Nashville-based Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis has added legal technology veteran Steve Novak as its chief information officer, the Nashville Post reports. Novak replaces Doug Leins, who retired at the end of 2020. Novak has worked for some of the nation’s most influential law firms including Bingham Greenebaum Doll, which is now part of Dentons, Sidley Austin and Kirkland & Ellis. While Leins focused largely on internal IT such as resource management and network security, the firm says Novak will play a key role in determining how Waller can better serve its clients through technology. Novak is the author of numerous articles focused on law firm technology operational improvement and operational excellence. He also is often a speaker for industry events, seminars, workshops and user forums.

Make plans now to join your colleagues for the 2021 TBA Annual Convention, presented this year as both an in-person event at The Peabody in Memphis and as a virtual online event the week of June 14. Virtual programming will be available for all registrants on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday, virtual only registrants will tune in for a livestream of key Convention events such as the Bench Bar CLE and Luncheon, Lawyers Luncheon, Better This Year CLE program and Legislative Update CLE. During that same time, in-person attendees will experience all that Memphis has to offer, including key programs, a joint social event with state judges, a group breakfast and the delights of Beale Street and beyond. Register today to save your spot! Full Access Registration (including both in-person & virtual access) and Virtual Only Registration are now open. For those attending in person, please note there will be caps on the number of registrations so be sure to make your reservation early, and be sure to read the TBA’s COVID-19 safety acknowledgement, liability waiver and release of claims.

Law firms are getting involved in the controversy over voting changes passed in Georgia and under consideration in Texas, the ABA Journal reports. Leaders of 62 of the nation’s top 100 law firms have signed a statement denouncing voting restrictions, as have 19 general counsels. Two law firms with roots in Georgia are the most recent to sign on, Law.com reports. The statement reads in part: “Equal access to voting is a fundamental right in the United States. Making voting easier, not harder, for all eligible voters should be the goal of every elected official. Election laws that impose unnecessary obstacles and barriers on the right to vote and that disenfranchise underrepresented groups represent a significant step backwards for all Americans.” In addition to the statement, some firms are establishing a coalition to challenge state voter legislation they believe to be discriminatory.

The Knoxville Bar Association will host a virtual Law Day program on April 30 from noon to 1 p.m. EDT. Speakers for “Advancing the Rule of Law, Now” include Belmont College of Law Dean Alberto Gonzales; Andre Johnson with the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office; Knoxville Area Urban League President Phyllis Y. Nichols; Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steven W. Sword and University of Tennessee College of Law professor Penny J. White. Cost is $25 for KBA members and $40 for non-members. Law students may attend for free. Reservations are required.

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced a bill to study the potential impact of legalized medical marijuana in the state, WJHL reports. The committee approved SB667 with amendments by a vote of 5-3. The bill would ask the Tennessee Department of Health to study the licensure and regulation of medical cannabis in neighboring states and report back to the General Assembly by Dec. 15. A previously proposed bill that would have directly legalized the use of medical marijuana in the state failed in the Senate in March. The House Health Committee was scheduled to consider its version of the bill today.

A Murfreesboro man is the 10th Tennessean arrested by FBI agents on charges related to the January riot at the U.S. Capitol, WPLN reports. Authorities provided images that show Michael Lee Roche inside the Senate Chamber standing next to one of the most high-profile people arrested, Jack Angeli — a demonstrator who calls himself the “Q Anon Shaman” and who was widely seen shirtless and wearing a headdress. Roche is facing seven misdemeanor charges. In related news, a few weeks ago, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the release of Eric Munchel (the "zip-tie guy") and his mother Lisa Marie Eisenhart after prosecutors decided to drop efforts to keep them locked up. The release order reinstated conditions ordered in January by Nashville Magistrate Chip Frensley, including home detention and electronic monitoring. News Channel 5 has more on that story.

The law license of Knox County lawyer Stephen Alexander McSween was transferred to disability inactive status yesterday. McSween may not practice law while on inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court upon showing that his disability has been removed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued a public censure for Knox County lawyer Terrill Lee Adkins yesterday. The court found that Adkins agreed to represent a defendant in a pending product liability trial while an attorney in his office had previously been involved in the same matter at a law firm that still represented the plaintiff. Though Adkins attempted to put screening procedures in place, the court ruled that the such procedures would not avoid the imputed disqualification of the firm under Rule 1.10(d). In another case, the court found that Adkins drafted a subpoena that contained “crass, sexist language.” These actions resulted in harm to the client and prejudice to the administration of justice, and violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.10(d), 8.4(d) and 4.4.

With coronavirus vaccinations expanding nationwide to all adults this month, business leaders are anticipating an acceleration in the return to the office. Kastle System’s Back to Work Barometer is tracking this phenomenon in 10 major cities across the country. The group’s latest review shows that the legal industry’s return to the office is exceeding the average for other industries by as much as 10%. The head of the security and safety company says law firms are citing many factors that have made remote work more challenging, including paper heavy office systems and being slower to adopt new technologies. The director of the Association of Legal Administrators says she is hearing from members that law firms are returning to the office more quickly due to concerns about using virtual platforms to onboard new employees and train new associates. Read more from the company.

The TBA’s Tax Law Section will host Tax Law CLE Series 2021: Update on CARES Act, PPP Round 2, ERC, and Other Abbreviations We Hoped We Would Never Need on May 12 from noon until 1 p.m. CDT. Get current updates on issues regarding the tax related COVID-19 relief measures currently in place. Register for this virtual program using the three prepaid CLE credits you receive when renewing your TBA membership.