TBJ Editorial Board Chair Andrée Blumstein reviews The Licensing Racket: How We Decide Who is Allowed to Work & Why It Goes Wrong by Vanderbilt Law School professor Rebecca Allensworth.

Tennessee Bar Association members who have died recently are memorialized.

Read about the lawyers who have recently been reinstated, disbarred, suspended, censured or transferred their licenses to disability inactive status.

A panel of immigration and tax attorneys will present a one-hour webcast "Global Mobility & Immigration: Choosing to Live and Work Abroad — The Expat Experience" on Nov. 18 at noon CST. The program will cover legal options and requirements for U.S. citizens seeking to live or work abroad. Topics include the financial and logistical commitments involved in relocating, selecting a country and visa or residency option, developing financial and health care plans, and managing U.S. tax obligations. The session will provide a practical introduction to American emigration issues and offer a foundation for attorneys advising clients considering an international move. Make plans to attend now!

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 22 suspended 17 attorneys for failure to pay the annual registration fee, 13 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. Of the lawyers suspended for fee and/or IOLTA violations this year, 11 have been reinstated to either active or inactive status in the last month. Access all administrative suspensions dating back to 2005.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and law firm Gibson Dunn have launched the ADL Legal Action Network, a nationwide coalition law firms offering free legal assistance to victims of antisemitism. The initiative comes in response to rising antisemitic violence and harassment across the U.S, according to a release. With engagement from more than 40 law firms across the country, comprising 39,000 attorneys across 35 states, the network connects victims with attorneys through an online portal that uses AI technology to triage and route cases. Victims of antisemitic discrimination, vandalism or violence can submit reports for evaluation by a team of lawyers. The program builds on ADL’s growing litigation work and its campus-focused helpline, expanding access to pro bono legal support nationwide amid a surge of anti-Jewish incidents.

The DeKalb County Commission voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the county to apply for a Historic Development Grant of up to $500,000 through the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD), funding established for restoring and revitalizing some of the state’s most historic buildings. According to the Herald-Citizen, if approved, the grant would primarily fund preservation and renovation of the DeKalb County Courthouse, which was built in 1970. The County Commission discussed what costs the grant may cover, and decided to continue some of the most needed work, including a current bid to replace the courthouse's HVAC system. If awarded a grant, those funds will be used for other courthouse renovations.

Knox County General Sessions Judge Andrew Jackson VI announced his retirement, effective Dec. 31. Jackson has served Knox County for more than 40 years. Born in Knoxville and raised in Maryville, Jackson earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee (now Winston) College of Law in 1981. Jackson joined the law firm Wortley and Jackson and, in 1985, entered the Knox County District Attorney (DA) General's Office, where he served until his election to the bench in 2006. He has been re-elected twice. When asked about his decision to retire, Jackson said, “It has been my honor and privilege to serve the people of Knox County. I am grateful for the support I have received during my time as an assistant DA and as judge. I feel that now is the time to step down for the next generation of judges. Now I wish to spend time traveling with my wife and pursuing woodworking and photography,” Jackson said in a release. A retirement reception for Jackson will be held Dec. 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. CST in the City-County Building Small Assembly Room.

Fourteen years after a viral Facebook page turned Knoxville attorney Stephen A. Burroughs into a local meme legend, the story of “Swagfest” remains an East Tennessee iconic internet moment, Knox News reports. It began in 2011, when University of Tennessee freshman Ryan Clark created a page filled with memes featuring Burroughs’ billboard photo and exaggerated captions like “King of Knoxville; My Palace Is the Sunsphere.” After Burroughs promised a party if the page hit 10,000 likes, thousands gathered at the Sunsphere and Knoxville Convention Center for the free Swagfest, where Burroughs arrived in a Hummer limousine, handed out prizes and urged donations to United Way. What started as a college meme evolved into a real-world celebration of viral fame long before influencers and internet culture became mainstream. "What's unique is that everyone knew who he was, but they didn't know him, now, it's like they're friends with him. You cannot buy that advertisement," Internet Marketing Expert Group CEO Justin Jones told the news outlet.

An assistant professor at the University of Tennessee (UT) at Knoxville is suing the university for suspending her over a social media comment she made criticizing political activist Charlie Kirk after he was assassinated. Tamar Shirinian filed the complaint Oct. 29 in federal court, naming the university, Chancellor Donde Plowman, UT System President Randy Boyd and Faculty Senate President Charles Noble. The suit claims that the officials were under national political pressure to fire her and tried to protect the university against backlash from donors instead of defending her free speech rights under the First Amendment, Knox News reports. Shirinian says her comments were private political speech. She is asking to be allowed back in the classroom and for the university to drop termination proceedings against her. “As a matter of practice, the University of Tennessee System does not comment on pending or active litigation,” a UT System spokesperson told Knox News in response to the suit.