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Julian Mann III, a former chief administrative law judge for North Carolina, today was named chair of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division. Mann previously served 32 years as the state’s chief administrative law judge and director of the office of administrative hearings. In 2021, Mann received the Friend of the Court Award, the highest award bestowed by the state’s judicial branch, and the Order of the Longleaf Pine, the highest award for state service.

A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that a law prohibiting users of illegal drugs from owning firearms was unconstitutional, reports Reuters. Citing a landmark 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision, the panel concluded that the original 1968 law violated the defendant's right to "keep and bear arms" under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

University of Tennessee College of Law Dean Lonnie Brown has announced three new appointments to the school's leadership team. Michael Higdon, the W. Allen Separk Distinguished Professor of Law, has been named interim associate dean for academic affairs. Teri Baxter, the Williford Gragg Distinguished Professor, will serve as the interim associate dean for faculty development. And Brad Morgan, who joined the college in 2011, was named assistant dean for student affairs. Read more about the new appointees.

Join your colleagues in Nashville on Oct 4. for the Intersections of Family Law CLE hosted by the TBA Family Law Section. The program will examine how domestic law intersects with other legal segments, providing a more holistic view to incorporate into practice. Find out more and register here.

Williamson County lawyer Tiffany Marcilynne Johns was censured by the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday. The court found that Johns, while representing a client in an uncontested divorce, failed to send a draft marital dissolution agreement to the spouse for five months. After the agreement was executed, Johns appeared in court to enter the final decree, but she did not provide the court with the original decree. The final decree of divorce was not entered until June 2023. The court found that Johns failed to respond to requests for information from her client and determined that she violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 and 1.4.

Washington, D.C., lawyer Jay Arthur Rosenberg was permanently disbarred from practicing law in Tennessee today. The Supreme Court of Tennessee took the action based on an order of disbarment from the District of Columbia Court of Appeals on April 20. On June 8, the Tennessee court asked Rosenberg to respond as to why disbarment should not be imposed. The court reports that Rosenberg did not file a response with the court as ordered.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a bipartisan coalition of 34 attorneys general in sending a letter to congressional leaders expressing support for legislative proposals included in the Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (G.U.A.R.D.) Veterans Affairs Benefits Act. The legislation would hold unaccredited and unregulated actors accountable for preying upon veterans who apply for federal VA benefits.

Edgar "Buddy" R. Bowers of Harriman died March 17 at the age of 85. Bowers graduated from Emory University School of Law in 1966. While in law school, he served in the U.S. Army and the Georgia National Guard. After several years of private practice in Roane County, Bowers joined Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation as vice president and general counsel. He served in that role until he retired in 1999. Bowers was active in his community, serving on the Tennessee Historical Commission, Harriman Board of Education and Tennessee Board of Regents. He was chair of the Roane County Republican Party and served on the Tennessee State Republican Executive Committee. Memorial gifts may be made to West Hills Presbyterian Church, 506 West Hills Dr., Harriman, TN 37748; South Harriman Alumni and Friends, 111 Pine Ridge Rd., Harriman, TN 37748; Trenton Street Baptist Church, 519 Trenton St., Harriman, TN 37748; or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Seven in 10 Black women lawyers have experienced discrimination or bias in the workplace, or personally witnessed it, according to a new survey. Additionally, 47% of the lawyers who participated in the first-ever State of Black Women in the Law 2023 DEIB Assessment Report “feel the burden” of having to educate people on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. And while the majority of Black women lawyers surveyed said their workplace is committed to improving diversity, 66% said they would not stay at their organization for two more years because of a lower-than-average “sense of belonging.” Read more from survey creators Kanarys Inc., the National Bar Institute and the the Women Lawyers Division of the National Bar Association.