Georgia lawyer Timothy Minthorn Klob was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Aug. 14. He had been on inactive status for more than five years, since Sept. 12, 2012. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory and the court approved the petition.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday rejected the Board of Professional Responsibility’s recommended discipline for White County lawyer John Edward Hutson. The court stated that based on its review of the entire record, it had concerns that the proposed sanction was too lenient. “One of the mitigating circumstances listed in the protocol memorandum — absence of a dishonest or selfish motive — clearly does not apply to the facts that are admitted by the plea,” the court wrote in its order. Hutson agreed to a conditional guilty plea on April 18. The court rejected that plea and referred the matter back to the board for “further proceedings consistent with” the order.

Start taking steps today to secure your law firm and your client’s confidential data! Join colleagues and Paul Unger with Affinity Consulting on Aug. 22 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT to learn more about how to protect your practice. The session, the second in TBA's Summer Success Series, will cover ransomware attacks, phishing schemes, cloud computing, mobile device management, full disk encryption, secure document management, shadow-IT, two- factor authentication, password management, VPNs, anti-virus, backup, user education and more. Learn more or register here.

Missouri woman Lisa Findley has been arrested for an alleged scheme to defraud Elvis Presley's family out of millions of dollars and the ownership of Graceland through a foreclosure sale, the Daily Memphian reports. The ongoing investigation was turned over to federal law enforcement after the state Attorney General's office determined the matter was best suited for federal review. According to a press release from the U.S Attorney General's Office, Findley used multiple aliases, fabricated documents claiming Elvis Presley's daughter had pledged Graceland as collateral for a loan and “used a brazen scheme to try to defraud the Presley family of their interest in this singularly important landmark.”

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has joined a coalition of states challenging a federal court ruling that protects the rights of individuals to compete in sports that align with their gender. The coalition, led by the Alabama attorney general, filed an amicus brief with the U.S 9th Circuit Court of Appeals after that court ruled Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act likely violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, Tennessee Lookout reports. The coalition argues that biological differences between males and females necessitate separate sports teams. In 2021, Tennessee enacted a similar law, which has been challenged by the ACLU and Lambda Legal. In related news, late today the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Biden administration's request to reinstate portions of a federal rule that would extend Title IX protections to sexual orientation and gender identity. The Hill has more on the decision.

TikTok is challenging the U.S. government's efforts to force a sale of the platform, arguing that it is protected by the First Amendment. The company has drawn comparisons to other foreign-owned media outlets in the U.S., contending that its ownership structure does not negate its constitutional rights. The Justice Department previously argued in a legal brief "neither TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance, nor the platform's global and U.S. arms, TikTok Ltd. and TikTok Inc., were entitled to First Amendment protections because they are foreign organizations operating abroad” or owned by one, as reported by ABC News. While the government cites national security concerns, TikTok maintains that it has made significant efforts to address these issues and that the proposed sale is an overreach. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled to begin in September.

Volunteers are needed for a mini-legal clinic at the 2024 CHALENG/Stand-Down Meeting, which will take place at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church Family Life Center in Memphis from 10 a.m. to noon CDT on Aug. 28. The CHALENG/Stand-Down event is an annual meeting organized by the Veterans Affairs Department Homeless Program where veterans can come in for various services and discuss their needs with department staff. To volunteer, contact Memphis lawyer Jake Dickerson at jacob.alan.dickerson@gmail.com.

A federal judge in Florida has temporarily blocked the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) rule prohibiting agreements signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses. The decision comes after a similar ruling from a Texas judge earlier this year. The FTC maintains the ban will take effect for most Americans on Sept. 4 despite these rulings, Reuters reports. Supporters of the ban argue it protects worker mobility, while opponents claim it hinders businesses' ability to protect confidential information.

Shelby County Commissioners advanced a referendum proposed for the Nov. 5 election that would potentially allow the commission to hire its own legal counsel independent of the county attorney’s office if approved by voters. The ballot question advanced in the first and second reading with four aye votes. According to the Daily Memphian, the proposal comes amid ongoing tensions between the commission and the county administration. Despite concerns that the measure would result in “duplicative” services, a number of commissioners say that having their own legal counsel would provide greater autonomy and oversight in county affairs.

Former Shelby County Judge A. Melissa Boyd was booked back in jail after a judge ordered that diversion be terminated in a harassment case against her. Details on why the warrant was issued were not made available, according to ABC 24, but she was released on her own recognizance. She now will serve one year of probation. Boyd resigned from the bench in April amidst allegations of substance abuse and failure to adhere to court-ordered conditions, including a no-contact order and completion of treatment programs.