TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jul 9, 2025

Wayne County lawyer Joshua Howard Polk received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on July 9. After agreeing to represent clients in a water rights case, a third party joined the litigation. Polk determined that a conflict of interest was created by the new party, which mandated his withdrawal. While the court said it was reasonable for Polk to help his clients identify subsequent counsel, it found that he waited 14 months to withdraw. This resulted in unnecessary delay in the litigation, halting progress on the case and postponing a hearing on the opposing party’s motion for summary judgment. The court determined that his actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.7(a)(2), 1.16(a). 3.2 and 8.4(d).