The TBA Health Law Section Executive Council has begun planning the 35th Annual TBA Health Law Forum, which will take place Nov. 2-3 at the Music City Center in Nashville. Topics for this year's forum include annual favorites such as fraud and abuse, fraud enforcement, legislative updates and ethics. This year's forum will also explore several timely topics involving reimbursement, the No Surprises Act, cyber security, malpractice, antitrust concerns and more. The introductory Health Law Primer will precede the forum on Nov. 1. Stay tuned for more info, including speakers and how to register for this premier event.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended 67 attorneys who did not pay the annual professional privilege tax as required. The attorneys include those living in Tennessee as well as 12 other states. View the order or see the list with any reinstatements noted.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended 13 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; five 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 2023 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The law license of Knox County lawyer James Robert Stacy was transferred to disability inactive status today pursuant to Section 27.3 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. Stacy may not practice law while on inactive status. He may petition the court for reinstatement by showing that his disability has been removed.

Attorneys general in 25 states including Tennessee are seeking an injunction against a rule from the U.S. Department of Labor that would impact how retirement plans are invested. Under the rule, certain fund managers would be allowed to make investment decisions based on nonfinancial or nonpecuniary factors such as “Environmental, Social, and Governance,” or ESG, considerations. Read more in a press release from the AG's office.

A group of Nashville business and civic leaders asked top Republican lawmakers yesterday to back off legislation targeting the capital city, Axios reports. In a joint letter addressed to House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, 35 prominent Nashvillians said the adversarial relationship between Metro and the state "will lead to significant harm" to Nashville. Judge Sheila Calloway, attorney Charles Robert Bone, nonprofit executive Hal Cato and attorney Aubrey Harwell are among those who co-signed the letter. Read the full letter here.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar on Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. CST for interested individuals to learn more about motor fuel taxes in the state. The webinar is one in a series of educational sessions held by the department each month. Learn more or register.

The University of Tennessee College of Law will host the annual Julian Blackshear Jr. Scholarship Gala on March 25. This signature event, honoring alumnus Julian Blackshear Jr. as one of the college’s first African American graduates, serves as a fundraiser for scholarships that are used to attract a talented and diverse student body. This year’s event will feature a keynote address by Harvard Law School professor David B. Wilkins, who will speak on diversity trends in the legal profession and the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on affirmative action in higher education. The gala will take place at the Crowne Plaza, 401 W. Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville. Advance tickets are required and may be purchased here.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission will hold its third public meeting this week after the U.S. Senate in August confirmed seven new members, reinvigorating a panel that had been unable to adopt new policies since losing its quorum in early 2019. The two-day hearing, set for today and tomorrow, will cover testimony on proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines for areas including compassionate release and acquitted conduct. Read more from the commission.

Legislation that would effectively ban transgender health care in the state has now passed both the House and Senate and is on its way to the governor’s desk, the Tennessean reports. The bill, HB1/SB1, passed the House today by a vote of 77-16. It had passed the Senate earlier this month. Under the legislation, doctors can be held liable for providing transgender related health care such as hormone therapy, puberty blockers and surgeries to minors. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee announced several weeks ago that it would challenge the legislation if it became law. Read today's statement. Also today, the House approved legislation that would prohibit "adult-oriented" entertainment from public property and restrict it to age-restricted venues. According to the Tennessean, the bill classifies "male and female impersonators" as adult cabaret performers and bans "adult-oriented performances that are harmful to minors," as defined in the state’s obscenity law. The state Senate had previously approved a slightly different version so the House-passed bill will next go to the Senate for its consideration.