In this month’s episode of BarBuzz, TBA staff sit down with Brant Harrell, Zac Oswald, Kyle Stack and Anne-Louise Wirthlin to dive deeper into “Access to Justice in the Age of AI,” the cover story in the May/June Tennessee Bar Journal. Each guest contributed insights and experiences for the article, including how they’re using technology — from AI tools to the Justice Bus — to expand legal access, bridge rural gaps and keep client data secure. Join TBA’s Communications Coordinator Azya Thornton and Access to Justice Director Liz Slagle Todaro for the July podcast to learn more. Missed a past episode? Check them out in the BarBuzz archive.

The CLE Performer Stuart Teicher is back with four ethics webcast replays this month. On July 17, Shakira, Secrets and Scandals: Attorney Ethics and the World of Offshore Deals begins at 9 a.m. CDT, followed by Five Ways to Use Chat GPT Safely in the Practice of Law at 10:15, and The Office: What Michael Scott Teaches About Lawyer Professionalism at 11:30. Then on July 18, tune in for Wedded Bliss and Attorney Ethics at noon CDT. Can't make these times? The sessions also are available on demand. Check out all options being offered during TBA's Summer CLE Event.

Former Tennessee state Rep. Steve Bivens, who represented District 24 in the Tennessee House of Representatives for 14 years, died last month at age 78, the Cleveland Daily Banner reports. Bivens, a former educator, was elected to the House in 1978 and served as House majority from 1981 to 1984. He was also speaker pro tempore during the 94th General Assembly and chaired the House Select Committee on Education, the “Sudden Impact” Subcommittee and the K-12 Subcommittee. He also served as vice chair of the House Commerce Committee. After leaving office, he founded Bivens and Associates, a lobbying firm that represented industries across Tennessee. Funeral arrangements are pending. 

The Tennessee Supreme Court permanently disbarred Sumner County lawyer Andy Lamar Allman from the practice of law on July 11 and ordered him to pay restitution to certain complainants and all costs incurred by the Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR). The court found that Allman failed to provide competent and diligent representation to complainants; failed to keep them informed about their respective cases; charged certain clients an unreasonable fee; engaged in the unauthorized practice of law while suspended; failed to respond to the BPR regarding disciplinary complaints; failed to notify clients of his suspension from the practice of law; and engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation while representing clients. Allman filed a petition for review, which the trial court dismissed with prejudice. The court found that Allman's conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.16, 5.5, 8.1 and 8.4. In 2018, Allman was disbarred in June and again on July 13 and July 30. In 2023, the Supreme Court rejected a motion from the BPR seeking additional information in its disciplinary investigation, directing it only to determine the extent of final discipline to be imposed.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Paula Skahan, who announced her retirement in April after two decades on the bench and 40 years in the criminal legal system, said she is stepping down because she’s “had enough” of the stress and difficult cases, particularly those involving crimes against children. Skahan, whose last day was June 30, said the local legal system is “going pretty well” but urged higher pay for appointed attorneys to improve indigent defense, the Daily Memphian reports. Four candidates have applied to fill her seat, which is set to be decided at a public hearing next week at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The Justice Department’s (DOJ) Antitrust Division has partnered with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to launch the Whistleblower Rewards Program, which will offer monetary incentives to individuals who report postal-related antitrust crimes and other offenses that harm consumers, taxpayers and free market competition across industries. Under the program, whistleblowers may receive up to 30% of any criminal fines recovered for credible information leading to convictions for illegal activities such as price-fixing, bid-rigging and market allocation. The program aims to help investigators break through the secrecy of antitrust crimes and is operated at no additional cost to taxpayers, according to a press release from the department.

The Trump administration has not decided where it would deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia if he is freed from a Tennessee jail, but a U.S. immigration official said Thursday that Mexico and South Sudan could be willing to accept him, according to the Associated Press. Thomas Giles, an assistant director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), testified in federal court that ICE would detain Abrego Garcia as soon as he’s released to await trial on human smuggling charges. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis is considering Abrego Garcia’s request to order the U.S. government to send him to Maryland instead, a bid aimed at preventing the Trump administration from trying to deport him again. “I’m deeply concerned that if there’s not some restraint on you, Mr. Abrego will be on another plane to another country,” Judge Xinis told Department of Justice lawyers on Friday.

The TBA will offer two engaging webcast replays with Stuart Teicher this month, exploring legal ethics through pop culture. "The Perfect Pop Song and Attorney Ethics," streaming July 15, will reveal what makes a pop song “perfect” and connect its structure and lyrics to key ethics rules on competence, candor and communication. On July 16, "Ted Lasso and Attorney Ethics: Lessons in Life, Law, and Leadership" will highlight how the hit show’s moments of integrity and teamwork reflect the Rules of Professional Conduct and offer practical lessons for lawyers.

A judge ruled in favor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press in its lawsuit against the city of Chattanooga, council members and staff, establishing that open meetings laws were violated during non-public meetings on redrawing local voting districts, the Times Free Press reports. In an order last week granting the newspaper’s motion for summary judgment, the Chattanooga City Council must follow Tennessee’s Open Meetings Act and submit to one year of oversight, in addition to writing a semiannual report on its compliance. Every decade after federal census results are released, the council reorganizes and adjusts the map that determines how residents are represented in city government. The lawsuit, filed in 2022, claimed the redistricting process was too secretive, from closed-door redistricting committee meetings to a series of calls and emails between council members and city staff to make decisions about redistricting. According to the order, individual meetings between council members and staff resulted in map changes, so decisions were made in meetings that were not open to the public. The City Council will comply with the open meetings act, "which we believe they did," Chattanooga City Attorney Phillip Noblett said to the news outlet.

Thomas Jefferson Drake Jr., of Nashville, died July 8 at age 78. Drake graduated from the Nashville School of Law in 1988 and practiced as a solo attorney for 37 years. He believed his greatest service in life was helping others and providing the best legal advice possible. Drake was admitted to the Supreme Court of Tennessee, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court, and was a member of the Nashville Bar Association and the Tennessee Bar Association. Visitation will be held July 12, at Bellevue Presbyterian Church, 100 Cross Timbers Drive, Nashville 37221, from 9 to 11 a.m. CDT, followed by a memorial service at 11 a.m. CDT. Donations in his memory may be made to the Bellevue Exchange Club Foundation, memo: Tom Drake Memorial Scholarship, P.O. Box 210945, Nashville, TN 37221.