Shelby County lawyer Curtis Douglas Johnson received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 7. In representing a client in a bankruptcy matter, the court found that Johnson failed to communicate with his client and failed to respond to multiple requests for information, violating Rule of Professional Conduct 1.4.

The TBA Tort & Insurance Law Section will hold its 2026 forum on Feb. 19 as a live virtual event. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CST and feature sessions on navigating court approval of minor settlements, medical malpractice and ethical issues in the public adjuster industry. Two general hours and one dual hour of CLE credit are available. Speakers include Paige Goodwin and Jordan Neiderland with Rainey Kizer Reviere & Bell, Raymond Lewallen with Arnett Baker Draper & Hagood, and Christopher Vrettos with Gideon Cooper & Essary. Section members receive discounted rates. Not a section member yet? Join here. Learn more and register for the forum on the TBA CLE website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 7 suspended Davidson County lawyer Mickie Smith Daugherty from the practice of law for six years, retroactive to Aug. 20, 2024. The suspension is conditioned on Daugherty’s cooperation with the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) and compliance with terms and conditions imposed by the Maury County Circuit Court. On Sept. 3, 2024, Daugherty pled guilty to one count of theft of property and one count of forgery, both Class C felonies, and was ordered to pay restitution of $35,000 to Culleoka Athletic Booster Club. She received judicial diversion and was placed on probation for a period of four years and six months. Daugherty paid full restitution before she was sentenced. She agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging her conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional 8.4(c).

Frost Brown Todd LLP, with offices in Nashville, and Gibbons PC have finalized their combination, effective Jan. 1, according to the new firm FBT Gibbons LLP. The combination unites two full-service firms to create a mid-market legal entity with approximately 800 attorneys in 25 offices nationwide. The move adds a significant East Coast presence to Frost Brown Todd’s footprint with offices in New York and New Jersey. The firm also announced that it is launching a new Life Sciences Industry Team and expanding its White Collar & Investigations Group. Read more in a press release from the firm.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments met in Knoxville to select nominees for an upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Eastern Section. The vacancy will be created with the retirement of Judge D. Michael Swiney on Jan. 12. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the council selected the following three nominees: Rachel Park Hurt, a partner with Arnett Baker Draper & Hagood in Knoxville and president of the Knoxville Bar Association; 3rd Judicial District Circuit Court Judge William Erwin Phillips II in Rogersville; and 12th Judicial District Chancellor Melissa Thomas Willis in Jasper. Learn more about the nominees in the applications they submitted for consideration.

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar recently released its annual law school report, documenting 2025 statistics such as enrollment numbers and demographics, tuition and living costs, financial aid, faculty demographics, and entrance tests being used to screen students. The data shows a 4% increase over 2024 in law student enrollment at ABA-accredited schools, a 7.9% increase in first-year students, and a 6.3% increase in students enrolled in LLM, master’s and certificate programs. For the first-year class of 2025, 55.1% were women, 42.5% were men and 1% cited another gender identity. Read more about the latest statistics in this ABA news release, view a one-page overview or search all data.

Army veteran and former Sumner County Commissioner Chris Hughes has announced his campaign for Tennessee House District 45, the Nashville Banner reports. The seat is being vacated by Republican Johnny Garrett, who is running for Congress. Hughes says he is an “America First” conservative, who, if elected, would work to grow small businesses, eliminate property taxes, cut unnecessary licenses and fees, protect natural resources, and incentivize teachers who graduate from Tennessee colleges to teach in the state. The race will be on the ballot for the August primary and November general election.

The city of Johnson City will pay more than $30.6 million to sexual assault survivors to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the police department of failing to properly investigate rape cases. Of that total, $4.2 million will go to nearly 400 women and minors who reported sexual assault cases between 2018 and 2022 and have claimed the police ignored those reports in exchange for bribes. The lawsuit, along with others, are tied to alleged serial rapist Sean Williams, who is accused of drugging and assaulting more than 50 women and children in his Johnson City condo. The city has acknowledged some failures but says investigations found no credible evidence of police corruption or criminal misconduct. Last year, Williams was sentenced to 95 years for producing child pornography and escaping from jail. He faces additional charges of drug trafficking and child pornography in North Carolina. Federal Judge Travis R. McDonough, who approved the settlement this week, called the settlement an “incredible resolution.” The Tennessean has more on the case.

State Rep. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, has introduced legislation to allow people to shelter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in schools and churches. HB1482 would bar ICE personnel from all pre-K through 12 school grounds and all religious institution properties without first providing notice. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security said it was ending Biden-era restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol activities near churches, schools and other “sensitive” areas. Salinas says she is filing the bill now in response to a fatal shooting this week in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. The Daily Memphian has more.

Metro Nashville Legal Director Wally Dietz said Wednesday that his office will file its final brief to the Tennessee Supreme Court by Jan. 16 in the city’s challenge to a state law that would reduce by half the number of councilmembers. A hearing on the matter — and another Metro challenge to state law — is expected on Feb. 12. Dietz provided the update to the council’s Charter Revision Committee. “We think we’re going to win, but if we don’t win we have to be prepared for having an election in 2027 with a vastly different landscape,” he told the group, according to the Nashville Banner.