A group of West Nashville residents has filed a 20-page ethics complaint against District 20 Councilmember Rollin Horton, accusing him of misuse of office, retaliation, doxxing and interfering with political activity in response to their efforts to oppose his successful rezoning plan for The Nations, according to the Nashville Post. The complaint stems largely from a failed recall effort and cites incidents including an Instagram post that displayed a resident’s address, police being called on petition gatherers and alleged pressure on business owners. Horton denies the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated, and says the rezoning followed extensive community engagement. Metro Legal now has two weeks to determine whether the complaint merits a full hearing before the Board of Ethical Conduct. WPLN also reports on the developments.

Shelby County General Sessions Court Judge Lonnie Thompson grew up in poverty in South Memphis and originally planned to become a classical pianist, earning a scholarship to the Oberlin Conservatory. His participation in student protests against South African apartheid led him to shift his focus from music to law. Thompson went on to earn a law degree from Georgetown and built a wide-ranging legal career before becoming a judge. And he still plays piano and organ at his Memphis church! Now elected president of the General Sessions Judges Conference, he hopes to improve court efficiency and expand community outreach. "I think general sessions is a very, very special court because it’s the court of first impression," Thompson said. "Our citizens get to see exactly what the court system is like, and they are more likely to encounter us before they will any judge on any other level." Read more in this profile from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Calling all early birds! The TBA is launching a new series in December that will bring lawyers compelling CLE webcasts from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. CST. The Sunrise Series will begin Dec. 2 with “College Mascots and Legal Ethics: Lessons from the Sidelines,” during which legal educator Stuart Teicher will use tigers, eagles and other college icons to explore what mascots can teach lawyers about loyalty, character and protecting clients. Then on Dec. 9, Teicher will present "Good Lawyers Gone Bad: Ethics Lessons from True Lawyer Slime and Crime." The session will explore actual missteps committed by lawyers and the ethics lessons underlying the actions. Make plans now to get your day started with a CLE boost!

The TBA will host its 2025 Environmental Law Forum on Dec. 5 in Nashville, offering a full day of programming for lawyers and environmental professionals. The annual event will cover nuclear energy concerns, recent state and federal developments, brownfields and other timely issues shaping the practice area. Speakers include Payton Bradford of the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation, Katherine Barnes Cohn of Bradley, John Dawson of Bass, Berry & Sims, Ellery Richardson of K&L Gates and Ashley Strittmatter of United Cleanup Oak Ridge. For more information and to register visit the TBA website.

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, Republican of Knoxville, is pushing for a vote on his long-running bill to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks, telling Knox News that if House Speaker Mike Johnson does not act by Nov. 28, a bipartisan group will file a discharge petition to force the issue. Burchett, who has made the effort a priority since taking office in 2018, compared the practice to insider trading and pointed to reports of lawmakers conducting extensive stock transactions in industries they oversee. The Restore Trust in Congress Act has 87 cosponsors and would prohibit lawmakers, spouses, dependent children and trustees from buying or selling a range of financial assets. Burchett said broad public support exists for the ban but acknowledged challenges in building momentum in Congress.

Beginning Dec. 1, TBA Today will feature a weekly series to educate TBA members on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order soliciting comments from the Tennessee legal community. The order highlights seven points on which the court is requesting feedback as it reassesses its approach to regulation of the legal profession to ensure that all Tennesseans have access to affordable quality legal services. Specifically, the court is seeking feedback on how it approaches accreditation of law schools and practicable alternatives for accreditation, alternatives to law school in preparation for the practice of law, alternative pathways to admission to the bar, modifying requirements for admission without examination, allowing paraprofessionals to do some legal work, and allowing non-lawyer ownership of law firms.

The effort is being undertaken as large segments of the population — especially rural and low-income individuals — cannot secure legal help. According to the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), 1.2 million Tennesseans qualify for LSC-funded legal aid, yet most still receive insufficient assistance due to a lack of resources in their area or due to the restrictions on the types of cases legal service organizations are allowed to accept. In addition, a number of Tennessee counties qualify as “legal deserts.” As of 2020, the state had 20 counties with fewer than 10 lawyers each. According to the court’s order, regulatory structures may contribute to shortages and cost barriers and thus it is open to innovative models that address modern needs.

The TBA currently is accepting feedback from members — email townhall@tnbar.org with your thoughts — and has formed the Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force to gather and review that feedback. Watch TBA Today through the month of December to learn more about the seven points in the Supreme Court’s order and specific ways to engage with the task force. A website with resources will launch next week in conjunction with the first item in the weekly series.

Bradley County authorities have arrested a Cleveland man on allegations that he drove his car toward an area  judge who was walking a pet along a neighborhood street. Joshua Dale Philip Sanford faces charges of aggravated assault and retaliation for a past action, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The incident, described by investigators as an assault, was reported Thursday. The judge involved has not been identified.

A federal judge has declined to block ongoing book bans at one of Tennessee’s largest school districts ahead of a full trial next fall, the Tennessee Lookout reports. In April, after months of school board meetings and the removal of more than 140 books from school libraries, three high school students sued the Rutherford County Board of Education. The students, represented by the ACLU-TN, argued in initial filings that the book bans violated their First Amendment rights and disadvantaged students by limiting access to “crucial, acclaimed and historical works.” Judge Eli Richardson this week denied a preliminary injunction, declining to stop the district from restricting access to books while the case proceeds. Attorneys for both sides declined to comment on the ruling according to the news source.

President Donald Trump on Friday named new federal district court judge nominees, including Brian Lea for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, according to Reuters. Lea, a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and partner at Jones Day, joined the U.S. Department of Justice near the beginning of Trump’s return to office. In the announcement on social media, Trump said, “In his new role, Brian will boldly defend our Constitution and prioritize law and order in Tennessee — he will not let you down.” Trump also nominated Justin Olson to fill a district court seat in the Southern District of Indiana and Megan Benton of Missouri to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The new picks bring to 34 the number of judicial nominees Trump has announced in his second term. The U.S. Senate has confirmed 19 of them, adding to the 234 judicial nominees confirmed during Trump’s first term.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee last week announced two new appointments to the judicial branch. Bethany Glandorf will serve as circuit court judge in the 20th Judicial District, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Phillip Robinson. Matthew Colvard will serve as district attorney in the 31st Judicial District, appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Christopher Stanford. Both appointments are effective immediately. Glandorf currently serves as special master for the 20th Judicial District's 3rd Circuit Court. She earned her law degree from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. Colvard currently serves as interim district attorney for the 31st Judicial District. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law. “I am proud to announce the appointment of these highly qualified individuals and value the significant experience they will bring to their respective roles,” Lee said in a news release.