Nashville School of Law Dean William C. Koch Jr. has been selected to receive the 2023 American Inns of Court A. Sherman Christensen Award for distinguished, exceptional and significant leadership to the American Inns of Court movement at the local, state or national level. Koch will receive the award in October at the 2023 American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence at the Supreme Court of the United States. Koch has been a member of the organization since 1990 and its president from 2018-2020. Koch has served as president and dean of the Nashville School of Law since 2014, while also teaching constitutional law. He served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Tennessee from 2007 to 2014.

Former TBA board member and Nashville attorney Nathan Evan Shelby died on Wednesday. He was 43. A Memphis native, Shelby received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and his law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphrey School of Law, graduating magna cum laude. While in law school, Shelby interned for Magistrate Judge Diane K. Vescovo in the Western District of Tennessee and Tennessee Court of Appeals Judge W. Frank Crawford. Shelby was a member of Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell for 16 years, first in Jackson and then as the firm's lead attorney in Nashville. He focused his practice primarily in the areas of general insurance defense, business litigation, nursing home defense litigation and construction litigation. Shelby was active in the Tennessee Bar Association, beginning with service in the Young Lawyers Division and later representing West Tennessee and the 10th District on the TBA Board of Governors. Visitation will be held tomorrow from 2-4 p.m. CDT at Connell Memorial United Methodist Church, 113 Church St. in Goodlettsville, followed by a celebration of life from 4-5 p.m at the church.

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division visited Belmont University College of Law today to speak with students about their entry into the profession and to share some of the benefits of TBA membership. Membership, which is free for law students, will allow them to network and increase their professional knowledge through attending CLE programs. Students were also encouraged to apply for the Class of 2024 Diversity Leadership Institute. Thanks to YLD presenters Anthony Adewumi, Charles Ferguson and Billy Leslie, as well as Belmont’s Director of Career and Professional Development Alix Rogers for their contributions to the event. Email Laura Labenberg for more information about upcoming YLD visits to Tennessee’s other law schools this fall. See photos from the event.

The Knoxville Bar Association presented its inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award yesterday to the law firm of Lewis Thomason. Brooklyn Sawyers Belk of the KBA presented the award to Rod Fields, the managing partner of Lewis Thomason’s Knoxville office. The award honors legal organizations that demonstrate a commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within the legal profession. Lewis Thomason was recognized for its demonstrable commitment to attracting and retaining diverse attorneys, providing leadership opportunities and offering annual inclusivity training. Read more about the event.

The Sevier County Bar Association is sponsoring the 9th Annual Sevier County Juvenile CLE Seminar on Oct. 24, with all proceeds benefiting the Women’s Recovery Home. The virtual program will include seven hours of CLE credit and will cover juvenile law topics applicable statewide. 

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and McHugh Legal Help Clinic at Belmont will host a pro bono clinic at the Belmont Ministry Center, 2005 12th Ave. S., Nashville 37204 this Saturday. The clinic will run from 9:30-11:30 a.m. CDT. Walk-ins are welcome until 30 minutes before the event ends. The free clinic will offer help with issues such as family law, consumer law, debt collections, power of attorney, employment law, health law, public benefits, housing, probate/estate, wills and bankruptcy. Visit the Legal Aid Society website for more information.

Getting through the rigors of the practice of law can be a challenge. Luckily, lawyers have ethics rules to guide the way! Join colleagues on Oct. 12 at 10:15 a.m. CDT for a webcast featuring CLE Performer Stuart Teicher as he explains how certain rules of ethics reveal important coping mechanisms for all lawyers. Visit the course site for registration and more information. 

President Biden yesterday announced four new nominees to serve as federal judges across four states, reports Reuters. The latest district court nominees include a Black federal prosecutor nominated to be a judge in New Jersey and a Muslim American for a seat on Oregon's federal bench. Biden has nominated 188 federal judicial nominees since taking office in 2021. Of those nominees, 62% are people of color and 62% are women, according to the White House. The Senate has confirmed 140. Read more about the nominees.

The American Bar Association (ABA) Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility released a formal opinion yesterday providing a roadmap to help lawyers stay within the parameters of ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct when they prepare a witness or client to testify before a deposition or adjudicative proceeding. Formal Opinion 508 explains the difference between legitimate witness preparation and guidance and unethical efforts to influence witness testimony, especially in the era of remote proceedings.

Just two spots remain to attend tomorrow’s Topgolf Estate Planning Tee-off. This unique seminar offers three hours of general CLE credit, with two hours of Topgolf included following the presentations. Topics for the forum include living trusts, silent trusts, the Corporate Transparency Act and more. Breakfast and lunch are included. Register now before it’s too late!