The American Bar Association (ABA) Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently adopted a new set of principles and values defending its role in accrediting law schools. The group reports in a press release that the move is designed to respond to news that the federal government and several states are reviewing reliance on its accreditation system. The document states that the purpose of the accreditation process is to ensure students graduate as “effective, ethical and responsible” lawyers, protect students from “economic exploitation” and legal clients from incompetent practitioners, and support legal innovation while also promoting the rule of law. The document also states that law school standards are not intended to force uniformity among law schools, but set a minimum to ensure quality education. Read the full statement.

The Knoxville Bar Association and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, in partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET), will hold a Debt Relief Clinic on Sept. 13 to provide pro bono legal services to income-eligible consumer debtors. The clinic will begin at 9 a.m. EDT at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Judge Suzanne Bauknight will present a short overview of the bankruptcy system and then volunteer lawyers will conduct initial meetings with the clients to discuss their situations and options. Those interested in helping should register online. Clients seeking advice should call 865-637-0484.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated Shelby County lawyer Archie Sanders III to the active practice of law on Sept. 3. He had been suspended on May 27 for one year with two months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to conditions. The court noted that the reinstatement is conditioned on continuing compliance with the conditions set forth in the May order.

The Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman on Sept. 3 after finding that Freeman failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about four complaints of misconduct. Freeman is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients by Oct. 3.

Having “everywhere access” to your documents requires Internet-connected storage. If you’re a Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace customer, you already pay for terabytes of online storage. Use this comparison chart to find the right cloud storage vendor for your organization. Access this and more resources in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

TBA's Adoption Law Section will present its annual forum on Sept. 19 in Nashville. The schedule is jam-packed with useful and practical sessions, including legislative updates and review with previous section chair Meredith Brasfield, as well as case law updates from the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) and a judicial panel discussing best practices in contested hearings. Speakers include Sammi Maifair and Amy Smith with DCS, Montgomery County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Massey Grimes, Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Olita, Joe Thompson with the State of Tennessee and Jennifer Williams with Adopt4Kids. Make plans now to attend!

Georgia lawyer Stephen William Mooney was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Aug. 27. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Mooney has been on inactive status since May 11, 2018. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Mooney’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory, and he had met all requirements for reinstatement.

State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, and state Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, have asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to conduct an unannounced audit of the Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) crime statistics. In an Aug. 15 letter to TBI Director David Rausch, the lawmakers cited concerns that some felony crimes may have been downgraded to misdemeanors or recorded only as memos, keeping them out of official reports. Both legislators stressed they have no direct evidence but said an audit could restore public trust in crime data and help depoliticize the issue. MPD leaders strongly denied any manipulation, saying the department follows strict state and federal reporting standards and that errors are corrected through review and quality assurance. The TBI said it audits agencies every three years, with additional reviews possible if anomalies arise. It declined to confirm whether Memphis is currently under review. The Daily Memphian has the story.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Aug. 29 suspended Rutherford County attorney Andre Chase Rabideau from the practice of law for seven years after a hearing panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) concluded that Rabideau failed to represent clients in a diligent manner, communicate with clients regarding the status of their case, inform clients of his administrative suspension and withdraw from representation. The court also found that Rabideau repeatedly made misrepresentations to clients concerning court dates and filings with the court; misrepresented the status of his license to a court; engaged in the unauthorized practice of law; accepted fees but failed to provide the professional services for which he had been retained; and abandoned representation of clients without notice to clients or permission of the court. These actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.15, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4, 5.5, 8.1(b), and 8.4(c), (d) and (g). The court imposed the following conditions on any reinstatement: completing a practice and professional enhancement program, completing any requirements imposed by the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program and paying restitution payments to four former clients. After reinstatement, Rabideau also must engage a practice monitor for two years.

The number of U.S. law school applicants rose 18% last year, the highest year-over-year increase since 2002, according to data released by the Law School Admission Council. Last year saw 76,599 applicants, an increase of 12,000 from 2023 when applicants were up 5%. American Bar Association-accredited law schools enrolled nearly 40,000 students in 2024. Reuters reports that most admissions experts and legal educators agree that a combination of a poor entry-level job market for recent college graduates and political events drove the surge. Additionally, experts said that strong employment rates among new law school graduates over the past half decade, as well as changes to the LSAT, also contributed to the increase.