Nearly two months after Tony Carruthers' failed execution, his sister has filed a medical malpractice complaint with the Tennessee Department of Health against Dr. Mark Walton Fowler, the doctor who attempted to set Carruthers’ IV line. His sister also alleges that Carruthers suffered a brain stroke and has paralysis on the right side of his body after the failed procedure, according to the Commercial Appeal. In related news, Davidson County Chancellor Russell T. Perkins has ruled that the state must identify the doctor it plans to use for Darrell Hines’ Aug. 13 execution, but stayed the order until the Tennessee Supreme Court can address the issue. Attorneys for Hines have asked the state to disclose if it plans to use Fowler and whether it plans to use expired drugs in the execution. The Nashville Banner reports on Perkins' decision.

Volunteers are needed for a Veteran's Legal Advice Clinic on Aug. 12 from noon to 2 p.m. EDT. The clinic will take place at the Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office located at 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville 37919. Volunteers may participate in-person or by telephone. Use this form to volunteer. This clinic is a joint project of the Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) Access to Justice Committee, KBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD), KBA Barristers and its Access to Justice Committee, Tennessee Bar Association YLD, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Knox County Public Defender's Community Law Office, the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law and  Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law.

The Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands and the TBA Young Lawyers Division (YLD) is partnering for a Power of Attorney/Advanced Directive Clinic on July 29. No wills will be done. The clinic will be held at St. Clair Senior Center located at 325 St. Clair St., Murfreesboro 37130 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. CDT. Interested volunteers should contact TBA YLD District Representative Alyssa Fox.

Glenis Campbell, age 62 of Memphis, pleaded guilty to impersonating a lawyer and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from people who looked to him for help. The ABA Journal reports that he was sentenced to 12 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution. The Shelby County District Attorney’s Office says that Campbell accepted a plea deal for 13 separate indictments, including financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, property theft and impersonating a licensed professional. Campbell is accused of charging $300,000 in phony legal fees. He previously was arrested in 2008 for impersonating a lawyer and pleaded guilty then as well.

Nashville lawyer Jonathan Cole, a shareholder with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, will be the honored guest at a Tennessee reception held in conjunction with the American Bar Association Annual Meeting July 29 to Aug. 4 in Chicago. The reception will take place Aug. 1 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. CDT in the Crystal Ballroom C in the West Tower of the Hyatt Regency Chicago. Any Tennessee lawyers in town are invited to attend. View the invitation. Cole has a long and distinguished track record of involvement in the ABA. He currently serves as chair of the ABA House of Delegates, the group’s 597-member policymaking body, making him the second ranking officer in the ABA. He previously served as a Tennessee delegate to the House of Delegates, chair of the Young Lawyers Division and director of the American Bar Endowment.

Judge Stacy Street was sworn in as the newest judge on the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in a ceremony held last week at the Supreme Court building in Knoxville. His appointment fills the vacancy created by Justice Kyle Hixson's elevation to the Tennessee Supreme Court. First Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Lisa Rice of Elizabethton administered the oath of office. See photos from the event.

Make plans now to attend TBA's Topgolf Estate Planning Tee-off on Aug. 21 at Topgolf Nashville. Designed for newer estate planning practitioners, this annual favorite is a rare opportunity to build practice knowledge and fine-tune your drive game all in one day. This year's speakers include Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Andra Hedrick, Charles Frazier with the Law Offices of Charles R. Frazier, Michael Goode with Lewis Thomason, Robert Hazard with Hazard Law, Rob Malin with Pinnacle Financial Partners and Ashley Stearns with Trail, Coleman & Stearns. The package includes three general hours of CLE, breakfast, lunch and two hours of Topgolf after the presentations. Estate Planning & Probate Section members receive a discounted rate to attend. Space is limited, so register now before it’s too late!

If you missed the Tech Showcase programming at this year’s TBA Convention, you can catch up this month with replays of several key programs. On July 27, join Catherine Sanders Reach with the Center for Practice Management at the North Carolina Bar Association for a session that cuts through the hype around technology needs. Reach will explain how to audit your current tech for gaps and redundancies, calculate real ROI on the tools already in place, and build a framework for evaluating new products. The program offers 1.25 hours of dual credit. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission has received 10 applications for two newly created criminal judgeships in the 30th Judicial District. The applicants are: Meghan Fowler, Paul Hagerman, Melanie M. Headley, Christopher J. Lareau, Ruchee J. Patel, Seth M. Segraves, Dewun R. Settle, Jessica M. Van Dyke, Mitchell W. Wood and Marques T. Young. The commission will hold public interviews and a vote on the top three candidates for each position on Aug. 13 and 14 at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law’s historic courtroom at 1 North Front St., Memphis 38103. It will submit two lists — one for each position — to the governor. Any member of the public may attend the public hearing and can express, orally or in writing, objections concerning any of the applicants. Questions about the hearings should be directed to AOC Assistant General Counsel John Jefferson at John.Jefferson@tncourts.gov or 615-741-2687. Read more about the candidates and the hearings.

The ABA's Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar may be poised to roll back more of its diversity rules this summer, Reuters reports. The council may consider two proposals at the ABA Annual Meeting that would reshape law school requirements. First, the ABA could eliminate a 2022 rule requiring law schools to educate students about bias, racism and cross-cultural competency at the start and end of their studies. Second, it could pare down a detailed rule that requires law schools to maintain non-discrimination policies covering protected groups — including race, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability. In its place, the group is considering a simpler requirement that schools prohibit discrimination "in violation of applicable federal, state and local law." Read more about these proposals, which have been put out for comment. The group previously repealed a diversity standard and changed criteria for its law school scholarships.