The Putnam County Bar Association kicked off the new year with a meeting on Jan. 22. The following leaders were elected for 2026: President Russell Tribble, Vice President Taylor Beth Gothard, Treasurer Dale Bohannon and Secretary Rachel Moses. Tribble practices as an assistant district attorney with the Office of the District Attorney General for the 13th Judicial District. Gothard practices with the Law Office of Joy Buck Gothard. Bohannon practices with the Law Office of Dale Bohannon. Moses practices with the Legal Aid Society. All are in Cookeville.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Jan. 22 suspended 22 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee, 12 of whom also failed to file proof that client funds are held in an IOLTA-compliant account. View the fee suspension order and IOLTA suspension order. Lawyers reinstated in the last month include nine suspended in 2025 and one suspended in 2021. Access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The Tennessee Supreme Court currently is considering a range of potential changes to regulation of the state's legal profession. In response, the TBA has formed the Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force to consider the issues, and make recommendations for any proposed action to the TBA Board of Governors. Members are encouraged to become familiar with the issues as well and provide feedback to the task force. Comments to the task force should be submitted via email to townhall@tnbar.org. Comments also may be filed directly with the court. Visit TBA's Legal Access & Regulatory Reform resource page to learn more about the areas the court is reviewing.

New Memphis Bar Association (MBA) leaders recently took office at the group’s Annual Meeting. They are: President and Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Iverson; Vice President Matt May with Rosenblum & Reisman; Secretary/Treasurer Justin Joy, a shareholder at Lewis Thomason; and Immediate Past President Lauran Stimac with Evans Petree. Six board members also took office: Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Judge Taylor Bachelor, Will Gibbons with the City of Memphis, Mathew Jehl with Burch, Porter & Johnson, Charles Mitchell with Black McLaren Ryland & Griffee, Amber Griffin Shaw with Harris Shelton and Van Turner with Turner Feild Law. Read more in a news release from the group and see photos from the meeting.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division is hosting a Leadership and Law Academy in Chattanooga! The academy is for all high school students in the 10th, 11th and 12th grades. Qualified students must be interested in pursuing a legal career and be motivated learners who actively participate in school classes. The academy will take place during a teacher in-service day on March 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.  Applicants must be available to attend the entire day and have parent permission to participate. The academy will provide students with an opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge about the legal system, meet local judges and lawyers, and learn about legal careers. There is no cost to attend. Interested students should apply here by Feb. 20.

Knox County lawyer Carey Davis Patin was reinstated to the practice of law on Jan. 21 after being on inactive status since Aug. 4, 2020. Patin filed a reinstatement petition, which the Board of Professional Responsibility found to be satisfactory.

Bristol lawyer Myers Newton Massengill died Jan. 19 at the age of 84. A 1964 graduate of the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law, Massengill practiced law for over 55 years. He was active in several legal and civic organizations, including serving as president of the Bristol Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association for Northeast Tennessee and Rocky Mount Historic Association. He also previously served as chair of the Salvation Army Board of Bristol and as a board member of the United Way of Bristol. A funeral service will be held on Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. EST at State Street United Methodist Church. Visitation will take place at the church before the service from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Memorial contributions may be sent to the church at 650 Valley Dr., Bristol, VA 24201 or the Salvation Army of Bristol, 137 M.L.K. Blvd., Bristol, TN 37620.

Courts across parts of Tennessee closed and adjusted operations this week because of severe winter weather, prompting deadline extensions and emergency measures, while federal disaster assistance was approved statewide. In Davidson County, the Metropolitan Historic Courthouse and the Justice A.A. Birch Courthouse were closed Monday and Tuesday, and all deadlines for matters pending in the 20th Judicial District have been extended by two days due to many practitioners and litigants lacking power or internet access. It is discretionary for each judge to determine how this impacts their hearing and other court schedules. According to the Daily Memphian, in Shelby County, circuit, general sessions, criminal, probate and civil courts, including the clerk’s office, were closed today, with the clerk’s 24-hour bail office remaining open. Juvenile Court canceled most dockets and held select hearings virtually. Staff worked remotely, and hearings were reset to next available docket date if families could not attend virtually. Additionally, President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration on Saturday authorizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide disaster assistance in all 95 Tennessee counties, including 75% federally funded emergency protective measures, with Mary Hernandez Marrero named federal coordinating officer for the response.

Cade Cothren, the former chief of staff to ex-Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada who was charged, convicted and later pardoned by President Donald Trump in a federal fraud and bribery case, told the Nashville Post on Tuesday that he intends to seek the House District 71 seat. The seat is currently held by Rep. Kip Capley, R-Summertown. Cothren and Casada were previously charged with federal crimes and went to trial in 2025. “I am seriously considering a run for state representative because our government has been taken over by insiders who protect themselves and punish anyone who refuses to fall in line,” Cothren told the publication, adding that he has pulled a petition related to the effort. The Tennessean reports that the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance fined Cothren $80,000 last week for eight violations tied to his Faith Family Freedom Fund political action committee, saying he misled the public and violated campaign finance rules. Cothren must pay the penalty by March 10 or he will be barred from running for office. 

Gov. Bill Lee will deliver his final State of the State address to the General Assembly and Tennesseans at 6 p.m. CST on Feb. 2 during a joint session in the House chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol. “As we begin our final year together, I’m grateful for what we’ve accomplished and confident that the decisions we make today will help define Tennessee’s next chapter and our role in America’s future.” Gov. Lee said in a press release. The address will be streamed on Lee’s Facebook, YouTube and aired statewide.