Teresa Carey, a longtime employee in the Hamblen County Clerk & Master's Office, was sworn in as clerk and master of the county's chancery and probate courts on June 30. She succeeds the retiring Kathy Jones-Terry. Chancellor Doug Jenkins, who handles cases for the 3rd Judicial District and swore in Carey, told the Citizen Tribune, “I have all the confidence in the world in her; Teresa’s been around the court system for probably 40 years, and for much of that time she’s been second-in-command. She definitely paid her dues and deserves this well-earned chance to do this. I think she’s going to do great.”

The TBA Law Office Technology & Management Section is presenting four webcasts this week. Today, catch “60 Legal Tech Tips, Tricks, Gadgets and Websites in 60 Minutes, which will focus on the latest developments in legal technology. Tomorrow, tune in for “AI in Law: Use Cases,” which will explore 30 impactful use cases of generative AI for lawyers, including in the areas of legal research, document drafting and practice management. On Thursday, join colleagues for “The Evolving Ethics of Law Firm Cybersecurity: Practical and Budget-Friendly Tips.” This program will focus on affordable cybersecurity measures that should be considered to protect confidential data. And on Friday, wrap up with “Our Era of AI: Responsible AI & Microsoft Copilot,” which will look at how Microsoft embraces Responsible AI in its development of AI solutions and how the company’s legal department uses Copilot to achieve more. If you miss any of these times, the programs are also available on demand.

Nashville School of Law (NSL) recently hosted its Annual Recognition Dinner to honor the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award, 1996 graduate Cindy Jones. “When I think back to those years — working full-time, raising two little ones and going to law school at night — I remember how hard it was. But it was also one of the most defining chapters of my life. It shaped in me a discipline and a work ethic that served me throughout my entire career,” Jones said. The dinner also recognized Clark Spoden as this year's faculty honoree. He is a professor of civil procedure and remedies and a partner at Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin in Nashville. NSL Dean Bill Koch said, “Clark exemplifies our faculty’s commitment to our students, not only in his enthusiastic approach to teaching but also in the way he models professionalism and competence.” Read more in a press release from the school and see photos from the event.

Gov. Bill Lee on July 2 announced the appointment of Will Reid as commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), effective July 10. Reid will succeed TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley, who will step down from his role as commissioner but remain as deputy governor, continuing to advise Lee on long-term statewide projects until his departure later this year. Reid has served as TDOT’s chief engineer and deputy commissioner since August 2022. A native of Bartlett, Reid began his career with TDOT in 2014 as director of construction and since has held a number of key leadership positions. Lee said that Reid's "deep understanding of our state’s infrastructure needs, coupled with a track record of driving efficiency and transparency, makes him the right person to lead TDOT into its next chapter of service to Tennesseans." Read more in a press release from the governor's office.

The family of Josselin Corea Escalante, the 16-year-old killed in the Jan. 22 Antioch High School shooting, on June 23 filed a lawsuit in Davidson County Circuit Court against Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Metro Nashville Government (Metro). The Nashville Post reports that the lawsuit claims MNPS and Metro failed to protect students from harm and should have taken steps to further create a safe environment, citing negligence by MNPS based on the shooter’s history of violent behavior and the failure of the school’s weapon detection system to identify the firearm used during the shooting. The family is suing for $700,000 in damages, the maximum amount allowed under Tennessee’s Governmental Tort Liability Act. The Nashville Banner has additional reporting.

Nashville entertainment lawyer Rachel Guttman recently opened Gutt Law PLLC which will focus its practice on the music industry. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and Tulane University Law School. According to Music Row, Guttman began her career clerking for Judge Dee D. Drell in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana before transitioning into litigation defense and entertainment law in New Orleans. In 2018, she returned to Nashville to focus exclusively on the music and entertainment industry. She is joined by entertainment attorney Victoria Powell, a graduate of Belmont University College of Law, and Morgan Brasfield as head of operations. Gutt Law can be reached at gutt.law.

A number of lawyers have been reinstated after being suspended for administrative violations. Two lawyers have been reinstated after completing required continuing legal education hours (one in 2023 and one in 2024). Two lawyers have been reinstated after paying the annual registration fee to the Board of Professional Responsibility (one in 2010 and one in 2024). One lawyer was reinstated after paying the 2024 professional privilege tax. One lawyer was reinstated after being suspended in 2016 for not paying the inactive fee. And one lawyer was reinstated after being suspended in 2011 for failure to meet IOLTA requirements. The TBA has records of all administrative suspensions and reinstatements going back to 2005. See all lists here.

Following a riot and dozens of indictments, calls are growing to remove CoreCivic as the private operator of the Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville, with state Rep. Michael Hale, R-Smithville, and District Attorney General Jason Lawson urging the Tennessee Department of Correction to take over operations, Tennessee Lookout reports. A grand jury recently returned 41 indictments tied to incidents at the prison, including 12 connected to a riot in which inmates stabbed a staffer and seized control of an inner yard. Lawson said more charges are expected and that crimes at the prison have burdened the county’s court system while failing to improve inmate safety. Recent legislative and regulatory actions have sought to address high death rates at facilities run by private companies. CoreCivic said it is reviewing its policies in an effort to prevent further violence.

Lawyers for a disabled death row inmate are asking the state to ensure that his implanted heart defibrillator is disabled before his execution to prevent the possibility of it causing a prolonged and painful death, according to The Tennessean. Byron Black — one of the state’s longest serving death row inmates — set to be executed on Aug. 5 for the 1987 murders of a Nashville woman and her two daughters. Black’s lawyers on June 30 filed a request for a preliminary injunction asking the Tennessee Department of Corrections to ensure that his implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is deactivated before his execution. A hearing on the matter is set for July 14 in Davidson County Chancery Court. Black’s lawyers have been battling to save his life, arguing he is ineligible for capital punishment due to his intellectual disability, dementia and severe brain damage. They also have asked the Tennessee Supreme Court to weigh in and reverse a lower court’s decision that declined to decide whether he is ineligible for the death penalty.

TBA member benefit partner and legal practice management company Clio announced last week that it will acquire legal AI and research company vLex in a deal valued at $1 billion. British private equity firm Oakley Capital agreed to sell Barcelona-founded vLex to Clio, a Vancouver, Canada-based company, which called the deal a “new era for AI-powered legal technology.” vLex’s research and drafting AI tool, known as Vincent, will revolutionize Clio’s current offerings, according to a news release from the company. “The transformative union of legal research, practice management and cutting-edge AI marks a category shift in legal technology that converges the business and practice of law,” Clio said. In April 2023, vLex and another TBA member benefit partner, Fastcase, merged to form vLex Fastcase.