The Tennessee Supreme Court today placed four lawyers on disability inactive status. They are Davidson County lawyer Ronald André Stewart, Madison County lawyer James H. Wallace, Virginia lawyer Hannah Andrea Gribble and Mississippi lawyer Rhett R. Russell. They may not practice law while on inactive status but may petition the court for reinstatement to active status after showing their disability has been removed.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 18 attorneys on Monday 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 Tennessee Supreme Court rejected a reinstatement request from Davidson County lawyer John P. Brown Jr. on Friday. Brown had been suspended for failure to complete the mandatory IOLTA statement as required by Tennessee Supreme Court rules. On April 18, Brown filed a petition for reinstatement but failed to submit his noncompliance fee, delinquent compliance fee and suspension fee as required. Brown then requested reinstatement without payment of the fees. The court rejected that request saying there is no process in the rules for waiving the fee requirement.

Shelby County lawyer Robert Sadler Bailey Jr., received a public censure yesterday from the Tennessee Supreme Court for failing to hold disputed funds in a trust account until the dispute was resolved. The court determined that Bailey violated Rule of Professional Conduct 1.15(e).

Davidson County attorney Tyree B. Harris IV was reinstated to the practice of law today. He had been placed on inactive status on April 29, 2022. The Board of Professional Responsibility indicated that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court made his reinstatement effective as of May 2.

Shelby County lawyer Mary Margaret Cross was reinstated to the practice of law after being on inactive status since March 24, 1999. The Tennessee Supreme Court issued the reinstatement order today but made it effective as of April 14.

Knox County lawyer James Kidwell Scott received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on April 27. The court found that Scott did not (1) provide his client with a copy of the discovery propounded to the client for four months, (2) inform the client when two separate motions to compel discovery were filed, (3) comply with court deadlines for the production of discovery and (4) inform his client of deadlines and other court orders. In a second suit filed for the client, Scott failed to provide a copy of the discovery propounded to the client. His actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2 , 1.3, 1.4, 3.2, 3.4 and 8.4(d).

The Tennessee Supreme Court today reinstated Davidson County lawyer William Parker Woods with an effective date of April 19. Woods petitioned the court for reinstatement after being placed on inactive status in December 2015. The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility reported to the court that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory and Woods had met the requirements for reinstatement.

Greene County lawyer Crystal Goan Jessee received a public censure today from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Jessee filed a poorly drafted and ambiguous motion to recuse while also making a frivolous statement concerning the judge’s representation of his current wife in a prior divorce proceeding without making reasonable inquiry regarding the truth of this assertion. Further, Jessee made a reckless statement that the judge had endorsed her opponent in an election in violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Jessee was found to have violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3 (diligence), 3.1 (meritorious claims and contentions), and 8.2 (judicial and legal officials).

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended 12 attorneys last week for failure to pay the annual registration fee; three 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.