Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has issued a proclamation calling for a special legislative session beginning on Aug. 21 to address public safety. In addition to his previously unveiled proposal to provide authority for courts to issue mental health orders of protection — which would temporarily remove guns from those deemed dangerous to themselves or others — Lee identified 17 other areas for legislative action focusing on the safe storage of firearms, mental health services and school safety policies. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has said he would like to see the legislature use the special session to focus on juvenile crime, mentioning bills that would raise the age at which youth can have their records expunged and lowering the age at which they can be tried as adults. WPLN has more on his comments. House Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, said she was disappointed with the scope of the special session, saying she was hoping for a "serious discussion about gun reform in Tennessee." The Tennessean has more on reaction from the capitol.

The TBA welcomes ethics expert Stuart Teicher on Oct. 12 for three virtual ethics courses that will benefit any practitioner. When a Lie Isn't a Lie: The Ethics of Half-Truths focuses on lies clients tell and how attorneys can handle them; 10 Coping Skills that Come from the Ethics Rules explores the rigors of the practice of law and ways to overcome challenges; and ChatGPT, Siri and Alexa are Out to Get You breaks down the upsides of, and the problems with, the hottest technologies. Join us for one course or all three.

The American Bar Association's House of Delegates on Tuesday adopted a resolution that strengthens a lawyer’s obligation to assess whether a client seeks to use the lawyer’s services to further a crime or fraud before accepting or maintaining representation. The resolution was approved by a vote of 216-102. The change represents a second step this year in the ABA’s efforts to protect lawyers from unwittingly becoming involved in a client’s or prospective client’s criminal and fraudulent activities.

The Board of Judicial Conduct has issued a public reprimand for 30th Judicial District (Shelby County) Judge James Jones Jr. related to a letter he wrote on official stationery on behalf of two defendants convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Read the reprimand here.

An inmate at the Hamilton County jail was charged yesterday with making threats to bomb the federal building in Chattanooga and the courtroom of General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes, reports the Chattanoogan.com. An investigation into calls Robert Edward Millsaps made from the jail also revealed death threats against a local bonding agent as well as the public defender's office. Investigators found that Millsaps has had 14 cases go before Judge Starnes dating back to 2020.

Quinton Thompson, president of the Tennessee Bar Association Young Lawyers Division and an attorney at the Memphis office of Morgan & Morgan, has earned a place among the American Bar Association’s On the Rise – Top 40 Young Lawyers. Congratulations! Learn more about the recognition program.

Several members of the Tennessee legal community have been selected to take part in Leadership Tennessee, a collective with a mission to foster non-partisan dialogue on issues of state importance. The organization recently announced that 48 individuals will join its 2023–2024 Signature Program and 30 individuals will join its fall Leadership Tennessee NEXT Program. Representatives from the legal community participating in the Signature Program include Noni Ellison, general counsel for Tractor Supply Company; Ignacio Vincentelli, general counsel for International Paper; and Lynda Hood, executive director of the Chattanooga Bar Association. L. Maverick Flowers, an associate attorney with Polsinelli, will participate in the NEXT Program. 

David L. Flitcroft, a lawyer based in Oak Ridge, died on July 25 at age 74. Flitcroft attended Southern Oregon College and the University of Oregon and earned his law degree from the Tennessee College of Law in 1978. David was a longtime member of both the Anderson County Bar Association and the Tennessee Bar Association. A memorial service will be held in the student building of Fellowship Church, 8000 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville on Aug. 28. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to noon EDT prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.

Mary L. Smith was sworn in as the 147th president of the American Bar Association during the ABA’s House of Delegates meeting on Monday in Denver. Smith is the first female Native American president of the world’s largest voluntary bar association. Smith has held many leadership roles in the ABA, including serving as secretary and on the board of governors. She also served as an ABA representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee today permanently disbarred Kent Lowery Booher from the practice of law and ordered him to pay all costs incurred to the Board of Professional Responsibility. After a hearing upon the disciplinary petition, a hearing panel determined by a preponderance of the evidence that Booher’s conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 8.4(a), (b), (c), and (d) and warranted permanent disbarment.