Enrollment for TBA's group health insurance is now open through Dec. 13. Have questions about options and benefits? Buck Orrison with TBA's Member Insurance Solutions will be answering submitted questions in a recorded webinar. Members may submit questions until Oct. 11. Watch for details on how to view the webinar coming soon.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Sept. 23 suspended 10 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; eight 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 2024 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005. Seven attorneys have been reinstated in the last month.

Registration is now open for the next free advice clinic for Black-owned small businesses and nonprofits, set for Oct. 17 in Nashville. 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. Prospective clients should register by Oct. 14. Attorneys should email vlpa@abcnashville.org to volunteer.

Greene County lawyer Francis Xavier Santore Jr. was immediately suspended from the practice of law after the Tennessee Supreme Court found he posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. The court also directed Santore to undergo an examination by a qualified medical or mental health expert to assess his capacity and fitness to practice law, and execute a written release allowing the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program to share information about his case with the Board of Professional Responsibility. Finally, the court directed Santore to provide a number of items related to previous psychological evaluations.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has transferred the law license of Sevier County lawyer Andrew Nicholas Wilson to disability inactive status. Wilson may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed.

Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims Judge Pamela B. Johnson recently was inducted into the National Association of Workers’ Compensation Judiciary’s (NAWCJ) Adjudicators Hall of Fame. Johnson has been active in the NAWCJ since 2014. Criteria for selection in the Hall of Fame includes exemplary service as an adjudicator of workers’ compensation issues, service to the NAWCJ and a record of writing, speaking and advocating for those affected by workplace injuries. Read more about the honor in a press release from the court.

BOGGS, Circuit Judge. Art Iron, Inc. contests whether the district court properly awarded summary judgment to Board of Trustees (“Board”) of the Shopmen’s Local 499 Pension Plan (“the Plan”). This suit arises from the Board’s pursuit of over one million dollars of withdrawal liability pursuant to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) from Art Iron, Robert Schlatter, and Mary Schlatter.We affirm the district court’s judgment as to Robert Schlatter and reverse and remand the district court’s grant of summary judgment as to Mary Schlatter.

The employee sustained injuries to her knees, right hand, and back when she tripped and fell at work. The employer authorized medical treatment for the injuries, and each authorized doctor released the employee from treatment and assigned ratings of 0% permanent medical impairment. The employee filed a petition disputing the extent of her impairments, asserting that two providers had indicated she retained some degree of permanent impairment arising from the work accident. The employer filed a motion for summary judgment, contending that no genuine issue of material fact existed regarding the employee’s lack of permanent impairment as a result of her work injuries. After a hearing, the court granted the employer’s motion and issued a compensation order finding the employee was not entitled to permanent disability benefits but ordering the employer to continue providing reasonable and necessary medical treatment for the employee’s compensable injuries. The employee has appealed. Upon careful consideration of the record, we affirm the trial court’s order and certify it as final.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has one case set for its Oct. 4 docket. It will hear oral arguments in the case of Gary Wygant and Francie Hunt v. Bill Lee et al. beginning at 9 a.m. CDT at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville. The arguments also will be live streamed on the court’s YouTube page. The case arises from a challenge to the maps of state legislative districts implemented after the 2020 census. Learn more about the case.

The Defendant, David A. Yost, appeals from his guilty-pleaded convictions in the Knox County Criminal Court for possession of a firearm after a felony drug conviction, a Class C felony; possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor; and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor. See T.C.A. §§ 39-17-1307(b)(1) (Supp. 2023) (unlawful possession of weapon), 39-17-418 (Supp. 2023) (possession of marijuana), 39-17-425 (2018) (possession drug paraphernalia). After a sentencing hearing, the trial court ordered the Defendant to serve an effective sentence of eight years. On appeal, the Defendant contends that the court erred by denying alternative sentencing. We conclude that the trial court failed to articulate the reasons for the sentence of confinement in accordance with the purposes and principles of sentencing. We remand the case with instructions for the trial court to make the appropriate findings as to whether the Defendant should receive an alternative sentence or a sentence of confinement. Accordingly, the judgments of the trial court are reversed, and the case is remanded to the trial court.