Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Ron Durby died Dec. 9. Durby earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee and practiced with the Legal Aid Society and attorney Clarence Shattuck before being appointed Hamilton County clerk and master in 1986. He went on to serve 18 years as a general sessions court judge. Visitation will be held at Red Bank Baptist Church on Dec. 13, beginning at 11 a.m. EST.  A celebration of life service will follow at 1 p.m. with burial afterward at Hamilton Memorial Gardens. The church is located at 4000 Dayton Blvd., Chattanooga 37415. Read more about his life in this obituary.

Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday he does not plan to halt the execution of Harold Wayne Nichols, who was convicted in the death of Karen Pulley and is set to die by lethal injection on Thursday. According to Chattanoogan.com, Lee said, “After deliberate consideration of Harold Wayne Nichols’ request for clemency, and a after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and do not plan to intervene.” In addition, the Nashville Banner reports that the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has denied two motions by Nichols. He now has been placed on death watch, the Tennessean reports. He was moved from his death row cell to a room next to the execution chamber, where he will be under 24-hour observation. His execution is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Dec. 11.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) and the Belmont College of Law are seeking attorney volunteers for a wills clinic at Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School in Nashville on Jan. 5, 2026, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. CST. Volunteers will help draft simple wills, durable powers of attorney and health care powers of attorney for teachers using the Gavel platform. Those interested in participating or needing more information should email Ginny Blake at ginny.blake@belmont.edu.

The TBA will offer a one-hour webcast on Dec. 16 providing employment law attorneys an overview of the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) updated Employment and Workplace Rules. Led by AAA Employment Vice President Cassie Lively and attorney and AAA arbitrator Mark Travis, the program will address recent rule changes expanding arbitrator authority over discovery, subpoenas and dispositive motions, and new administrative procedures. The session will offer insights from both administrative and arbitrator perspectives on the evolving landscape of employment arbitration. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The TBA's Year End CLE Event includes a three-hour "Attorney Wellness" package designed to help Tennessee lawyers quickly earn dual credit. The package includes courses on combating burnout through mentorship, compassionate lawyering and addressing bias, providing a focused path for attorneys seeking well-being–centered programming.  Check out the specific courses included in the package on the TBA website. Looking for something else? TBA also has six, eight, 10, 12 and 15-hour packages, packages based on specific topics or practice areas, live webcasts and on-demand video all month long. Explore all the Year End options to complete your CLE requirement by Dec. 31.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has held that the defendants in a legal malpractice and fraud action were not entitled to dismissal of the lawsuits under the Tennessee Public Participation Act (TPPA) because the lawsuits were not filed in response to the defendants’ exercise of the right to petition. Access the press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The judges of the Davidson County General Sessions Court announced that they have directed Justice A.A. Birch Courthouse security to heighten security measures following remarks by Congressman Andy Ogles that "appeared intended to incite violence against elected officials in Davidson County." In a joint statement, the judges said, "We stand united in condemning any language or actions that target judges — or any elected officials — with threats of violence as a means of expressing political disagreement. In light of the numerous acts of political violence witnessed in recent years, the statements made by Mr. Ogles are unacceptable." Read the full statement. The judges also sent a formal request to Gov. Bill Lee requesting that the state take "immediate steps to ensure the safety and security of the public in and around" the courthouse.

Former Memphis Police Office Patric J. Ferguson pleaded guilty in August to civil rights, firearms, kidnapping and obstruction charges connected with the fatal shooting of 30-year-old Robert Howard. Ferguson was sentenced last week to 38 years in prison. The Tennessee Lookout reports that in 2021, Ferguson used a police database to search for Howard, who at the time was in a relationship with a woman who previously dated Ferguson. Ferguson was charged with kidnapping Howard, killing him in the back of his patrol car and dumping the body in the Wolf River.

Montgomery County Commissioner Michael Lankford on Dec. 8 was chosen to serve as the interim state House District 75 representative by the Montgomery County Commission. The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle reports that the commission voted for Lankford to complete the term of the late Rep. Jeff Burkhart, R-Clarksville, following Burkhart's unexpected death on Nov. 14. "I appreciate the confidence that the commission has in me, and I look forward to working with this body in the future at the state capitol," Lankford said, addressing the commission after the meeting. Six candidates submitted resumes and letters of interest to the commission for consideration for the seat.

The number of lawyers in the United States increased significantly this year for the first time since 2020, rising from 1.35 million in 2024 to 1.37 million this year, according to the American Bar Association (ABA) 2025 Profile of the Legal Profession. The profile is based on findings from the National Lawyer Population Survey (NLPS) published by the ABA’s Center for Bar Leadership. In total, the number of resident active lawyers in the U.S. has grown by 73,363 over the last 10 years, an increase of 5.6%, according to the survey. The ABA has collected data on the number of U.S. lawyers since 1878. Over the last 147 years, overall growth has been consistently positive, with short bursts of rapid expansion. Read more about the NLPS and download the full report.