Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III today announced that Senior Assistant Attorney General Dianna Baker Shew will assume the role of chief deputy. In her new role, Shew will coordinate and oversee the substantive legal work of all sections of the office. Shew joined the office in 2018 and has managed high-profile cases and complex litigation for the state. She was named senior assistant attorney general in 2019. Prior to joining the office, she was associate general counsel at CoreCivic Inc. and a partner at Stites & Harbison. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Cheatham County native Holly Waller has announced her candidacy for circuit court clerk, the Cheatham County Exchange reports. Waller is a senior deputy clerk and jury coordinator for Julie Hibbs, the current court clerk, who is retiring. Waller has been working and training alongside Hibbs for the last six years. The clerk serves the circuit, general sessions and juvenile courts. Prior to joining the clerk’s office, Waller had a career in human resources and accounting.

A number of Chattanooga area lawyers have announced bids for local judgeships or picked up papers to run. Stevie Phillips Persinger has announced a bid for Lookout Mountain judge, while Red Bank Judge Johnny Houston, Signal Mountain Judge Gary Humble and Soddy Daisy Judge Marty Lasley have reelection plans in the works. In East Ridge, Rich Heinsman announced he will run for municipal judge while Collegedale Judge Kevin Wilson has picked up papers for the post but has not yet qualified. The qualifying deadline is Thursday at noon. Read more about the candidates in Chattanoogan.com.

Last Saturday, the Times News ran interviews with two of the three candidates running for Third Judicial District circuit judge. Today, the paper reports that it inadvertently omitted responses from the third candidate, lawyer and former Child Support Magistrate Crystal Jessee. Read her answers to the same five questions answered by Bradley Mercer and William Phillips. All three are running in the Republican primary to serve individuals in Greene, Hamblen, Hancock and Hawkins counties.

Legislation designed to shine more light on political actions committees and campaign finances passed its first committee in the state legislature yesterday, Tennessee Lookout reports. The Senate State and Local Government Committee unanimously approved SB1005, sending it to the Senate floor for full consideration. The House version of the bill has been delayed until next week in the Local Government Committee. Three key amendments accompany the bill: increasing the number of Registry of Election Finance members from six to eight, requiring copies of financial transactions of $1,000 to be filed with the registry, and requiring groups that engage in paid political communications within 60 days of an election to register as a political action committee. The news source has a full summary of the bill.

Ever wanted to know more about the moving parts, projects and staffers of the Tennessee Bar Association? Starting next week, look for a #TeamTBA post on all our social media outlets and in TBA Today for a closer look at each staff member, their role in the association and maybe a fun fact or two! #TeamTBA profiles will be posted every Wednesday. Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Attorneys are known for their ability to thrive under pressure, manage a significant amount of stress and work much more than the standard 40-hour work week. But according to the American Bar Association, attorneys are among the most sleep-deprived group of professionals. While some are aware of the toll this takes on their personal and social lives, a lesser number understand the impact that working from sun-up until sun-down can have on sleep patterns and overall health. A wellness blog from Thomson Reuters looks at sleep recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation, the adverse effects of not getting enough sleep and tips for helping our bodies wind down earlier in the evening.

The Claiborne County Bar Association has announced that Noah J. Patton was recently elected president of the organization and Meredith S. Bundren was elected secretary. Patton practices at Stanifer & Stanifer in Tazewell. He spent 15 years in the oil and gas industry before earning his law degree from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law. Bundren was licensed in 2017 after attending LMU Duncan School of Law and now practices at the Bundren Law Firm in Tazewell. Read the press release from the Claiborne County Bar Association.

Nashville law firm Spencer Fane Bone McAllester recently named partner Andrea Perry as co-chair of the firm’s Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. According to a press release from the firm, Perry focuses her practice on representing financial institutions and borrowers in loan transactions involving all types of collateral and projects. She also provides general advice to business clients from basic entity formation through all phases of their growth. Perry also represents landlords and tenants, both public and private, in the negotiation of commercial leases for a wide variety of uses. Read the press release. 

White Bluff Judge Leonard G. Belmares has announced he will not seek reelection to the municipal court and will instead seek the Republican nomination for circuit court judge. According to a release from his campaign, Belmares says he is “proud of what we have accomplished” since he was elected in 2014. “We have no backlog of cases, our court runs efficiently, and we are fair to everyone involved in the judicial process,” Belmares said in the release. “White Bluff was the first court in our Judicial District to submit a plan to provide continuous access during the COVID-19 shut down. I believe that efficiency and access are extremely important in the judicial system.” If elected, Belmares would serve Cheatham, Dickson, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart counties.