It’s open enrollment season for TBA’s group health insurance plan and one law firm administrator is touting the benefits of the plan for lawyers in his office. Cornelius & Collins Firm Administrator Mark E. McMickle says, “If you are in the market for group health insurance, I highly recommend evaluating plans offered by TBA Member Insurance Solutions. We found their plans significantly more affordable in another year of sharply increasing health insurance premiums. Our experience dealing with TBA Member Insurance Solutions has always been exemplary. They provide answers and direction in an otherwise complicated regulatory area. Over the years as a law firm administrator, I have had the pleasure of assisting two firms with making the move to the TBA. Time and money matter, and we saved both by making the move to TBA Member Insurance Solutions. Learn more about the plans offered and get a quote today. Apply by Dec. 5 for coverage starting Jan. 1, 2026.

New Orleans lawyer Daryl Andre Gray was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Oct. 27. He had been suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on March 10, 2025, for six months, with two months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. Gray filed a petition for reinstatement on Aug. 29 and the Board of Professional Responsibility found it to be satisfactory. The court conditioned reinstatement on the engagement of a practice monitor for four months.

Roane County lawyer Dana C. Hansen Chavis received a public censure from the Tennessee Supreme Court on Oct. 28. While Chavis was employed as a federal public defender with the Federal Defender Services of East Tennessee, she was assigned to appear pro hac vice to represent a death row defendant in a post-conviction appellate matter in Virginia. The court found that during the proceedings, Chavis failed to make reasonably diligent efforts to comply with a discovery request by an opposing party and negligently failed to disclose and produce material evidence responsive to a discovery request. Chavis agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging her conduct violated Virginia Rules of Professional Conduct 3.4(e) dealing with fairness to opposing party or counsel.

Services will be held tomorrow, Oct. 29, for former Nashville judge and attorney Stanley A. Kweller, who died last night. The funeral will take place at The Temple, 5015 Harding Pike, Nashville 37205 at 1 p.m. CDT. Interment will follow at The Temple cemetery. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed on Zoom. Register here to receive the link. Shiva minyans will take place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the home of Sandra & Steve Hecklin, 6052 Robin Hill Rd., Nashville 37205. Kweller presided over Davidson County’s 4th Circuit Court from January 2023 to August 2024 following the passage of Judge Phil Smith. He also was a prosecutor in upper East Tennessee and practiced family law in Nashville at Kweller Law. Arrangements were announced by Circuit Court Judge Stephanie J. Williams. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to Nashville Wine Auction, Park Center Nashville or The Temple.

A $1 million pledge to the University of Tennessee Winston College of Law recently was made on behalf of Chattanooga law firm Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers. The gift will support scholarships for students interested in pursuing legal careers in advocacy, as well as the Douglas A. Blaze Leadership and John K. Morgan scholarships. “Winston Law deeply appreciates the continued support of Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers,” said Dean Lonnie T. Brown Jr. “The firm’s significant investment in our students and programs helps ensure that our advocacy tradition remains strong and continues to prepare future litigators for successful and fulfilling careers with our signature commitment to serving the public good.” Read more in a release.

Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert plans to appeal a ruling that allows ouster proceedings against her to resume, the Commercial Appeal reports. The announcement came a day after the Tennessee Court of Appeals reinstated the case against her, reversing a Shelby County Circuit Court judge's ruling that the case be dismissed for a lack of standing. The issue centers on whether the outside counsel bringing the case on behalf of the Shelby County Attorney's Office has standing to sue. Halbert, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection, has faced a range of complaints during her time in office, including a previous ouster attempt that ultimately was dismissed.

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti this week announced a $1 million 33-state settlement with online clothing retailer TFG Holding Inc., which operates JustFab, ShoeDazzle and FabKids. The settlement resolves allegations that the company deceived consumers about its VIP Membership Program and made cancellations and refunds unreasonably difficult. Of the total amount to be paid, $110,781.35 will go automatically to affected Tennessee consumers. Others who wish to seek refunds may do so by submitting a written complaint to TFGHoldingResolutions@jfbrands.com by Jan. 30, 2026. Consumers may also file a complaint with the attorney general’s office.

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC), with Ascendium, Frontline Justice and Quarles & Brady, will unveil its new Rural Justice Task Force Report via a livestream tomorrow, Wednesday, from 2-6 p.m. CDT. The program, “Rural Reach: Access to Justice That Meets People Where They Are,” will explore innovative ways to close the rural justice gap. Join the livestream here. Learn more about the task force's work.

On Nov. 5, the Tennessee Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for its November docket in Jackson. The proceedings will take place at the Supreme Court building and be livestreamed on the court’s YouTube page. Beginning at 1:30 p.m. CST, the court will hear arguments in two cases: Jamesway Construction Inc. v. David W. Salyers P.E. and State v. James R. Holley. A third case, Fred C. Dance v. Board of Professional Responsibility, will be submitted to the court on briefs. Read more about the cases in a press release from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

Tennesseans who took advantage of the extra time provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to file their 2024 tax returns are now running out of time, the Nashville Banner reports. The deadline to file is 11:59 p.m. on Nov. 3. On April 14, the IRS offered relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which included all 95 Tennessee counties after storms on April 2 produced widespread tornadoes and flooding. The extension applies to individual tax returns normally due on April 15, quarterly estimated tax payments normally due in April, June and September, and more. Those who suffered uninsured or unreimbursed losses also have the option to claim the losses on their 2024 or 2025 tax returns.