The General Sessions Judges Conference has selected late Coffee County General Sessions Judge Timothy R. Brock as this year’s recipient of the Leon Ruben Award for Excellence. The award is given annually to a judge or judges for their outstanding service to the community, the conference and the judiciary as a whole. Brock presided over Coffee County Drug Recovery Courts, Mental Health Court, Family Treatment Court, Juvenile Recovery Court and the Safe Baby Court. He passed away unexpectedly in November 2019. Henry County General Sessions Court Judge Vicki S. Snyder, who said Brock was like a brother to her, presented the award to his family. The award is named for the late Judge Leon Ruben, who served as judge for 37 years in Nashville. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti recently spoke with Nashville’s WPLN about his new position, politics and a few hot button issues his office will handle. Skrmetti, who was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to succeed former Attorney General Herbert Slatery, tells the news outlet his “only job is to be a good lawyer,” not a politician. Skrmetti discussed Tennessee’s abortion law, saying he believes, based on reactions from doctors and the legal community, that “there’s room for some clarification” to the law. He also details a letter he signed urging President Joe Biden to classify fentanyl as a “weapon of mass destruction.” Skrmetti explains the designation is warranted because the drug could be used in a terrorist attack, but says he doesn’t intend to ramp up enforcement of everyday drug cases. WPLN has the full story.  

The U.S. Supreme Court has opted to keep live audio broadcasts of oral arguments for its upcoming term, the Associated Press reports. The nation’s highest court began providing live audio after COVID-19 forced the courtroom to close to the public in March 2020. As the justices begin their new term on Monday, the public will once again be allowed to enter the courtroom during oral arguments, but a link to access the live audio feed will still be available. The court will provide that link on the homepage of its website.

The TBA's Environmental Law Forum returns this year as a hybrid program to be held in-person and virtually on Dec. 2. This program offers timely information on legal issues, including a brownfields update, a session that covers the scope of the recent West Virginia v. EPA decision, and more. Do not miss this opportunity to learn from seasoned practitioners in the field! Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. CST at Bass, Berry & Sims, 150 3rd Ave. S., 28th floor, Nashville. Those who wish to attend virtually may note that preference at check out. Learn more and register here.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today announced two judicial appointments. Amanda B. Dunn, an attorney with Houston & Alexander in Chattanooga, was named to the 11th Judicial District Criminal Court. She earned her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law. She fills a vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Tom Greenholtz to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Section. In addition, Hector Sanchez was named to the 6th Judicial District Criminal Court. A graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law, he currently serves as an assistant district attorney in the district, which covers Knox County. He replaces Judge Kyle A. Hixon, who also was confirmed to the Court of Criminal Appeals, Eastern Section.

Colorado lawyer Robert Carroll Byrd Jr. reinstated was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Aug. 31 after being on inactive status more than five years. Byrd took inactive status on Jan. 29, 2013. He petitioned the Tennessee Supreme Court for reinstatement and the Board of Professional Responsibility said it found the petition satisfactory. The court issued the order yesterday.

Criminal defense attorney Ben McGowan has been elected president of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (TACDL). McGowan, an attorney with Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers, is the group’s first Chattanooga-based president in more than 25 years. He took office at TACDL’s annual meeting and conference, held over two days at the historic Read House Hotel in Chattanooga. McGowan praised the work of the organization. “TACDL is the only organization in Tennessee solely dedicated to strengthening the skills, knowledge and abilities of lawyers willing to do the sometimes thankless and often heartbreaking work of defending criminal defendants,” he tells the Hamilton County Herald.

Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law recently announced the hiring of Adriannette Williams as the law school’s first assistant dean of diversity, equity and inclusion. Williams will work closely with the dean and other leaders to develop, promote and facilitate the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategic goals and teach one course per semester. Williams is a first-generation law student from Tampa, where she worked in private practice, managed Hillsborough County’s dependency cases and as CLE director for the Florida Bar. She holds bachelor and master degrees from the University of West Florida and a law degree from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School.

The conservative group Pacific Legal Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education with the intent of stopping President Joe Biden's student loan cancellation plan, Reuters reports. The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the South District of Indiana, comes a day after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said that Biden's plan to cancel some student loan debt will cost $400 billion. "Congress did not authorize the executive branch to unilaterally cancel student debt," said Caleb Kruckenberg, an attorney at the foundation. The Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released a formal opinion today that seeks to clarify interpretation of the ABA model rule related to a lawyer’s communication with represented persons when the lawyer is self-representing or pursuing the case pro se. Formal Opinion 502 states that under ABA Model Rule 4.2, lawyers who represent themselves may not communicate directly, under most circumstances, with a represented person about the matter. The opinion makes it clear that the self-representing or pro se lawyer must communicate with the represented person through the other person’s lawyer unless the communication is authorized by law or court order or consented to by the person’s lawyer. The committee said the clarification was necessary as application of the rule to pro se lawyers was not clear.