The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications to fill vacancies in the 30th Judicial District for a circuit court judge and a criminal court judge, following the elevation of Judge Valerie L. Smith to the appellate bench and the retirement of Judge Paula L. Skahan on June 30. Applicants must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee, be at least 30 years old, have been a state resident for at least five years and reside in the judicial district. Public hearings for the positions will be held July 16 and 17 at 9 a.m. CDT in the Historic Courtroom, Room 325, at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, 1 N. Front St., Memphis 38103. Applications must be received by the Administrative Office of the Courts by June 13 at noon. For more information, contact Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson.

Hamilton County Attorney Rheubin M. Taylor has been named the 2025 County Attorney of the Year by the Tennessee County Attorney Association. The award recognizes Taylor’s leadership, dedication to public service and legal contributions to Hamilton County and the state. He has served as the county’s chief legal advisor since 1994, with expertise in government law, ethical governance and litigation. “Rheubin Taylor embodies the highest standards of professionalism and integrity in county government,” TCAA President Andrew E. Mills said. “His legal acumen and unwavering service have made a lasting impact not only in Hamilton County but across Tennessee.” The TCAA supports county attorneys statewide through education, resources and advocacy to promote effective local governance.

A number of lawyers have been reinstated after being suspended for administrative violations. Seven lawyers have been reinstated after completing required continuing legal education hours (four were suspended in 2024, one in 2023, one in 2022 and one in 2020). In addition, 18 lawyers have been reinstated after paying their annual registration fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility (15 were suspended in 2025, one in 2024, one in 2022 and one in 2020). And 14 lawyers have been reinstated after paying their annual fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility (nine were suspended in 2025, two in 2024, one in 2023, one in 2019 and one in 2009. The TBA has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 21 suspended 17 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; 11 of them also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. See the list of all lawyers suspended and reinstated for fee and IOLTA violations in 2025 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

Gain fast and easy access to annual updates with TBA's 1-Click options. Each package is listed by practice area. Updates included best practices, legislation, ethical considerations and practice tips.

The state of Tennessee has executed Oscar Franklin Smith. He was pronounced dead at 10:47 a.m. Thursday at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, the Nashville Banner reports. It was the first execution to be performed in the state since 2020, and was the first use of a single dose of the drug pentobarbital. In a final statement, Smith spoke out against the governor and the justice system. "Somebody needs to tell the governor the justice system doesn't work," he said in part, according to a witness. Smith was sentenced to death for the 1989 killings of his estranged wife and her two teenage sons. The victims' family thanked law enforcement, investigators and the judicial system at a news conference after the execution. The Tennessean has additional photos from the remarks. Earlier this week, Gov. Bill Lee declined to issue a stay of the execution.

The next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits is set for Nashville. This month's event will take place on June 18 instead of the usual date in honor of Juneteenth. The clinic, sponsored by the Arts & Business Council's Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts and Bradley, provides assistance with business formation and corporate governance, review of contracts and guidance in navigating local ordinances and state regulations. Register by June 16 to participate. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

SUTTON, Chief Judge. A group of parents claim that their local public school denied their children access to essential special-education services. They sued the school district, unsurprisingly. More surprisingly, they sued the State, based on its alleged failure to supervise the school district and to provide more funding for it. The district court denied the State’s motion to dismiss, holding that the relevant statute, the Americans with Disabilities Act, abrogated its sovereign immunity under the Fourteenth Amendment. This interlocutory appeal followed. We reverse.

The Petitioner, David Sands, appeals the habeas corpus court’s summary dismissal of his second petition for writ of habeas corpus for failure to state a cognizable claim for relief. Specifically, the Petitioner alleges that his sentence has expired due to “missing” pretrial jail credit and improper calculation of behavioral and work credits. After review, we affirm.

The Defendant, Jacorey Tyvon Forte, was found guilty by a Hamilton County jury of aggravated robbery, and he received a sentence of eleven years in prison. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to establish his identity as one of the perpetrators of this offense. Following our review, we affirm the Defendant’s conviction.