The Tennessee Supreme Court has notified Florida lawyer Katherine Kemp that she needs to complete outstanding obligations with the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education (CLE) before her petition for reinstatement will be considered. The court gave her until Dec. 23 to complete the requirements or indicated it would dismiss the petition. Kemp filed for reinstatement on Oct. 25.

Davidson County lawyer Wendell Cornelius Dawson was reinstated to the practice of law on Nov. 7. He had been suspended on Jan. 26 for three years, with three months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. His reinstatement is conditioned on engaging a practice monitor during the probationary period and incurring no new complaints related to the conduct for which he was suspended.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has reinstated the law license of Williamson County lawyer Jason Scott Mangrum. On Oct. 4, Mangrum was suspended by the court for six months with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. Mangrum filed a reinstatement petition on Oct. 28. The Board of Professional Responsibility found the petition to be satisfactory.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has transferred the law license of Davidson County lawyer Steven Lee Lefkovitz to disability inactive status. Lefkovitz may not practice law while on disability inactive status. He may return to the practice of law after reinstatement by the Tennessee Supreme Court by showing that the disability has been removed.

On Oct. 30, Maury County lawyer James Michael Marshall was suspended from the practice of law for five years, with four years to be served on active suspension and one year on probation. During the probationary period he is required to retain a practice monitor. The Tennessee Supreme Court found that Marshall failed to reasonably communicate with his client, act in a diligent manner, expedite litigation, pursue in a timely fashion the objectives of his client, communicate with his client that he accepted new employment, place client funds into trust, properly withdraw from representation, and failed to take reasonable steps to protect the client’s interest after terminating representation. His conduct was determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.2(a), 1.3, 1.4, 1.15, 1.16(c), 3.2, 3.4(c) and 8.4(a). The court also issued an order temporarily suspending Marshall for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about a complaint of misconduct. This suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has asked the Board of Professional Responsibility to review the actions of Kentucky lawyer Darren Craig Lamb and take whatever action the board may deem warranted. In August, Lamb entered a plea of nolo contendere to the Class A misdemeanors of stalking, harassment and violation of a No Contact Order in the case of State of Tennessee v. Darren Craig Lamb. The Davidson County General Sessions Court judge who heard the case granted judicial diversion pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. §40-35-313.

The Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Knox County lawyer Gary Lee Anderson from the practice of law after finding that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about a misconduct complaint. Anderson is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Nov. 28. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has transferred the law licenses of Gibson County lawyer Clifford Dwight Hawks and Knox County lawyer William Wright Petty to disability inactive status. Hawks and Petty may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing by clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed.

Carter County lawyer Jason Lee Holly was temporarily suspended from the practice of law after the Tennessee Supreme Court found that he failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding three misconduct complaints. Holly is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases and must cease representing existing clients by Nov. 27. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

Colorado lawyer Melanie Beth Shada has received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court. Shada was hired by a client to prepare estate planning documents. The court found that she sent draft documents to the client, but failed to finalize the documents or respond to multiple requests for information. She also failed to respond in a timely manner to the disciplinary complaint. Her actions were determined to violate Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 8.1.