The Tennessee Supreme Court on Dec. 23 suspended 15 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee; nine 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 2024 — including 21 recently reinstated — or access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday issued an opinion in Pharma Conference Education Inc. v. State rejecting the state’s argument that its contract with Pharma Inc. was not enforceable because the company’s promise to perform was “illusory.” The court instead held that Pharma’s promise to provide the University of Tennessee Health Science Center as many continuing education programs as feasible was a real obligation and therefore adequate consideration for the contract. The state had sought to terminate the agreement, but Pharma sued for breach of contract. Chief Justice Holly Kirby concurred in the majority decision but wrote separately to argue that depositions in the case could not be used to contradict the contract. Read more about the opinions from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Oral History Committee of the Lawyers' Association for Women (LAW) Marion Griffin Chapter on Friday presented a film featuring the life and impactful work of U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Senior Judge Martha "Cissy" Daughtrey, a founder of LAW. The film was followed by a panel discussion featuring members of the legal community who have worked with Daughtrey over the years and who spoke about her impact on gender equity in the legal profession. The group capped off the night with its annual holiday celebration. See a photo from the event.

Atlanta lawyer Robert Andrew Free received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Dec. 19. Free represented a client in an immigration application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). A request for evidence was sent to Free’s office from USCIS, but he did not respond and did not send the request to his client. A decision was issued in the matter and sent to Free’s office a few months later, and he did not inform his client of the decision. Three years later, Free’s neglect was discovered, and he cooperated with the client’s subsequent attorney in seeking to reopen the immigration application. The court found these actions violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4 and 8.4(d).

Did you miss some of TBA's most popular programs this year? Don't worry; you can catch the webcast replay! Earn ethics hours and choose your CLE a la carte from programs like Business Law Forum 2024: Professional Conduct Through the Lens of HBO Max’s Succession on Dec. 26; Law Tech Webcast Series — 60 Legal Tech Tips, Tricks, Gadgets and Websites in 60 Minutes on Dec. 27; What Overrated Rock Bands Teach About Attorney Ethics on Dec. 30; and Shift Happens: Surviving the Law Profession from the Women in the Profession Committee on Dec. 31. Check out all of the webcast replays to choose from in the CLE Course Catalog.

The TBA will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday in observance of the Christmas holiday. Offices will reopen Thursday at 8 a.m. CST. Online CLE programming will remain available throughout the holidays.

This week's installment of TBA's Indigent Representation Primer is now available. The new post provides information about the process for appointing counsel for indigent clients in Tennessee. After the court has determined a litigant indigent, and eligible for appointed counsel, they must ensure that the defendant receives legal representation by appointing an attorney. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 13 articulates the right to counsel and procedure for appointment of counsel, which may be one of the state’s public defenders or a private attorney. In criminal cases, district public defender offices are the initial source for appointed counsel, however, due to inherent limitations such as conflicts of interest or high caseloads, it is impossible for public defenders to serve all the state’s indigent defendants. In these cases, as well as juvenile dependency and neglect cases or when a Guardians ad Litem (GAL) is required, the court may appoint a private attorney instead. In Tennessee, a court's selection of an appointed attorney may be based on a combination of factors, including availability, expertise or conflict checks. Read past primer posts.

Gov. Bill Lee granted executive clemency in the form of a pardon to 43 individuals convicted of crimes, who have served their sentences and been out of prison for at least five years, according to a new annual list, the Daily Memphian reports. Lee said the list, which was compiled with recommendations from the Tennessee Board of Parole, includes individuals who have demonstrated "exemplary citizenship" since their release. “It’s a powerful tool, and I do not take it lightly,” Lee told reporters ahead of the list’s release. “They show a rehabilitative effort that is unique.”

KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judge. Broadgate, Inc. appeals an order in which the Department of Labor found that Broadgate had willfully violated the Immigration and Nationality Act. We reject its arguments and affirm.

SUTTON, Chief Judge. In Michigan, as in seventeen other States, citizens may use ballot initiatives to amend the State’s Constitution. Two Michigan state senators and nine state representatives argue that, if citizens use the initiative to regulate federal elections, that process violates the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution. Because they lack standing to bring the lawsuit, we affirm the district court’s dismissal under Civil Rule 12(b)(1). We affirm.