The Tennessee Supreme Court has temporarily suspended Knox County lawyer James Patrick Henry from the practice of law upon finding that Henry failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding six complaints of misconduct. Henry is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and must cease representing existing clients by June 5.

The Giles County Bar Association has elected Pulaski lawyer Rob Laxson as its new president. Laxson, who works at Robert D. Massey and Associates, succeeds Evan Baddour, who served in the role for approximately five years. The group also is planning to recognize the upcoming retirement of 22nd Judicial District Circuit Judge David L. Allen. Those interested in contributing to or participating in the retirement commemoration, or sending reflections and memories, should contact Laxson at rlaxson@robertdmassey.com.

CLAY, Circuit Judge. Plaintiffs Heather, Lori, and Dale Kerchen filed a complaint against Defendants the University of Michigan and Dr. James Woods, alleging violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Michigan state law. Defendants appeal the district court’s order denying their motion to dismiss without prejudice and ordering limited discovery on whether this action is barred by the statutes of limitations applicable to Plaintiffs’ claims. For the reasons stated below, we REVERSE the district court’s denial of Defendants’ motion to dismiss, DISMISS various claims for lack of jurisdiction as specified below, and REMAND for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

Week of April 29, 2024 - May 3, 2024

A former Tennessee state representative is challenging the dismissal of his open records case dealing with an investigation into his alleged workplace harassment, Tennessee Lookout reports. Scotty Campbell, a Johnson City Republican, resigned from the legislature in April 2023 amid accusations he harassed two legislative interns. He has denied the harassment allegations and sued the director of legislative staff seeking access to documents related to his resignation. The case was dismissed in March on the grounds it was essentially the same as a separate public records suit filed by another party. Campbell argues that he is not acquainted with the other filer, and thus, the cases should be handled separately. A hearing is set for June 21.

Former Johnson County Judge Perry Stout was sentenced to a year in jail after pleading guilty to moneylaundering and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, WJHL reports. Stout, who waived his right to a trial in January, also was sentenced to seven years of probation. While serving his jail sentence, Stout will not be eligible for work release. Stout previously admitted to helping fund a marijuana trafficking operation, and to using profits to fund his 2022 judicial campaign. He resigned as a general sessions and juvenile court judge in June 2023.

You do not want to miss the Bench Bar Program at this year’s TBA Convention! Set for June 13 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, the program’s first panel will focus on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is impacting the practice of law in Tennessee. Join TBA's AI Task Force Chair A.J. Bahou, a partner in the Nashville office of Bradley Arant Bout Cummings; Zack Glaser with The Lawyerist; and 16th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge Jimmy Turner to gain insights into this rapidly developing technology. A second panel then will dig into the ethical considerations of AI. Hear from Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Campbell, Memphis lawyer Brian Faughnan with Faughnan Law and Nashville lawyer Kim Looney with K&L Gates. Thanks to Nashville lawyer Mary Beard and TBA Executive Director Sheree Wright for agreeing to moderate these panels. Be sure to check out all the educational programs at this year’s Convention. Still need to register? Get started here.

A bill requiring social media companies to verify the age of their account holders and force minors to get parental permission has been signed by Gov. Bill Lee, Fox Chattanooga reports. HB1891/SB2097, known as the “Protecting Children from Social Media Act,” requires anyone under the age of 18 to get consent from a parent or guardian to create a social media account. For those who have already created accounts, the companies will have to verify parental consent or block access to the accounts.

A Texas federal judge has stayed a lawsuit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups that are challenging the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) near-total ban on employee noncompete agreements. U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker said that under the "first to file rule," a nearly identical lawsuit filed by tax service firm Ryan a day earlier should proceed first. Reuters reports on the decision.

Law firms are off to a strong start in 2024 after a lackluster 2023, Reuters reports. New data shows that demand for legal services was up 1.9% in the first quarter of this year over the first three months of 2023. Billing rates also continued to rise with a 6.6% increase in the first quarter compared with a year ago. Get these and other trends in Thomson Reuters Institute’s Law Firm Financial Index, which tracks key financial metrics across 186 large and midsize law firms.