Blount County lawyer David Arthur Walker was temporarily suspended from the practice of law on June 3. The Tennessee Supreme Court said it took the action after finding that Walker was substantially non-compliant with a Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program monitoring agreement and poses a threat of substantial harm to the public. He is immediately precluded from accepting new cases and he must cease representing existing clients by July 3. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

Knox County lawyer Troy Lee Bowlin was temporarily suspended from the practice of law on June 3. The Tennessee Supreme Court said it took the action after finding that Bowlin misappropriated client funds and posed a threat of substantial harm to the public. Bowlin is immediately precluded from accepting new cases and he must cease representing existing clients by July 3. The suspension will remain in effect until dissolution or modification by the court.

President Donald Trump announced today that he plans to name acting U.S. Attorney General (AG) Todd Blanche as the “permanent attorney general.” According to Bloomberg Law, a video posted by White House adviser Dan Scavino showed Trump making the announcement during a Rose Garden event. Blanche, a former personal lawyer to Trump, has served as acting attorney general since the president dismissed former AG Pam Bondi in early April. Before that, Blanche had been Bondi’s chief deputy.

Next week’s TBA Convention will include a new element for lunch on Thursday. After grabbing a boxed lunch, attendees will be able to choose one of three Lunch & Learn opportunities. In the Summit Ballroom, Josh McIntyre, an attorney and senior manager of bar partnerships at Clio, will present “Increasing Law Firm Productivity with AI.” The session will focus on productivity, highlighting how AI streamlines workflows and scales operations without compromising the essential human touch or quality of work. In Salon C, Melanie Watson, a judicial education coordinator with Our Family Wizard, will present “Co-Parenting in the Digital Age: Improving Outcomes & Reducing Litigation with Our Family Wizard.” Watson will discuss the all-in-one co-parenting app that allows families to share a schedule, track expenses and stay connected. Finally, in Salon B, the TBA Attorney Engagement & Opportunity Committee will hold a session to hear from lawyers and answer questions about its work. Make plans now to join one of these informative breakouts next week!

Since the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, programs intended to help minority students, job seekers, workers and business owners have been challenged, upended and sometimes declared illegal. This one-hour webcast from the TBA will explore the outlook for race-conscious employment policies and what the implications are for Tennessee lawyers. Join Casey Duhart with Acadia Healthcare Inc., Mohamed Faizer with the Lincoln Memorial University Duncan School of Law, and John Winemiller with Merchant & Gould for this informative session. Learn more and register on the TBA website.

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission met in Jonesborough to select nominees for a vacancy in the 1st Judicial District Criminal Court. After holding a public hearing and conducting public interviews, the commission selected three lawyers: Blountville attorney Tessa Nichole Lunceford, Erwin lawyer Robert Mitchell Manuel and Jonesborough lawyer Lawrence Scott Shults. The candidate selected will fill a vacancy created by the appointment of Judge Stacy Street to the appellate bench. The 1st Judicial District covers Carter, Johnson, Unicoi and Washington counties. Learn more about the candidates. 

TBA's Litigation Section recently hosted Perspectives from the Bench, a discussion with Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Jeff Bivins and Nashville School of Law Dean William Koch, who served on the Supreme Court from 2007-2014. Moderated by section members Hunter Branstetter and Todd Presnell, the panel discussed each justice's path to the bench, paying particular attention to the fact that the path is not always linear. Bivins and Koch encouraged attendees to be open to new opportunities and to embrace stepping outside their comfort zones. The group also discussed the importance of mentors, the manner in which the justices interact, the importance of the Rule of Law in society and more. See photos from the event.

This year’s TBA LGBT Forum, set for June 26, will feature a session with Tennessee’s first transgender elected official, Olivia Hill, who was voted as a council member at-large for the Metropolitan Council Office of Nashville and Davidson County in 2023. Hill has long served as a community leader, educating the public about the difficulties faced by women and the LGBTQ+ community. Hill was recently recognized as the Advocate of the Year by the Tennessee Pride Chamber. Other topics at the forum include constitutional protections, Chiles v. Salazar and the consequences of conversion therapy. The first 10 registrants will receive a reserved seat on Nashville’s Big Drag Bus for a two-hour tour of the city with LGBT Section leadership. Learn more and register here.

TBA YLD Middle Tennessee Governor Alix Rogers was recently named an "ABA Member Who Inspires" for her work on the TBA YLD Rural Judicial Fellowship (RJF) program. In addition to her role as governor, Rogers serves as the co-chair of the RJF program with Judge Zack Walden, is vice chair of the TBA Mentoring Committee and is the TBA ABA YLD representative. Read more in this profile in the ABA Journal.

Following a bench trial, Deviest Patton (“Appellant”) was found not guilty by reason of insanity. The trial court ordered Appellant to be diagnosed and evaluated pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated section 33-7-303(a)(1). Upon completion of the evaluation, the State filed a complaint for judicial commitment. Following an evidentiary hearing, the court ordered Appellant to be judicially committed. On appeal, Appellant asserts the trial court erred by ordering judicial hospitalization. Discerning no error, we affirm.