The Tennessee Bar Foundation has opened the 2026 Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) grant application. Established by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 1984, the IOLTA program generates funds that are used to provide civil legal services to the poor and/or improve the administration of justice. The deadline to apply is Sept. 29. Learn more about grant eligibility and guidelines, and access the application portal, at www.tnbarfoundation.org. The foundation was established in 1982. Since its inception, it has contributed more than $32 million to Tennessee nonprofit organizations. Read the full announcement.

Despite strains on the economy, the U.S. legal sector had its fifth straight month of employment growth in July, reaching just shy of the historical peak of 1.2 million jobs in December 2023, Reuters reports. Despite the recent growth, employment in the industry is only 1.7% higher than in May 2007, before the financial crisis and pandemic cut into years of gains. Large law firms have expanded substantially in recent decades, boosting lawyer headcounts and revenues, while technological advances and artificial intelligence have reduced reliance on support staff.

Gov. Bill Lee on Friday appointed Emily Abbott to the 6th Judicial District Criminal Court, which covers Knox County, and William Lane to the 32nd Judicial District Circuit and Chancery courts, which cover Hickman, Lewis and Perry counties, according to a press release. Abbott, an assistant district attorney in the 7th Judicial District, earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. She fills a vacancy created by Judge Steven Sword’s appointment to the Court of Criminal Appeals. Lane, principal attorney at his own practice, earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and his law degree from the Nashville School of Law. He fills a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael Spitzer. Both appointments take effect immediately.

A trial for one of the men accused of planning Memphis rapper Young Dolph’s killing in November 2021 was to begin today, nearly four years after the alleged shooting. Hernandez Govan is the second defendant to face trial in the case. Last fall, Justin Johnson was convicted on all counts and sentenced to life in prison plus 35 years. A third man, Cornelius Smith, has been arrested. According to the Commercial Appeal, police believe Govan was the mastermind behind the plot. He has been charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. Weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin, all filings in Govan’s case were sealed though the proceedings will be open to the public.

The organization that administers the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and coordinates law school admissions has been sued in federal court over claims it fixes law school application processing fees through a monopolistic platform. According to Bloomberg Law, the suit alleges the Law School Admission Council Inc. (LSAC) overcharged plaintiff Linvel Risner for application fees and that he would have paid much less in a competitive market. “LSAC has violated federal antitrust law and gouged law school applicants attempting to follow their dreams,” Risner said in the complaint. An LSAC spokesperson told Bloomberg that the organization strongly disagrees with the allegations. LSAC manages registration and test dates for the LSAT and is registered as a nonprofit organization.

The TBA, in partnership with the Tennessee Land Title Association, will host its annual Hot Topics in Real Estate program virtually on Nov. 7. The event, designed for attorneys practicing real estate law, will cover the latest developments in the field. Stay tuned for more details about speakers, topics and registration information.

Join members of the TBA Attorney Well Being Committee for a live interactive roundtable on how best to manage work-life balance as a legal professional. This 45-minute Zoom event on March 25 at 12:30 p.m. CDT will feature attorneys discussing their day-to-day practice and provide effective tools for personal well-being. While geared toward law students and young lawyers, this free event is open to all TBA members, but registration is required. Questions and feedback are encouraged. Submit questions in advance to jword@tnbar.org.

The TBA YLD was on hand to speak with University of Tennessee Winston College of Law students today. Samantha Ellis, the East Tennessee governor of the TBA YLD and Winston Law alumna, returned to her alma mater to encourage students to get involved with the TBA while still in law school. She answered questions about their entrance into the legal field and encouraged them to apply to two of the YLD's statewide programs: DLI and the Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF). Savannah Grant, a student at Winston Law, shared her experiences as an RJF fellow this summer. See a photo from the event. 

Members of the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) visited Vanderbilt University Law School, Belmont University College of Law, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law and Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law this month to connect with law students across the state. The visits are part of the group's annual fall outreach to all six Tennessee law schools. Throughout the visits, YLD leaders speak with students about their entry into the profession and share information about the TBA member benefits available for students. Membership, which is free to law students, provides access to continuing legal education and can increase students' professional knowledge, opportunities to network and savings on school supplies and insurance. Students from the DLI Class of 2025 and the inaugural Rural Judicial Fellowship program were on hand to share their experiences and to encourage their peers to apply. Thanks to YLD Board Members Samantha Ellis, Lorne Hiller, Mari Jasa, Patrick Morrison, John Murphy, Jennifer Safstrom, Darius Walker Jr. and Kristen Walker, and law students Harry Crane, Savannah Grant, M. Clark Hill, Samantha McCrory, Jillian McGauley, Charlie Pritchett and Mary Martha Willson for their contributions to these events.

The Defendant, Jeffrey W. Dean, was convicted in the Robertson County Circuit Court of aggravated burglary and possession of a firearm after having been convicted of a prior violent felony and received an effective sentence of twenty years in confinement. On appeal, he claims that the evidence is insufficient to support his convictions and that his effective sentence is excessive. Based upon the oral arguments, the record, and the parties’ briefs, we affirm the judgments of the trial court.