Butler Snow LLP has announced that attorney Melody McAnally will serve as chair of the Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Committee of the American Bar Association (ABA) Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) for 2024-2025. McAnally is a partner at the firm and brings extensive experience in cybersecurity and data privacy law to the role, according to a press release from the firm. She will lead the committee's efforts to educate ABA members on these critical issues and promote awareness of cybersecurity, data privacy and AI-related risks. McAnally is actively involved in various professional associations, including the Tennessee Bar Association’s Construction Law Section Executive Council.

A lawsuit alleging that Tennessee's redistricting plans for the U.S. House of Representatives and state Senate amounted to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering has been dismissed by a federal judicial panel, according to WBIR News. While the panel ruled that the new maps are "consistent with a racial gerrymander,” it also found they are "consistent with a political gerrymander.” The judges found that the plaintiffs would need to provide stronger evidence that Tennessee's legislators knew the redistricting maps would harm Democratic voters, including minority voters. The court gave the plaintiffs 30 days to refile the case if they could provide stronger evidence of racial motivations. The complaint, filed in August 2023, alleged that the 2022 redistricting maps intentionally discriminated against Black voters and diluted the voting power of communities of color.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Aug. 21 suspended 17 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; nine 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. Lawyers recently reinstated include nine who were suspended this year, 11 who were suspended in 2023, one who was suspended in 2019 and one who was suspended in 2012.

Make plans now to join colleagues for the 2024 Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) Bootcamp on Oct. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT. The CCA can be unfamiliar territory for most lawyers, requiring not only thorough preparation but also mastery of oral and written advocacy. The boot camp allows lawyers to observe oral arguments in real cases, followed by analysis by counsel who will discuss preparation, tips and considerations for deciding to seek review in the court. A networking lunch will be provided to allow attendees to network with others who share this practice focus. Learn more and register here.

Florida lawyer April Elaine Rolle was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee effective July 25. According to the Tennessee Supreme Court, Rolle filed a petition for reinstatement demonstrating that all delinquent annual registration fees had been paid to the Board of Professional Responsibility. The court issued the order on Aug. 20.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has referred the case of Maury County lawyer Ashlyn Elizabeth Blevins to the Board of Professional Responsibility for “whatever action” it deems warranted. The court took the action after Blevins pled guilty to the Class B misdemeanor of reckless driving in the General Sessions Court for Maury County. She received judicial diversion in that case.

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office is warning consumers about a number of QR code scams. While evolving QR code technology may be convenient, the codes can be exploited by scammers through emails, text messages, mailers, packages, charitable appeals and cryptocurrency payments — all of which take users to fake websites designed to steal personal information. Scams like these can be reported to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov/scams if encountered. Learn more about spotting suspicious QR codes.

U.S. District Judge Samuel Mays Jr. has dismissed a lawsuit against Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. and Chief Jailer Kirk Fields over the October 2023 death of an inmate. The Daily Memphian reports that the suit had been filed in January by the family of Deion Byrd, an inmate at the Shelby County Jail who died after being stabbed by another inmate, Donnie Clay, while waiting for a court hearing at the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center. Clay has been charged with first-degree murder for the death. Mays found that Byrd’s parents failed to show that Bonner and Fields violated Byrd’s constitutional rights by failing to protect him from harm.

The Nashville Banner recently lost its bid to unseal court filings related to Davidson County Criminal Court Judge Cheryl Blackburn’s competence. In a narrow decision, the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Blackburn’s colleague Judge Angelita Dalton did not err when she sealed affidavits made by attorneys that allegedly detailed problems with Blackburn’s performance. The court did not rule on the merits of the affidavits. The Banner notes that neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys had asked for the affidavits to be sealed and Judge Blackburn herself had not sealed the filings. It says it will appeal the ruling to the state Supreme Court. The Banner reported the news in its Aug. 19 newsletter.

The Hamilton County Commission yesterday conducted public interviews of eight hopefuls for an appointment as a judge in General Sessions Court. It will make a decision at a meeting next Wednesday, according to Chattanoogan.com. The candidates are Kisha Cheeks, Tracy Cox, Andrew Coyle, Ron Powers, Sam Robinson III, Tori Smith, Pat Wagner and Jonathan Wilson. Whoever is selected to fill the vacancy created by the election of Judge Alex McVeagh to the Circuit Court will serve until the August 2026 general election. The winner of that election then will serve until 2030, which is when the McVeagh’s term would have expired.