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Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 16, 2024

An outside prosecutor is seeking a harsher sentence for a man charged with making threats against a judge, a federal building and other individuals. According to the Chattanoogan, Robert Edward Millsaps, who has a history of violent crime, is accused of threatening to bomb the courtroom of Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Gary Starnes as well as the federal building in Chattanooga. He also was charged with an act of terrorism and filing false reports. Local judges and prosecutors had recused themselves from the case so Bradley Sherman, a circuit court judge from Winchester, presided over the hearing last week. Millsaps is currently held on bond. ABA President Mary Smith noted this past spring that serious threats against judges have doubled since 2019, highlighting the growing concern for the safety of judicial officers.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 16, 2024

State Rep. William Slater, R-Gallatin, is proposing legislation that would allow Tennessee students to use the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as a third option for college entrance exams and qualifying for the state’s Hope Scholarship program. Similar to the ACT and SAT, the CLT assesses foundational logic and reasoning skills through classic and historical texts. Slater, dean of Adult and Online Studies at Welch College, believes the CLT offers a valuable alternative. The Moore County News has more on the proposal.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 16, 2024

Alabama attorney Matthew Brian Ferry died Sept. 10 at the age of 35. Ferry was born in Chattanooga and was a member of the inaugural graduating class at Belmont University College of Law in Nashville, receiving his law degree in 2013. Following graduation, Ferry relocated to Alabama, where he practiced law at the Porter Law Firm in Scottsboro. A funeral was held last week with burial following in the Cedar Hill Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Jackson County Drug Court Indigent Fund, 102 East Laurel St., Ste. 302, Scottsboro, AL 35768, a cause that was close to Ferry's heart, according to the obituary.

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Sep 16, 2024

The Tennessee Supreme Court transferred the law license of Hamilton County lawyer Walter Francis Williams to disability inactive status on Sept. 13. Williams may not practice law while on inactive status but may seek reinstatement by showing that the disability has been removed.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 16, 2024

W.J. Michael Cody, a Memphis attorney who represented Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,  served as Tennessee’s attorney general and as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, has died at the age of 88. Cody a partner at Burch Porter & Johnson since 1961, was instrumental in the legal team representing King during his 1968 visit to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers. Among his work, he successfully convinced a judge to lift an injunction preventing strikers from marching, the Commercial Appeal reports. Cody met with King at the Lorraine Motel not long before King was assassinated on the balcony outside his hotel room. Following King's death, Cody and Memphis pastor James Lawson formed a neighborhood legal services operation to offer free aid to the sanitation workers. That idea expanded into the organization now known as Memphis Area Legal Services, the paper reports. According to the family, a private memorial service will be held with a public celebration of life to take place at a later date.

Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Sep 16, 2024

The Tennessee Bar Association offers Group Health Insurance Plans for its members, and last fall's addition of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee plans brought a 100% increase in participation. Many firms found savings and were able to offer a better national provider network to their attorneys, employees and covered dependents. Enrollment starts this fall, but you can start planning now. Even if you have already renewed your current plan, you can still move to the TBA plan. Contact Buck Orrison with the TBA Member Insurance Group for a 15-minute consultation to review your current plan and the options available this year. Find out more or get a quote now. Open enrollment starts on Sept. 30.

Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Sep 16, 2024

The third installment in TBA’s Mockingbirds & the Rest of Us series will take place Sept. 19. This highly interactive three-part series, taught by Doug Blaze and Buck Lewis — founders of the Institute for Professional Leadership at UT Law — examines the book, movie and recent Aaron Sorkin adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” through the lens of contemporary times. Panelists examine the lynching scene on the porch of the jail, the trial and the final scene on the Finch porch after an attempt on the Finch children’s lives. The full program qualifies for 4.5 dual hours of CLE. Register for part 3 here. View recordings for part 1 and part 2 using the respective links.

Posted by: Jarod Word on Sep 16, 2024

This year’s Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) Boot Camp will take place Oct. 8 in Nashville. This unique opportunity allows lawyers to observe oral arguments in real cases, followed by a Q&A session with CCA judges. Participants will then take a short walk to Lewis Thomason’s Nashville office for a networking lunch and a lawyer’s panel, featuring analysis by the attorneys who participated in the earlier arguments discussing preparation, tips and considerations for deciding to seek review in the CCA. A one-hour ethics session will cap off the day. The event qualifies for 1 dual and 3.5 general hours of CLE credit. Learn more and register here.

Posted by: Jarod Word on Sep 16, 2024

The TBA Appellate Practice Section on Sept. 25 will host a free webinar on unusual appeals. Panelists Nate Kinard, Bill Koch and Jacob Vanzin will discuss the key features of less common but crucial appeal types, including writs of certiorari to inferior tribunals and agencies, interlocutory appeals, extraordinary appeals and writs of mandamus. Don’t miss this opportunity to equip yourself with the knowledge and strategies needed to navigate these procedures that every Tennessee litigator should know. CLE credit for 1.5 hours of general CLE is available for a $60 processing fee. Contact jword@tnbar.org with questions regarding CLE credit. Register now.

Posted by: Azya Thornton on Sep 16, 2024

The TBA Administrative Law Section will host its Annual Forum on Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST at Burr & Forman in Nashville. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The program is designed to help Tennessee administrative lawyers stay current in their practice. Watch for more details on speakers and topics coming soon to the TBA website.


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