The Tennessee Supreme Court temporarily suspended Davidson County lawyer Michael Lloyd Freeman on Sept. 3 after finding that Freeman failed to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility about four complaints of misconduct. Freeman is immediately precluded from accepting any new cases, and he must cease representing existing clients by Oct. 3.

Having “everywhere access” to your documents requires Internet-connected storage. If you’re a Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace customer, you already pay for terabytes of online storage. Use this comparison chart to find the right cloud storage vendor for your organization. Access this and more resources in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

TBA's Adoption Law Section will present its annual forum on Sept. 19 in Nashville. The schedule is jam-packed with useful and practical sessions, including legislative updates and review with previous section chair Meredith Brasfield, as well as case law updates from the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) and a judicial panel discussing best practices in contested hearings. Speakers include Sammi Maifair and Amy Smith with DCS, Montgomery County General Sessions and Juvenile Court Judge Sharon Massey Grimes, Circuit Court Judge Kathryn Olita, Joe Thompson with the State of Tennessee and Jennifer Williams with Adopt4Kids. Make plans now to attend!

Georgia lawyer Stephen William Mooney was reinstated to the practice of law in Tennessee on Aug. 27. The Tennessee Supreme Court reports that Mooney has been on inactive status since May 11, 2018. The Board of Professional Responsibility found that Mooney’s petition for reinstatement was satisfactory, and he had met all requirements for reinstatement.

State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, and state Rep. John Gillespie, R-Memphis, have asked the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to conduct an unannounced audit of the Memphis Police Department’s (MPD) crime statistics. In an Aug. 15 letter to TBI Director David Rausch, the lawmakers cited concerns that some felony crimes may have been downgraded to misdemeanors or recorded only as memos, keeping them out of official reports. Both legislators stressed they have no direct evidence but said an audit could restore public trust in crime data and help depoliticize the issue. MPD leaders strongly denied any manipulation, saying the department follows strict state and federal reporting standards and that errors are corrected through review and quality assurance. The TBI said it audits agencies every three years, with additional reviews possible if anomalies arise. It declined to confirm whether Memphis is currently under review. The Daily Memphian has the story.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Aug. 29 suspended Rutherford County attorney Andre Chase Rabideau from the practice of law for seven years after a hearing panel of the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) concluded that Rabideau failed to represent clients in a diligent manner, communicate with clients regarding the status of their case, inform clients of his administrative suspension and withdraw from representation. The court also found that Rabideau repeatedly made misrepresentations to clients concerning court dates and filings with the court; misrepresented the status of his license to a court; engaged in the unauthorized practice of law; accepted fees but failed to provide the professional services for which he had been retained; and abandoned representation of clients without notice to clients or permission of the court. These actions were determined to violate Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.15, 1.16, 3.2, 3.4, 5.5, 8.1(b), and 8.4(c), (d) and (g). The court imposed the following conditions on any reinstatement: completing a practice and professional enhancement program, completing any requirements imposed by the Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program and paying restitution payments to four former clients. After reinstatement, Rabideau also must engage a practice monitor for two years.

The number of U.S. law school applicants rose 18% last year, the highest year-over-year increase since 2002, according to data released by the Law School Admission Council. Last year saw 76,599 applicants, an increase of 12,000 from 2023 when applicants were up 5%. American Bar Association-accredited law schools enrolled nearly 40,000 students in 2024. Reuters reports that most admissions experts and legal educators agree that a combination of a poor entry-level job market for recent college graduates and political events drove the surge. Additionally, experts said that strong employment rates among new law school graduates over the past half decade, as well as changes to the LSAT, also contributed to the increase.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee will host a public reading of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 12 to celebrate Constitution Day. The event will be held on the steps of the Joel W. Solomon Federal Building, 900 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga 37402, from 11:30 a.m. to approximately 12:45 p.m. EDT. The public is invited to join the court and local bar associations to read the Constitution in segments of one minute or less. Those interested in participating should check in at the bottom of the courthouse steps upon arrival. Readings primarily will be assigned on a first-come, first-filled basis. For more information, email Russell Eslinger.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee last week announced that Penelope R. Convertino, age 22, of Murfreesboro, has been charged with making a threat to murder a federal official with the intent to impede, intimidate and interfere with U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties. “Our public officials should be able to do their jobs without receiving vile death threats,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “Threatening public officials with deadly violence cannot and will not be tolerated. We will not hesitate to hold those who make these kinds of violent threats accountable for their crimes.” Read more in a press release from the office.

Ginny Blake, District 9 representative for the TBA Young Lawyers Division, last week organized a Tennessee Free Legal Answers Clinic which was held at Belmont University College of Law. Twelve Belmont law students were partnered with five volunteer attorneys to research and answer questions submitted by Tennesseans across the state. See photos from the event.