U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, Republican of Knoxville, is pushing for a vote on his long-running bill to ban members of Congress and their families from trading stocks, telling Knox News that if House Speaker Mike Johnson does not act by Nov. 28, a bipartisan group will file a discharge petition to force the issue. Burchett, who has made the effort a priority since taking office in 2018, compared the practice to insider trading and pointed to reports of lawmakers conducting extensive stock transactions in industries they oversee. The Restore Trust in Congress Act has 87 cosponsors and would prohibit lawmakers, spouses, dependent children and trustees from buying or selling a range of financial assets. Burchett said broad public support exists for the ban but acknowledged challenges in building momentum in Congress.

Beginning Dec. 1, TBA Today will feature a weekly series to educate TBA members on the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Sept. 16 order soliciting comments from the Tennessee legal community. The order highlights seven points on which the court is requesting feedback as it reassesses its approach to regulation of the legal profession to ensure that all Tennesseans have access to affordable quality legal services. Specifically, the court is seeking feedback on how it approaches accreditation of law schools and practicable alternatives for accreditation, alternatives to law school in preparation for the practice of law, alternative pathways to admission to the bar, modifying requirements for admission without examination, allowing paraprofessionals to do some legal work, and allowing non-lawyer ownership of law firms.

The effort is being undertaken as large segments of the population — especially rural and low-income individuals — cannot secure legal help. According to the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), 1.2 million Tennesseans qualify for LSC-funded legal aid, yet most still receive insufficient assistance due to a lack of resources in their area or due to the restrictions on the types of cases legal service organizations are allowed to accept. In addition, a number of Tennessee counties qualify as “legal deserts.” As of 2020, the state had 20 counties with fewer than 10 lawyers each. According to the court’s order, regulatory structures may contribute to shortages and cost barriers and thus it is open to innovative models that address modern needs.

The TBA currently is accepting feedback from members — email townhall@tnbar.org with your thoughts — and has formed the Legal Access and Regulatory Reform Task Force to gather and review that feedback. Watch TBA Today through the month of December to learn more about the seven points in the Supreme Court’s order and specific ways to engage with the task force. A website with resources will launch next week in conjunction with the first item in the weekly series.

Bradley County authorities have arrested a Cleveland man on allegations that he drove his car toward an area  judge who was walking a pet along a neighborhood street. Joshua Dale Philip Sanford faces charges of aggravated assault and retaliation for a past action, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. The incident, described by investigators as an assault, was reported Thursday. The judge involved has not been identified.

A federal judge has declined to block ongoing book bans at one of Tennessee’s largest school districts ahead of a full trial next fall, the Tennessee Lookout reports. In April, after months of school board meetings and the removal of more than 140 books from school libraries, three high school students sued the Rutherford County Board of Education. The students, represented by the ACLU-TN, argued in initial filings that the book bans violated their First Amendment rights and disadvantaged students by limiting access to “crucial, acclaimed and historical works.” Judge Eli Richardson this week denied a preliminary injunction, declining to stop the district from restricting access to books while the case proceeds. Attorneys for both sides declined to comment on the ruling according to the news source.

President Donald Trump on Friday named new federal district court judge nominees, including Brian Lea for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, according to Reuters. Lea, a former clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and partner at Jones Day, joined the U.S. Department of Justice near the beginning of Trump’s return to office. In the announcement on social media, Trump said, “In his new role, Brian will boldly defend our Constitution and prioritize law and order in Tennessee — he will not let you down.” Trump also nominated Justin Olson to fill a district court seat in the Southern District of Indiana and Megan Benton of Missouri to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. The new picks bring to 34 the number of judicial nominees Trump has announced in his second term. The U.S. Senate has confirmed 19 of them, adding to the 234 judicial nominees confirmed during Trump’s first term.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee last week announced two new appointments to the judicial branch. Bethany Glandorf will serve as circuit court judge in the 20th Judicial District, filling a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Phillip Robinson. Matthew Colvard will serve as district attorney in the 31st Judicial District, appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Christopher Stanford. Both appointments are effective immediately. Glandorf currently serves as special master for the 20th Judicial District's 3rd Circuit Court. She earned her law degree from the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis. Colvard currently serves as interim district attorney for the 31st Judicial District. He earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law. “I am proud to announce the appointment of these highly qualified individuals and value the significant experience they will bring to their respective roles,” Lee said in a news release.

Federal sentencing dates for two former Memphis police officers charged in the 2023 death of Tyre Nichols have been canceled, the Daily Memphian reports. Emmitt Martin and Desmond Mills Jr., who both pleaded guilty to their roles in Nichols’ death, were scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 18 and Dec. 19, respectively. Prosecutors have recommended 40 years for Martin and 15 years for Mills. It is unclear why Martin’s sentencing date was canceled according to the paper. Blake Ballin, Mills’ attorney, argued in a request to move Mills’ sentencing that it should be postponed while the appeals process plays out for his and Martin’s three co-defendants. New dates have not yet been set for either defendant.

The TBA will host the 2026 Construction Law Forum on Jan. 23, 2026, at the Tennessee Bankers Association’s Bradley L. Barrett Training Center in Nashville. The full-day continuing legal education program, offering 6.5 hours of CLE credit, will offer two learning tracks. The first will offer introductory sessions in the morning covering lien rights, case law updates and common construction law mistakes. The second will focus on advanced sessions in the afternoon on the Prompt Pay Act, delay claims, ethics and artificial intelligence in construction law. Participants may register for morning, afternoon or full-day sessions, with programming designed to benefit both new and seasoned construction law practitioners. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Nov. 21 suspended Maury County lawyer James Michael Marshall from the practice of law for five years, with two years to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court found that while representing a client, Marshall submitted a factually inaccurate pleading, then failed to correct the error and failed to reasonably communicate with his client regarding the error. Marshall entered a conditional guilty plea and acknowledged his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct, 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 3.2, 8.1(b) and 8.4(a).

On Nov. 21, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Davidson County lawyer Robert Joseph Turner from the practice of law for one year, with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation subject to Turner engaging a practice monitor. Turner was retained to represent a client in a civil matter. During the pending litigation, at least five separate associates employed by Turner were assigned to handle the litigation, although he remained counsel of record. Over a four year period, Turner, or an associate assigned to the matter who Turner was supervising, failed to appear for hearings on multiple occasions, missed multiple deadlines and failed to comply with orders to contact the court. In dismissing the matter, the trial court cited Turner’s failure to properly represent his client and comply with court orders. Turner agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional 1.3 and 5.1.