TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Apr 9, 2026

On April 7, Hawkins County lawyer Emily Cross Morley received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Morley was hired to represent a client after a petition to recover personal property was filed against the client. The court found that Morley failed to notify the client of the trial date, which led to the court entering a judgement in favor of the opposing side in September 2024. The Supreme Court also found that Morley failed to communicate with the client about the outcome of the trial and judgment entered for 13 months. These actions were deemed to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 3.2 and 8.4.