The Utah Supreme Court on Monday released a plan to allow graduates of American Bar Association-accredited law schools to practice in the state after completing 240 hours of practice under the supervision of an experienced attorney, along with other requirements including specific coursework and a written exam similar to the Multistate Performance Test. Law graduates seeking licensure in Utah could still opt to sit for the bar exam, Reuters reports. The court is gathering public comment on the proposal through Dec. 19 and will make the final decision on its adoption. Utah is following the lead of Oregon, Washington and Arizona in developing alternative pathways for attorney licensure.  

The American Bar Association (ABA) is revising its diversity, equity and inclusion standards for law schools, according to an ABA memo from the Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Bloomberg Law reports that the Standards Committee has reviewed public comments and comments filed in opposition by a coalition of law school deans and law organizations to proposed changes to its previous revision proposal. The committee is recommending further revisions to make it clear that the council is not abandoning the value of diversity and inclusion. The revised standards now call for schools to demonstrate action and commitment and access to the study of law specifically addressing race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors. If the accrediting body approves this second version of new standards, it will gather another round of public comments.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, defeated state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, yesterday to retain her U.S. Senate seat. Johnson, who also ran for reelection to her state House seat, was unopposed and won that race. Blackburn has been floated as a possible cabinet pick in the second Trump administration but she told NewsChannel 5 that she intends to stay in the Senate. In other races, all of Tennessee’s U.S. House members were reelected, including 1st District Rep. Diana Harshbarger, 2nd District Rep. Tim Burchett, 3rd District Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, 4th District Rep. Scott DesJarlai, 5th District Rep. Andy Ogles, 6th District Rep. John Rose, 7th District Rep. Mark Green, 8th District Rep. David Kustoff and 9th District Rep. Steve Cohen, the delegation’s lone Democrat. The Tennessean looks at all these races.

With November in full swing, there are still plenty of opportunities for attorneys to fulfill the CLE requirements before the year ends. The TBA offers a variety of CLE programs throughout the year to help attorneys stay up-to-date on the latest legal developments. The TBA's website provides a detailed catalog of the upcoming CLE events, ranging from in-person seminars to online webcasts.

The TBA will host an Essential Presentation Skills for Attorneys webcast on Nov. 26 from noon to 1 p.m. CST to help attorneys improve their public speaking skills. Led by Mimi Bliss of Bliss Communications, the workshop will cover techniques for virtual and in-person presentations, including storytelling, data visualization and effective use of voice and body language. For more information and to register, visit TBA’s website.

Candidates who passed the July 2024 Tennessee Bar Exam were admitted to the practice of law at a ceremony in Jackson today. Representatives from the Tennessee Bar Association and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. Ceremonies continue in Memphis tomorrow. Matthew Flood, a staff attorney at West Tennessee Legal Services, congratulated the new lawyers, saying, “Today represents the pinnacle of years of study, and countless late nights and early mornings. The students of yesterday have become the attorneys of today, and in short order will be the leaders of tomorrow.” See a photo from today's event.

Memphis voters yesterday overwhelmingly passed three gun referendums that were on the ballot. The Daily Memphian reports that an amendment to require handgun carry permits passed with 81%, an amendment to ban assault rifles passed with 80% and an amendment to authorize red-flag laws passed with 84%. Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti in September announced that the state would not challenge inclusion of the questions on the ballot after a chancellor ruled the measures could appear. The Memphis City Council had sued the Shelby County Election Commission after it ruled the measures could not be included. In Nashville, voters passed Mayor Freddie O'Connell's transit plan — a half-percent sales tax increase with revenues supporting a 15-year program of bus, sidewalk and traffic projects — with 66% of the vote, according to the Nashville Banner. In Shelby County, two cities elected mayors. Collierville Alderman Maureen Fraser received 57% of the vote over fellow Alderman Billy Patton's 43%. In Millington, Alderman Larry Dagen defeated Shelby County Republican Party leader Cary Vaughn to become the town's next mayor, the first new mayor in 12 years. The Commercial Appeal reports on both of those races.

Dennis Bruce Francis, a Knoxville attorney and advocate for voting rights, died Oct. 29 at age 78. Francis received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1974 and went to work as general counsel at Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital (later Lakeshore Mental Health Institute). He was a member of the Knoxville Bar Association, served as chair of the Knox County Election Commission and was a member of the state Democratic Executive Committee. Services were held in Knoxville.

Candidates who passed the July 2024 Tennessee Bar Exam were admitted to the practice of law at a ceremony in Knoxville this month. Representatives from the Tennessee Bar Association and its Young Lawyers Division were on hand to congratulate the new admittees. See photos from today. 

The TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) has selected members for the 2025 Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI) class. This year's invited participants represent law school students from across the state.

Congratulations to Samantha McCrory and Mary Martha Willson from Belmont University College of Law; Rebekah Ballard, Shana Singleton and Sharon Strahan from Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law; Ilse Bloss from Nashville School of Law; Divine Dent from University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law; and Shery Girgis and Fady Megaly from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Starting in January, class members will embark on a six-month leadership and mentoring program designed to develop skills to succeed as law students and attorneys, build relationships among students of diverse backgrounds, and encourage involvement in the TBA and the legal community. Students will be matched with mentors in a variety of practice areas. Volunteers are needed to serve as mentors and program speakers. Please indicate your interest in getting involved using this form. Special thanks to DLI Co-Chairs Brande Boyd and Cole Harrell-Morris for their work preparing for this new class.