John Howard Roe Jr., one of the founding partners of Sherrard Roe Voigt & Harbison, died Tuesday after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. Roe, 77, began his legal career in Atlanta and then moved back to Nashville in 1974 to be closer to his childhood home of Clarksville. In 1981, he and colleague Tom Sherrard opened the law offices of O’Hare, Sherrard & Roe. He remained active in the firm until his gradual retirement beginning in 2019 and ending recently. Throughout his 50-year legal career, Roe developed an expertise in commercial real estate, tax law, municipal finance and international law. He also co-wrote the Tennessee Condominium Act of 2008. A 1972 graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, he was active in the Nashville community, supporting the local chapter of the Boy Scouts and serving on the board of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. Services will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday. Visitation will begin at 2:30 p.m. with a celebration of life service to follow at 4 p.m. CST. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville.

The TBA will hold an afternoon conversation with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Holly Kirby and Justice Dwight Tarwater at Burch, Porter & Johnson in Memphis on March 7 from 2:30-4 p.m. CST. Moderated by attorneys Will Perry and Buck Wellford, the panel will discuss each justice's path to the bench, the importance of mentors, the manner in which the justices interact, the importance of the Rule of Law in our society, and more. The event will wrap up with a networking reception from 4:30-6:30 p.m. CST. Make plans today to attend this unique program and reserve your spot soon as space is limited. All members of the legal community are invited to attend the free reception. No reservation for the reception is required.

Join the TBA's Tort & Insurance Law Section on Feb. 13 for its annual forum, presented virtually this year. The three-hour general, one-hour dual CLE program will feature sessions on health care liability, how to read and understand medical reports, updates on the Anti-SLAPP statute and ethics. Get more info or register.

Gov. Bill Lee has nominated Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Mary L. Wagner to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court. “Mary is a highly qualified judge who will bring significant experience to the Tennessee Supreme Court,” Gov. Lee said in making the announcement. Wagner will fill a vacancy that will occur when Justice Roger A. Page retires on Aug. 31. Wagner, 39, is a TBA member and alumna of the association's Leadership Law Program. She earned her law degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and was appointed to the circuit court in 2016 by then-Gov. Bill Haslam. She won reelection in 2018 and 2022. Her nomination now must be approved by the General Assembly. The Tennessean has more on the process.

Seniors on Medicare’s Part D drug plan will see additional savings this coming year, The New York Times reports. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, capped Part D out-of-pocket spending for 2024 at $3,300, which will drop to $2,000 in 2025. Beneficiaries next year also will be able to spread out their out-of-pocket costs by setting up a monthly payment plan with their Part D insurance companies. Another key change expands access to subsidies that help low-income seniors with their premiums, deductibles and other costs by increasing income limits. The subsidy, Extra Help, is worth about $5,300 per year for those who enroll.

This year’s Elder Law Basics forum will take place virtually on April 11. Designed for attorneys new to this practice area, the program will provide essential information on powers of attorney, pre-admission evaluations, real estate in elder law, how clients can find and afford health care in retirement, and ethics.

The Elder Law Forum will take place in-person July 19 at the Belmont University College of Law. This annual staple provides insight from top professionals while allowing attendees to meet with other lawyers in the practice area. Topics will include litigation in elder law, dementia concerns, conservatorships, helping clients suffering from dementia, ethics, and much more. Learn more on the TBA CLE website.

On Monday, the Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated the law licenses of two attorneys who had been on inactive status. Memphis lawyer and former federal judge Bernice Bouie Donald had been on inactive status since March 26, 2012. She was reinstated effective Jan. 26. Florida lawyer Tracey Robinson-Coffee had been on inactive status since April 23, 2013. She was reinstated effective Jan. 11.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee is accepting comments regarding the reappointment of two incumbent magistrate judges: U.S. Magistrate Judge Alistair Newbern and U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffery S. Frensley. Newbern’s term will expire on Aug. 31, while Frensley’s term will expire on Oct. 9. Comments from the public and the legal community are encouraged and should be submitted by March 31 by email to MJComments@tnmd.uscourts.gov. Read more in a release from the court.

Former Republican lawmaker Scott Campbell is claiming he was forced to resign as part of a cover-up for a Republican leader, WKRN reports. Campbell quit the legislature in 2023 after sexual harassment allegations came to light. A state investigation found Campbell violated harassment policy in his interaction with an intern. Campbell defended the interactions as “consensual” conversations. Now he is suing for records he says will help clear his name.

State Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, has confirmed that she plans to run for her current state House District 90 seat in addition to running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn. The Tennessee Journal reports that Johnson says she is aware of attempts to block that ability. Legislation that would bar candidates for state and federal offices from appearing on primary or general election ballots for two or more offices is being promoted by two Knoxville Republicans: Senate State and Local Government Chair Richard Briggs and Rep. Dave Wright. The bill would allow for a few exceptions, including if the candidate already holds two offices and for purely political offices such as party state executive committees.