Memphis lawyer James Torreyson Allison died April 19 at the age of 92. According to an obituary sent to the TBA, Allison was originally from Arkansas. He served in combat in the Korean War with the First Marine Division, and later graduated from the University of Arkansas and Vanderbilt University Law School. He began practicing law in Memphis in 1963 with the firm of Clifton and Mack and then established his own practice. He was well read and fond of jazz, movies and the outdoors. A graveside funeral was held May 2 at Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens in Bartlett.

The Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) today filed comments with the Tennessee Supreme Court in response to an order soliciting comments on proposed changes to its Rule 13, regarding the Appointment, Qualifications and Compensation of Counsel for Indigent Defendants. As noted in the order, the proposed revisions did not include any adjustments to the compensation rates and/or caps for appointed attorneys representing the indigent (which will be addressed later). Rather, they addressed the potential financial obligations of a child's parents, legal custodians or guardians when a guardian ad litem is appointed. The proposed changes also addressed the process for designating a case as complex or extended. The TBA’s comments focused on the financial responsibility provisions, the proposed procedure and deadline for requesting a review of compensation in non-capital cases, and the use of alternative agreements for providing representation to indigent persons in some situations. Read the full comments.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has temporarily suspended Knox County lawyer James Patrick Henry from the practice of law upon finding that Henry failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding six complaints of misconduct. Henry is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and must cease representing existing clients by June 5.

The Giles County Bar Association has elected Pulaski lawyer Rob Laxson as its new president. Laxson, who works at Robert D. Massey and Associates, succeeds Evan Baddour, who served in the role for approximately five years. The group also is planning to recognize the upcoming retirement of 22nd Judicial District Circuit Judge David L. Allen. Those interested in contributing to or participating in the retirement commemoration, or sending reflections and memories, should contact Laxson at rlaxson@robertdmassey.com.

A former Tennessee state representative is challenging the dismissal of his open records case dealing with an investigation into his alleged workplace harassment, Tennessee Lookout reports. Scotty Campbell, a Johnson City Republican, resigned from the legislature in April 2023 amid accusations he harassed two legislative interns. He has denied the harassment allegations and sued the director of legislative staff seeking access to documents related to his resignation. The case was dismissed in March on the grounds it was essentially the same as a separate public records suit filed by another party. Campbell argues that he is not acquainted with the other filer, and thus, the cases should be handled separately. A hearing is set for June 21.

Former Johnson County Judge Perry Stout was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to moneylaundering and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, WJHL reports. Stout, who waived his right to a trial in January, also was sentenced to seven years of probation. While serving his jail sentence, Stout will not be eligible for work release. Stout previously admitted to helping fund a marijuana trafficking operation, and to using profits to fund his 2022 judicial campaign. He resigned as a general sessions and juvenile court judge in June 2023.

You do not want to miss the Bench Bar Program at this year’s TBA Convention! Set for June 13 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, the program’s first panel will focus on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting the practice of law in Tennessee. Join TBA's AI Task Force Chair A.J. Bahou, a partner in the Nashville office of Bradley Arant Bout Cummings; Zack Glaser with The Lawyerist; and 16th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Jimmy Turner to gain insights into this rapidly developing technology. A second panel then will dig into the ethical considerations of AI. Hear from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Memphis lawyer Brian Faughnan with Faughnan Law and Nashville lawyer Kim Looney with K&L Gates. Thanks to Nashville lawyer Mary Beard and TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright for agreeing to moderate these panels. Be sure to check out all the educational programs at this year’s Convention. Still need to register? Get started here.

A bill requiring social media companies to verify the age of their account holders and force minors to get parental permission has been signed by Gov. Bill Lee, Fox Chattanooga reports. HB1891/SB2097, known as the “Protecting Children from Social Media Act,” requires anyone under the age of 18 to get consent from a parent or guardian to create a social media account. For those who have already created accounts, the companies will have to verify parental consent or block access to the accounts.

A Texas federal judge has stayed a lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups that are challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) near-total ban on employee noncompete agreements. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker said that under the "first to file rule," a nearly identical lawsuit filed by tax service firm Ryan a day earlier should proceed first. Reuters reports on the decision.

Law firms are off to a strong start in 2024 after a lackluster 2023, Reuters reports. New data shows that demand for legal services was up 1.9% in the first quarter of this year over the first three months of 2023. Billing rates also continued to rise with a 6.6% increase in the first quarter compared with a year ago. Get these and other trends in Thomson Reuters Institute’s Law Firm Financial Index, which tracks key financial metrics across 186 large and midsize law firms.