The Tennessee Supreme Court on June 9 issued an order granting permission for the Board of Professional Responsibility to file a response to Brian Kirk Kelsey’s filing seeking immediate reinstatement. It also allowed Kelsey to file a response to the board’s response if he chooses to do so. The court suspended Kelsey from the practice of law in 2022 after he pleaded guilty to an illegal campaign finance scheme. President Donald Trump pardoned Kelsey in March.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on June 3 directed Davidson County attorney Carrie Archie Russell to complete outstanding requirements with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) after she filed a petition for reinstatement. The court ruled that if the outstanding obligations are not satisfied by July 17, it will dismiss the petition for reinstatement.

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred Hamilton County lawyer Alan Christopher Norton from the practice of law on June 4. The court reports that Norton consented to disbarment because he could not successfully defend himself against the disciplinary charges. The court found that Norton forged a chancellor’s signature on three court orders, forged the name of a Tennessee attorney on a fake motion, and forged a deposition transcript he provided to his client. These actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.4, 8.4(b) and 8.4(c). The court had suspended him temporarily on Dec. 16, 2024, finding that he posed a threat of substantial harm to the public.

Effective May 27, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Shelby County lawyer Archie Sanders III from the practice of law for one year, with two months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to conditions. The court found that while handling a probate matter, Sanders unreasonably delayed filing the petition to probate, unreasonably delayed seeking partition of certain real property in the estate, failed to communicate reasonably with his clients and failed to properly conclude representation of the clients. In a separate matter involving litigation with an insurance company, the court found Sanders failed to communicate reasonably with his clients, diligently perform the necessary work and reasonably expedite the litigation. Sanders executed a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16, 3.2 and 8.4(d). During the probation period, he must engage a practice monitor to assess his caseload, case management, timeliness of performing tasks and adequacy of communication with clients. The monitor is to provide a monthly written report to the Board of Professional Responsibility.

A number of lawyers have been reinstated after being suspended for administrative violations. Seven lawyers have been reinstated after completing required continuing legal education hours (four were suspended in 2024, one in 2023, one in 2022 and one in 2020). In addition, 18 lawyers have been reinstated after paying their annual registration fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility (15 were suspended in 2025, one in 2024, one in 2022 and one in 2020). And 14 lawyers have been reinstated after paying their annual fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility (nine were suspended in 2025, two in 2024, one in 2023, one in 2019 and one in 2009. The TBA has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 21 suspended 17 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; 11 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 2025 or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

North Carolina lawyer Brian Keith Leonard was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on May 20. He had been placed on inactive status more than five years ago, on Feb. 11, 2019. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported that it found the petition for reinstatement to be satisfactory.

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Georgia lawyer James Darren McWilliams to disability inactive status on May 21. McWilliams may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the court to return to the practice of law by showing the disability has been removed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has rejected the Board of Professional Responsibility’s (BPR) proposed discipline for Shelby County lawyer Sheila L. Robinson-Beasley. The court issued an order on May 15 directing the BPR to reconsider its April 11th order recommending approval of a conditional guilty plea. The court said it had concerns that the proposed punishment of suspension, and particularly the period of active suspension, was too lenient.

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred Davidson County lawyer James Daniel Marshall from the practice of law on May 20. The court also ordered Marshall to pay $2,000 in restitution to a former client and return all property taken from her within 30 days. The court took the action based on two complaints. The court found that Marshall failed to communicate with his clients, respond to multiple motions filed against his clients, comply with a court order requiring response, submit timely discovery responses, preserve client property, participate in court-scheduled conference calls, move his clients’ cases forward, and respond to disciplinary investigations. He also was found to have caused a client's lawsuit to be dismissed with prejudice. According to the court, Marshall's actions violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.15, 3.2, 3.4, 8.1, and 8.4(a), (b), (c), (d) and (g).