georgia Bar Association today, these emails have several “red flags”: the sender is not an employee of the association, the email of the sender includes a reference to the “americanbar.org” and the phone number in the email is not operational. Members of the Indiana State Bar and Mississippi State Bar also have reported receiving the same message. Please be careful before opening emails that contain the subject line “Request for Info” and look suspicious.

Gov. Bill Lee announced today that Stuart McWhorter, the longtime entrepreneur and venture capital investor who once ran the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, will replace Bob Rolfe as Tennessee's economic development commissioner. Currently, McWhorter is chairman of Nashville-based FirstBank. The move marks McWhorter's return to the Lee administration. He previously served as Lee's first commissioner of the Department of Finance and Administration, before leaving that role in 2020. Bob Rolfe is leaving the administration on July 10. The Nashville Business Journal looks at the role Rolfe played in securing two of Nashville's largest jobs announcements: Oracle and Amazon.

A California resident has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly telling officials he wanted to kill U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, The Hill reports. The suspect, identified as 26-year-old California resident Nicholas John Roske, called 911 from near the justice’s home, allegedly saying he was having suicidal thoughts and intended to kill Kavanaugh. He also allegedly told a detective that he was upset about the leak of a recent draft court opinion on abortion and the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Roske appeared in a Maryland federal court today. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Nashville lawyer Luther Ernest “Pete” Cantrell Jr. died Monday at the age of 88. Following high school graduation, Cantrell was drafted by the U.S. Army and was stationed in London, where he played in the Army band. Following discharge, he attended the University of Tennessee and the YMCA Night Law School (now known as the Nashville School of Law). After passing the bar, Cantrell joined Thomas O.H. Smith in his law practice. They later formed the firm of Smith, Davies, Cantrell, which eventually evolved to Davies, Cantrell, Humphries & McCoy. He also worked at the Nashville School of Law for many years. The school recognized that service by naming the bookstore after him. Cantrell also received the school’s alumni award in 1996. Visitation will take place Friday from 2-7 p.m. and Saturday from 10-11:30 a.m. A funeral service will be held Saturday at 11:30 a.m. followed by a committal service at 12:30 p.m. CDT. All events will take place at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 660 Thompson Ln., Nashville, TN 37204.

The Nashville YWCA will hold the next installment in its “Stand Against Racism” series on June 21 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The virtual program will focus on "Constitutional Liberties & Justice in Our Day." Speakers include James Blumstein, professor of law at Vanderbilt University Law School; Charles Grant with Baker Donelson; and Abby Rubenfeld with the Rubenfeld Law Firm. Download a flyer or register here for the free event.

The Middle Tennessee law firm of Hammond Zettersten & Associates is seeking an associate attorney to practice mainly in family law. Candidates should be licensed in Tennessee or be registered to take the Bar Exam in July. They also should be proficient with general computer use and Microsoft Office and have experience with legal writing. The firm has offices in Brentwood and Murfreesboro and practices in many counties in the surrounding areas. See the full job post on TBA’s JobLink. To apply, email a cover letter and resume to Christina Zettersten. Call 615-896-5720 with questions.