A jury trial for disbarred Hendersonville attorney Andy Allman began in Sumner County Criminal Court this week, the Hendersonville Standard reports. Allman was suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court in 2016 and ultimately disbarred in 2018 after close to 200 complaints were filed against him. Following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, a Sumner County grand jury indicted Allman on 28 charges in 2017. A separate grand jury indicted him on 11 more charges later that year. He is charged with several counts of theft for allegedly stealing money clients gave him to hold in trust and impersonating a licensed professional for practicing law while suspended. Allman’s trial has been delayed several times for a variety of reasons including COVID-19 and the withdrawal of at least two of his attorneys.

State Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, a former speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, announced today that he will retire when his term ends next year. The move will leave the District 63 House seat open without an incumbent for the first time in two decades, News Channel 5 reports. Casada, who has held the seat since 2001, resigned the speakership in 2019 after reports surfaced of racist and sexually explicit text messages between him and a former aide. 

Mark Mohammadpour, founder and chief wellness officer of Chasing the Sun, which offers corporate well-being coaching, tells Ragan Communications that companies need to rethink how they support remote and hybrid workers during this season. His recommendations include (1) helping employees manage change with compassion and consistency; (2) reinforcing company values to increase workers’ trust and productivity; and (3) engaging in active listening of employees through conversation, surveys and advocacy committees. He also urges employers to provide flexibility in how hybrid work is structured, empower people to use their vacation time, and cancel meetings that take up unnecessary time.

The Nashville Bar Association presented its 2021 Jack Norman Sr. Award to federal Public Defender Henry Martin. The award honors an attorney who demonstrates respect for the rights of all individuals in the criminal justice system, exhibits strong trial advocacy skills, demonstrates an abiding respect for the law and the legal profession, maintains the highest standards of professional integrity and ethical conduct, and contributes to the improvement of the legal profession and criminal justice system. Martin has been the federal public defender since 1985. He was the founding president of the Association of Federal Defenders and served as president of the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He worked in private practice before entering government service. Read more from Vanderbilt Law School. 

Did you miss the TBA's "Work Smarter Not Harder" session on how to track and utilize financials and productivity reports? Catch up next month with a replay of the program on Dec. 20 from noon to 1 p.m. CST. The webcast explores the role of metrics in tracking success and how to use metrics to manage and improve law practice on a day-to-day basis.

The Administrative Office of the Courts is seeking a manager of mediation programs and process innovation. This position provides responsible professional legal work, assists in policy development and implementation and serves as a leader on the Access, Innovation, and Community Engagement Division at the AOC. The successful applicant must be licensed to practice law in Tennessee within one year of employment and must have one year of experience in program planning and development or judicial or public administration. To apply, submit an application for employment in PDF, a resume, writing sample and three professional references by email to human.resources@tncourts.gov.  The court system accepts only electronic applicant information saved in PDF format. The AOC has more on the opening.

The American Bar Association (ABA) will host a Veterans Day program tomorrow at 11 a.m. CST. “Judges in the Military: Perspectives on Careers, Family and Life After,” will feature four military judges who will discuss their paths to the bench, including the stresses of military life and the challenges of transitioning to civilian life. Judges include: Benes Z. Aldana, former chief trial judge of the U.S. Coast Guard; Kirsten Brunson, former circuit judge with the U.S. Army; Judge Michael Lewis of the U.S. Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals; and Linda Strite Murnane (moderator), former chief circuit judge for the U.S. Air Force. Register for the virtual program here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended Shelby County lawyer James Foster Schaeffer Jr. from the practice of law for one year, with 30 days served as active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to Schaeffer making restitution to his former client. The Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) found that Schaeffer did not adequately communicate with his client regarding her contested divorce and the case was ultimately dismissed for failure to prosecute. In a second complaint, the BPR found that Schaeffer was not diligent in providing his client in a criminal case with a copy of the state’s discovery. Schaeffer must comply with requirements regarding the obligations and responsibilities of suspended attorneys and the procedure for reinstatement.

The Board of Judicial Conduct today issued a public reprimand for Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Gerald Webb. The board issued the reprimand because of social media posts made by Webb that “do not meet the standards of conduct expected of those privileged to hold judicial office.” The board says the reprimand was also issued because of two incidents in which Webb’s law license was suspended for failure to comply with continuing legal education requirements in 2019 and again in 2020.  The Chattanoogan has more on the story. 

The names of two attorneys have been forwarded to Gov. Bill Lee to be considered for the 29th Judicial District trial court vacancy. The district includes Lake and Dyer counties. The Trial Court Vacancy Commission nominated James L. Cresswell Jr. and Mark L. Hayes for the governor’s consideration after a public hearing on Nov. 4. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the candidates.