The Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order yesterday conditioning reinstatement of Rhea County lawyer Lee R. Thurman on completion of required CLE hours. Thurman filed a petition on Aug. 23 seeking reinstatement of his law license. The Board of Professional Responsibility reported it was not opposed to reinstatement but the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education reported that Thurman was not compliant with CLE requirements. The court gave Thurman until Oct. 12 to satisfy those obligations or said it would dismiss his petition.

Two lawyers recently were reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee after being on inactive status. They are: Montgomery County lawyer Dillon E. Barker and Shelby County lawyer Zipporah Williams. Read about their specific cases in the Tennessee Supreme Court orders linked above.

Over the last several days, the Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated 13 lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the Aug. 25 order, the Aug. 28 order and Aug. 29 order or see the list of all those reinstated online.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday reinstated five lawyers and today reinstated three lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the Aug. 23 order, the Aug. 24 order or see the list of all those reinstated online.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday reinstated four lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the order or see the list of those reinstated online.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Davidson County lawyer Newton S. Holiday III from the practice of law on Aug. 17 for two years, with six months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court conditioned reinstatement on payment of $9,500 in restitution, engagement of a practice monitor and payment of the disciplinary costs. The court found that Holiday failed to act with reasonable diligence; failed to communicate with a client or keep her informed of significant events and developments in her case; accepted representation pursuant to a contingent fee agreement that was not in writing; and secured the client’s acceptance of a settlement without advising the client of his conflict of interest. These actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5(c), 1.8(h) and 8.4(a).

Four lawyers recently were reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee after being on inactive status. They are: Washington, D.C., lawyer Marc Scandlyn Brewen, Virginia lawyer Katherine Villane Johnson, Williamson County lawyer Erika D. Roberts and Alabama lawyer Amanda Kay Snipes. Read about their specific cases in the Tennessee Supreme Court orders linked above.

The Tennessee Supreme Court yesterday reinstated 18 lawyers who had been suspended for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the order or see the list of those reinstated online.

The Supreme Court of Tennessee yesterday suspended 143 attorneys for failing to complete annual continuing legal education requirements in 2022. View the Aug. 17 order or see the full list online, which notes 23 attorneys who were reinstated today. Access all administrative suspension lists dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court dismissed a reinstatement petition filed by Blount County lawyer Charles David Deas on Aug. 8. Deas was suspended on Oct. 12, 2020, and remained suspended until the court transferred his law license to disability inactive status on March 18, 2022. The Board of Professional Responsibility opposed reinstatement. The court agreed, saying Deas failed to provide a factual or legal basis for reinstatement; that he failed to attach evidence demonstrating a change in his physical or mental health; and that he sought relief only from the temporary suspension, which was dissolved when he was transferred to disability inactive status.