The House today passed HB 1692 which seeks to allow records from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development to be exempt from public records laws if the tourism commissioner and attorney general deem them “sensitive,” reports the Tennessean. The bill, proposed by the Lee administration and sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, is modeled after a similar exemption for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development that passed in 1988 and keeps records deemed sensitive secret for five years, with the possibility of an extension for a second five-year term. Rep. Andrew Farmer, R-Sevierville, presented the bill in the House and stated, "This would allow the department of tourism, in their negotiations with businesses and tourism interests with the state of Tennessee, to keep their trade secrets and proprietary information safe while the negotiations are going on.” The House passed the legislation, on a 69-14 vote. The bill has not yet been heard in a Senate committee.

The Toronto-based legal research startup Bench IQ, which claims to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help lawyers understand how individual judges think, announced today it raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed funding round, reports Reuters. The announcement claims Bench IQ uses large language model-based AI technology to offer "comprehensive insights into the decision-making patterns of judges, covering 100% of their rulings." The company will offer both "on-demand," per-hour pricing and annual subscription plans depending on the size of the firm and their billing rates.

The TBA Corporate Counsel Section will host its annual forum virtually on April 19. Topics include how the Corporate Transparency Act and the FTC's proposed rule regarding no-poaching and noncompete agreements affect in-house counsel, guiding a company through a government investigation, and what in-house counsel needs to know about parent/subsidiary relationships. Find out more and check back as more details are announced!

Make plans now to attend the annual TBA Intellectual Property Law Forum on April 5 at Belmont University College of Law, 1901 15th Ave. S, Nashville 37212. This year's topics include AI and copyright and patent law, IP issues within the alcohol world and the intersection between IP and street art. Read about the presenters and register.

The Tennessee Bar Association will be closed Friday for Employee Appreciation Day. The TBA's office will reopen on Monday at 8 a.m. CST. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs and for staff contact information. Thanks to the TBA staff for the fantastic job they do!

Williamson County lawyer Melissa Ann Baker was reinstated to the active practice of law on Feb. 28 by the Tennessee Supreme Court, conditioned on continuing compliance with the terms and conditions imposed by the court on Feb. 6, 2023. Baker previously was suspended for three years with one year to be served on active suspension. Baker filed a petition for reinstatement on Jan. 12. The board found the petition was satisfactory and submitted an order of reinstatement to the court.

The Tennessee Access to Justice Commission and the Belmont Law Legal Aid Society will host a Free Estate Planning Clinic on March 23 at the Hard Bargain Community Center, 608 Mt. Hope St., Franklin 37064 from 9 a.m. to approximately noon CDT. No registration is required. Lawyers interested in volunteering can email Anne-Louise Wirthlin or Brooke Wanser.

On Feb. 28, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Johnson County attorney Perry Lee Stout from the practice of law until further orders of the court pursuant to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 22.3. Stout entered a plea of guilty and was adjudged guilty to one felony count of criminal conspiracy to possess Schedule VI-controlled substances and one felony count of money laundering in violation of Tenn. Code. Ann. §§ 39-17-417, 39-12-103 and 39-14-903.

TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast is new with TBA lobbyist Berkley Schwarz and Adams and Reese attorneys and TBA lobbyists, Brad Lampley and Ashley Harbin. They discuss HB1804/SB1690 which establishes a presumption of joint custody, HB2710/SB2254 the TBA conservatorship bill and HB2644/SB2633 which cleans up some current laws relating to adoption and foster parents. Legislative Updates airs each week on the TBA’s Facebook page. It is also released as a podcast on the same day and can be found on the TBA’s website or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Leon Jordan died on Feb. 27 at age 89. Jordan served in the U.S. Army from 1954 until 1956. He earned a bachelor's degree in 1958 from the University of Tennessee and his law degree in 1960 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Jordan began his law practice in Nashville with the firm of Goodpasture, Carpenter, Dale and Woods before becoming a partner in the law firm of Bryant, Price, Brandt, Jordan and Fox in Johnson City in 1971. In 1980, then-Gov. Lamar Alexander appointed him to Tennessee’s Chancery Court, and he was elected to a full term in 1982. Jordan was confirmed to the federal bench in 1988 and served as senior judge from 2001 until a few months ago. He served for several years as chairman of the planning committee of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, which honored him in June 2001 for his leadership. At the Judicial Conference in 2004, Jordan was elected president of the Sixth Circuit District Judges Association. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Federal Bar Association of the Court’s Northeastern Division. In December 2014, he was presented the Judicial Excellence Award by the Knoxville Bar Association. Judge Jordan’s beloved wife of 67 years, Dottie, died at the age of 91 just over two months ago. Arrangements are pending.