The Tennessee Supreme Court today denied a petition for reciprocal discipline from Knox County lawyer Elliott James Schuchardt, who was asking the court to suspend him for two years following a similar suspension by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The district court also imposed conditions on his reinstatement. The state Supreme Court rejected that approach, saying that the factual allegations that served “as an underlying basis” for the federal court order are now the subject of disciplinary proceedings in Tennessee involving a petition for discipline and two supplemental petitions for discipline. The Board of Professional Responsibility alleges that Schuchardt’s purpose in filing the petition was to “execute an ‘end-run’ around the pending disciplinary proceedings prior to a final disposition …”.

Knox County lawyer Bethany Taylor Greenoe was reinstated to the practice of law today. She had been placed on inactive status on May 21, 2011. The Board of Professional Responsibility indicated that the petition for reinstatement was satisfactory. The Tennessee Supreme Court made her reinstatement effective as of Feb. 28.

Rutherford County lawyer Andre Chase Rabideau was suspended from the practice of law today. The Tennessee Supreme Court took the action after learning that Rabideau failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility concerning a complaint of misconduct.

Puerto Rico lawyer Rafael Velez on Friday was suspended from the practice of law in Tennessee for one year, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The probation is conditioned on compliance with a practice monitoring agreement and payment of all costs and fees associated with the disciplinary action. Velez agreed to a conditional guilty plea as to two separate disciplinary complaints and acknowledged his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.15, 1.16(d), 3.2, 3.4(c), and 8.1(b).

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended 67 attorneys who did not pay the annual professional privilege tax as required. The attorneys include those living in Tennessee as well as 12 other states. View the order or see the list with any reinstatements noted.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended 13 attorneys 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 law license of Knox County lawyer James Robert Stacy was transferred to disability inactive status today pursuant to Section 27.3 of Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. Stacy may not practice law while on inactive status. He may petition the court for reinstatement by showing that his disability has been removed.

The state Supreme Court reinstated the license of Shelby County attorney Justin Leslie Bailey effective Feb. 6, after Bailey completed requirements of the BPR.

Davidson County lawyer Jonathan Lionel Stein was reinstated to the practice of law as of Feb. 16 on Friday. He had been placed on inactive status Dec. 7, 2016. Also on Friday, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued an order reinstating Arizona lawyer Jessica Lynn Torres to the practice of law. She had been placed on inactive status on May 9, 2012. The court made her reinstatement effective as of Jan. 23. The court said that the Board of Professional Responsibility deemed both petitions for reinstatement to be satisfactory.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today denied a motion from Knox County lawyer Keri Elizabeth Rule for a show cause hearing. The court took the action after the Board of Professional Responsibility opposed it.