Knoxville attorney Roy Lewis Aaron died Oct. 6 at age 78. He received his degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1969, and his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law (now Winston College of Law) in 1972. Licensed to practice in both Florida and Tennessee, Aaron joined the law firm of Hodges, Doughty & Carson in 1976 with a focus on estate planning and tax law, becoming a partner in 1980. He retired in 2017 but continued in an “of counsel” capacity with the firm. He was a fellow of the Tennessee Bar Foundation and the Knoxville Bar Foundation. A memorial service will be held on Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. EST at Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church, 9132 Kingston Pike, Knoxville 37923. Receiving of friends will follow in the Welcome Hall. Memorials may be made to the Clarence Brown Theatre, 1714 Andy Holt Ave., Knoxville 37916 or Friends of the Smokies.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 9 revoked probation and suspended Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman from the practice of law for three years, less 112 days previously served on suspension. On June 21, 2021, Freeman was suspended for three years, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation so long as he incurred no new complaints of misconduct resulting in discipline. After the three months of active suspension, Freeman was reinstated on Oct. 11. In 2022, Freeman was publicly censured on Jan. 10 and July 31. The court determined that these disciplinary actions violated the terms of probation and reinstated the full three-year suspension, minus the three months he served on active suspension in 2021.

A trial date has been set in the civil lawsuit filed by the family of an inmate who died last year at the Shelby County Jail. The case over the death of Ramon McGhee will go to trial Sept. 21, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Mark Norris. McGhee’s death was caused by severe anemia and dehydration, with contributing factors from insect infestation and schizophrenia, according to the Daily Memphian. McGhee’s mother filed the federal lawsuit in January, about a year after Ramon's death. She is represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and local attorneys Brice Timmons and Craig Edgington. The lawsuit alleges severe neglect and improper care by jail staff, withholding of medication for a severe bedbug infestation, lack of a formal process for mental health screenings and non-sharing of court-ordered mental evaluations.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 9 imposed a public censured on Fayette County lawyer Leslie Adkins Miller. The court found that while Miller was representing a client whose parental rights were terminated, she failed to timely file documents required by the court. This failure resulted in the client’s appeal being dismissed. The court found that Miller’s action violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 , 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d).

Civil rights attorney and former Shelby County Commissioner Walter Bailey Jr. reflects on his decades-long legal and political career in a profile from Action News 5. A trailblazer in constitutional law, Bailey served as lead counsel in Tennessee v. Garner, the U.S. Supreme Court case that limited police use of deadly force under the Fourth Amendment. His career also included representing Martin Luther King Jr. during the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike, leading desegregation efforts in Shelby County Schools and championing the removal of Confederate symbols from public spaces. In 2018, the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center was renamed to honor him. Bailey tells the news station he remains concerned about the nation’s political polarization and racial division, urging continued vigilance in the pursuit of justice and equality.

Families of inmates at South Central Correctional Facility in Wayne County are raising alarms over violence, extortion and drug use inside the CoreCivic-operated prison, describing conditions similar to those under federal investigation at the company’s Trousdale Turner facility. Mothers of inmates told the Nashville Banner their sons have been robbed at knifepoint, coerced into paying protection money and forced to move cells by gang members, all amid chronic understaffing and limited response from prison officials. A state audit released in 2023 highlighted South Central’s staffing shortages and some compliance issues similar to those at Trousdale. In an email to the Banner, CoreCivic spokesperson Brian Todd said “violence in any form and the introduction of contraband are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”

The TBA will host the 2026 Construction Law Forum on Jan. 23, 2026, at the Tennessee Bankers Association’s Bradley L. Barrett Training Center in Nashville. The full-day continuing legal education program, offering 6.5 hours of CLE credit, will offer two learning tracks: introductory sessions in the morning covering lien rights, case law updates and common construction law mistakes, followed by advanced sessions in the afternoon focused on the Prompt Pay Act, delay claims, ethics and artificial intelligence in construction law. Participants may register for morning, afternoon or full-day sessions, with programming designed to benefit both new and seasoned construction law practitioners. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 10 issued an order amending Rule 21 to make changes designed to improve processes for attorneys, support an overhaul of the regulations of the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education and properly align the rule and regulations. The court solicited comments on amendments, which were requested by the commission.  The court now reports that it received comments from the Knoxville Bar Association and the Board of Professional Responsibility. After consideration of the comments, the court has deleted Rule 21 sections 2.03(e), (f), (g) and (h); 3.02; 4.08(f); and 10.01(c)(7). It also has amended sections 1.05; 1.09; 2.03(b), (c) and (d); 4.05; 4.06; 4.08(b), (c), (d) and (e); 5.01(g); 12.; 5.05(c); 7.06; 10.01(c)(5) and (6); and 11.06 as set out in Appendix A. In addition, it also amended the regulations of the commission as set out in Appendix C. The amendments will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.

The Memphis Bar Association (MBA) will host an in-person continuing legal education program tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. CDT at the MBA office in the BankTennessee Building, 145 Court Ave., STE 301, Memphis 38103. The event, which will focus on how to handle pro bono cases, is free for lawyers who agree to take on a pro bono case for Memphis Area Legal Services, West Tennessee Legal Services or the Community Legal Center. For more information and to register visit the MBA website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today denied pension benefits to former Chattanooga firefighter Matthew Long, who had applied for job-related disability pension benefits in 2020 due to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. After a hearing, the Chattanooga Fire and Police Pension Fund denied benefits. Long appealed and the Hamilton County Chancery Court reversed the denial and awarded benefits finding there was not sufficient and material evidence to deny benefits. The fund then appealed to the Court of Appeals. That court affirmed the chancery decision after determining that the disability benefits policy was ambiguous and should have been interpreted in favor of Long. On appeal, the Tennessee Supreme Court disagreed and determined that the policy was not ambiguous. It then upheld the initial denial of benefits because it found substantial and material evidence in the record to support the decision.