Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2023 Administrative Law Forum on Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST. Thanks to Jonathan Fly, administrative judge for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, for producing this program. Watch for program topics and speakers coming soon.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued an order adopting a new Court of Appeals Rule 17. The rule deals with the signing of notices of appeal, applications for permission to appeal, applications for extraordinary appeal, petitions for recusal appeal, briefs, motions, representations to the court, and sanctions. The amendment takes effect immediately.

The Tennessee Supreme Court ordered that the disciplinary case of Hamilton County lawyer Ruth Helen Delange be referred to the Board of Professional Conduct for whatever action it deems warranted. Delange agreed to a negotiated Alford plea and judgment of guilty in the state of Georgia for the misdemeanor of disorderly conduct. She was sentenced to 12 months and placed on probation.

The Tennessee Supreme Court dismissed a reinstatement petition from Sumner County lawyer Judith-Anne Ross St. Clair on May 31. St. Clair had filed the petition after being suspended for three years on July 20, 2018. She was to serve six months on active suspension. The Board of Professional Conduct reported that St. Clair has not paid a required advance cost deposit of $2,000. The court dismissed the petition without prejudice. St. Clair may re-file when she pays the deposit.

Shelby County lawyer Ronald K. Anderson was reinstated to the practice of law on May 1. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the order on June 2. Anderson was placed on inactive status in May 2014. The Tennessee Board of Professional Conduct informed the court that Anderson’s petition was satisfactory.

A press release issued by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti yesterday announced a fundraising effort for crisis pregnancy centers as a way to mark the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs decision. "Tennesseans have made clear, through their elected representatives, the desire to support mothers and children,” Skrmetti said. “In celebration of the Dobbs decision, I’m proud to highlight the organizations in our state who go above and beyond to provide resources and care for mothers-to-be.” The effort is being held in conjunction with the attorneys general of eight other states, but some are questioning the appropriateness of the effort. Gov. Bill Lee had sought to put $100 million toward pregnancy centers in the state budget, but the legislature cut it to $20 million, Tennessee Lookout reports.

Registration is now open for the Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) Equal Justice University (EJU) conference. The annual event, co-sponsored by the TBA, is set for Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro. This year’s conference will include more than 30 CLE sessions, basic 101 skills sessions for those new to particular practice areas and presentation of the Access to Justice Awards. Learn more online or contact Laura Brown, (615) 775-9684, with questions. As a reminder, it is not too late to nominate colleagues for the three Access to Justice Awards presented at the conference. The nomination deadline is June 30.

Federal prosecutor Brent Hannafan has joined the Nashville office of Sanford Heisler Sharp, the Nashville Post reports. Hannafan was criminal chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee from 2017 to 2023. He will chair the firm’s trial practice and will represent local governments in lawsuits targeting the opioid industry as well as plaintiffs suing UnitedHealth Group. Hannafan graduated from Vanderbilt University and Washington University School of Law. Sanford Heisler Sharp opened a Nashville office in 2017 with the hiring of former federal Judge Kevin Sharp.

Gov. Bill Lee today encouraged Tennessee schools and local law enforcement agencies to apply for nearly $200 million provided through two grants to strengthen school safety, WREG reports. The Statewide School Resource Officer Grant provides $140 million to place a full-time, armed SRO at every public school. Local law enforcement agencies are eligible to apply for the grant, not to exceed $75,000 per year, per school. The Public & Non-Public School Security Grants provide one-time funding to strengthen security at schools, including $40 million for public schools and $14 million for non-public schools. These funds can be used to support a variety of school security efforts, including improved physical security, emergency operations planning, violence prevention programs, conflict resolution and safety training for staff members. Both grant programs were approved in the recent legislative session.

The Nashville Metro Council voted unanimously yesterday to appoint former Metro Councilmember Anthony Davis to the state House seat held by Democratic Rep. Bill Beck, who died earlier this month. Davis will serve in an interim capacity while a special primary election is held on Aug. 3 and a special general election is held on Sept. 12, Nashville Post reports. Davis is one of four candidates running in the special Democratic primary. The other candidates expressed concerns about the move, arguing the council was tipping the scale toward Davis in a competitive race. Davis represented East Nashville’s District 7 on the Metro Council from 2011 to 2019 and is the president and owner of East Nashville Beer Works. He called Beck “a dear friend” and said he hopes to continue the lawmaker’s legacy.