TBA member and Husch Blackwell managing partner Michael Alston has been named an American Bar Foundation fellow, the Hamilton County Herald reports. ABF fellows are part of a global honorary society made up of attorneys, judges, law faculty and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and to the welfare of their communities. Membership in the fellows is limited to 1% of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. Alston handles complex commercial litigation in state and federal courts at Husch Blackwell. He is a certified mediator and a member of the TBA’s Corporate Counsel Section.  

The Tennessee House of Representatives today passed legislation that would take state cases away from Nashville courts, the Nashville Post reports. House Bill 1196/Senate Bill 454 (HB1196/SB454), sponsored by Bone McAllester Norton attorney Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, was approved by the House in a 69-21 vote. It would move original jurisdiction for lawsuits against the state to the plaintiff’s home county. If plaintiffs are located outside the state, the case would be filed in Sumner County. Asked why he picked his home county for out-of-state cases, Garrett said, “The question should be why not.” The bill comes after the Republican-dominated legislature criticized a number of decisions by Nashville judges in state cases and after a failed attempt to remove Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle earlier this session. 

As the Tennessee General Assembly begins to wind down for the year, TBA Public Policy and Government Affairs Director Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorney and TBA lobbyist Brad Lampley discuss where several TBA-sponsored bills currently stand on today’s episode of the Legislative Updates podcast. The TBA, with much help from President Michelle Greenway Sellers, was able to work with sponsors on an amendment that removed a cap on attorney’s fees from House Bill 1386/Senate Bill 282. The bill to eliminate the professional privilege tax, SB884/HB519, is currently in budget discussions and Lampley is optimistic that the tax will see “some degree of reduction.” All that and more on today’s episode, which can be found on the TBA’s Facebook page, website and anywhere you listen to podcasts.  

Join the Corporate Counsel Section for its Annual Forum on April 21 at 10 a.m. CDT. This four-hour CLE will cover topics including labor and employment under the Biden administration fair employment practices, equal pay and worker safety; using technology to improve your practice; and how COVID-19 is impacting human resources, workplace liability, vaccines and more. Speakers include Adam Dougherty with Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart; Geoffrey Lindley with Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell and Professor Hemant Sharma from the University of Tennessee. Register now to stay informed on recent updates impacting the workplace.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee today appointed Hartsville attorney Jason Lawson as the new district attorney general for the 15th Judicial District. Lawson, who has been serving as district attorney general pro tempore, will take over immediately. He will serve until the election in August 2022. The district serves Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. The vacancy was created by the retirement of longtime district attorney Tom P. Thompson. The Tennessean looks at Thompson's 44-year career.

Nashville lawyer Phillip Miller has joined with attorneys in Philadelphia to file suit against Lorin Ashton, an electronic dance music DJ known as Bassnectar, on behalf of two clients who allege he sexually abused them while minors. According to Rolling Stone magazine, some of the alleged conduct occurred in a Memphis hotel. The suit also accuses Bassnectar of manufacturing and possessing child pornography, and names a number of his management companies that are accused of engaging in a human trafficking venture. According to the legal team, dozens of young and underage women have detailed the ways in which they were victimized by Bassnectar. Those with information about the case or who have been victimized can call 855-382-3385.

The news item on Jerry Morgan’s lawsuit against the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) in yesterday’s issue incorrectly stated Morgan's length of employment with the BPR. Morgan had worked at the BPR since 2019.

The Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that would reduce the amount of time a person must serve before becoming eligible for parole, the Nashville Scene reports. Bill author Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tullahoma, said that a person convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole must serve 51 years in prison before being considered for release. That is double the national average and means most will die before they get a chance at parole, she argued. The bipartisan bill, also sponsored by Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, would reduce that time to 25 years. The committee advanced the bill with seven senators voting for it, one not voting and one opposing. It now goes to the Calendar Committee to be scheduled for a floor vote.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, on Monday reinstated fellow Republican Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, to his committee assignments, less than two weeks after stripping them from him. The dispute between Griffey and House leadership seemingly stemmed from Griffey’s unsuccessful effort to call a vote on an immigration bill that had previously failed in a subcommittee, the Nashville Post reports. “I’ve got a little bit of a temper,” Griffey reportedly said after apologizing to leadership. “If I got upset and said something to any members out of frustration or unhappiness, I told everybody I’m sorry if I offended anybody. I didn’t mean to offend anybody.” The speaker’s decision to strip him of his committees raised the ire of his home county Republican Party, which approved a resolution calling on Sexton to resign. Griffey said he was “grateful” for the support but did not coordinate with the group.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today transferred the law license of Shelby County lawyer Kathleen Laird Caldwell to disability inactive status. Caldwell may not practice law while on inactive status. She may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the court after showing that her disability has been removed.