The National Conference of Bar Examiners released a selection of sample questions for the so-called NextGen bar exam, which is set to debut in July 2026, and the reaction has been “lukewarm,” Reuters reports. Comments range from concerns that the questions are too easy to complaints that the revamped test will not be significantly different from the current one. The bar exam group began developing the new test in early 2021, partially in response to criticism that the existing exam does not reflect the actual practice of law. This fall's incoming class of law students will be the first to take the new exam when they graduate.

The Defendant, Jimmy L. Cobble, pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and driving under the influence (“DUI”), fifth offense in exchange for a concurrent sentence of one year in jail followed by seven years of supervised probation. After a violation report was filed and a hearing held, the trial court revoked the Defendant’s probation, determining that he materially violated the terms of his probation sentence by testing positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine and by admitting to using heroin and fentanyl. It ordered the Defendant to serve the remainder of his sentence in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant asserts that the trial court abused its discretion when it failed to consider alternatives to him serving the duration of his eight year sentence in confinement. After review, we affirm the trial court’s judgment.

Knox County lawyer Charles Scott Justice received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday. Justice filed a lawsuit for a client alleging faulty construction of a deck at the client’s residence. The trial date was continued several times and then taken off the court’s active docket. For several months, the client contacted Justice about the status of the matter with no substantive response. Justice sent an email to the client stating that he wanted to withdraw from the matter, but the client did not receive the email. Justice did not move to withdraw from the case and took no further action. The court found that these actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.16, 3.2, 1.3, 1.4 and 8.4(d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court issued a public censure for Craig Thomas Phelps yesterday. Phelps, who is licensed in Tennessee, is serving in the U.S. Air Force in Montana. The court found that though Phelps intended to file a motion to place his license on military exempt status he did not do so. Believing that he did take this action, Phelps did not pay his annual registration fee for 2021. His license was suspended for failure to pay the fee but he continued to practice law. On March 7, 2022, he stopped practicing law. The court found his actions violated Rule of Professional Conduct 5.5.

Vanderbilt University Law School has named Jennifer Safstrom as the new director of its Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic. Safstrom previously taught at the clinic as a visiting assistant clinical professor of law. Before joining Vanderbilt, Safstrom was the Dunn Legal Fellow at the ACLU of Virginia, where she litigated in federal and state court. Following her fellowship, she served as counsel to the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown Law Center and as supervising attorney and clinical teaching fellow in the school’s Civil Rights Clinic.

Rachel Bloomekatz, an Ohio litigator whose work on gun control drew Republican scrutiny, was narrowly confirmed to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Appeals Court yesterday, Bloomberg Law reports. Bloomekatz, once a clerk to former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, has been a solo practitioner in Columbus since 2019. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on a vote of 50-48 more than a year after being nominated. She will fill the Ohio seat being vacated by Judge Ransey Guy Cole. Read past coverage of her confirmation journey from TBA Today.

Former Nashville Council member Anthony Davis was sworn in yesterday as the new state representative for District 51, the Tennessee Tribune reports. Davis succeeds Bill Beck, who died unexpectedly from a heart attack last month. District 51 encompasses parts of downtown Nashville, the Gulch, Germantown, East Nashville, Madison, Donelson and Inglewood. Davis previously served on the Nashville Metro Council for eight years.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will hold a free webinar on July 25 at 9 a.m. CDT to discuss recent legislative changes made to state tax laws during the 2023 General Assembly session. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month. Learn more or register for the July session.

Tune in tomorrow at noon CDT for a free webinar presented by the TBA Committee on Racial and Ethnic Diversity and hear panelists discuss the life of an in-house attorney. Participants, representing government, corporate and educational settings, will describe how they manage outside counsel, work-life balance and the changing legal landscape. Considerations such as the closeness of clients and expectations of response time also will be discussed. Register to attend here. One hour of general CLE credit is available for a $50 processing fee.

Make plans now to join the TBA for the 2023 Animal Law Forum, set for Sept. 22 at the Nashville Zoo. This annual favorite will feature topics relevant to several practice areas, including general ethics, pets in divorce, veterinarian liability, crimes against animals, conservation and more. Breakfast, lunch and zoo admission are included, with an extended lunch break in the savannah and an optional walk around the zoo.