News
December 20, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has revised the factors for courts to consider when deciding the enforceability of a release of liability signed by someone before participating in an activity or obtaining a service.
In Tennessee, parties may enter into agreements, often referred to as exculpatory…
December 19, 2018
A panel of state and federal judges discussed the career and legacy of United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at a recent CLE organized by the Nashville Bar Association in partnership with the Lawyers’ Association for Women.The discussion, held at the Butler Snow law firm in…
December 17, 2018
Two judges who have been leaders in the struggle to rescue lives and communities affected by substance abuse were among the honorees at the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals’ 14th Annual Recovery Court Conference, held recently in Murfreesboro. Eighth Judicial District Criminal…
December 11, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s revocation of judicial diversion for Westley A. Albright, who entered a no contest guilty plea to one count of solicitation of a minor, for which he was placed on judicial diversion and received a one-year probationary term. As a…
December 10, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court today held that a defendant who pleads guilty is not required to present proof of post-sentencing changed circumstances to prevail on a motion for reduction of sentence under Rule 35 of the Tennessee Rules of Criminal Procedure, if the guilty plea did not include an…
December 6, 2018
In a case involving first-degree murder committed by a juvenile, the Tennessee Supreme Court has clarified that a defendant convicted of first-degree murder committed on or after July 1, 1995, and sentenced to life in prison becomes eligible for release after serving a minimum of 51 years in prison…
December 5, 2018
Sixth Judicial District Criminal Court Judge Steven W. Sword was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, King University.Judge Sword graduated magna cum laude from King in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in History. He is looking forward to his new role at the school, whose…
December 4, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the Knox County Chancery Court that attorney Thomas F. Mabry has not proven that he lacked the capacity, by reason of mental illness, to respond to or defend against a disciplinary complaint filed against him.The Tennessee Supreme Court, as…
December 4, 2018
The Trial Vacancy Commission met today, Tuesday, December 4, 2018, to consider six candidates for the 20th Judicial District Chancery Court vacancy.There is an upcoming vacancy in this position due to the retirement of the Honorable Claudia C. Bonnyman, effective January 1, 2019.After holding a…
December 4, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission has released its annual report detailing the pro bono legal service reported by attorneys, bar associations, law firms, law schools, legal service providers, mediators, and other organizations. Pro bono is a Latin term meaning “for the…
November 30, 2018
It has been more than six months since the grand opening of the new Rutherford County Judicial Center in Murfreesboro. The 200,000-square-foot, $73 million facility was constructed to replace the county’s old judicial building, which had failed to keep up with the needs of the rapidly growing…
November 28, 2018
The Memphis Bar Association's Young Lawyers' Division honored Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Gina C. Higgins with the 2018 Chancellor Charles A. Rond Memorial Award for Outstanding Judge of the Year at its annual meeting on November 8, 2018.In 1976, the YLD established an award to be given…
November 26, 2018
Law school deans from across the state recently gathered in Nashville for the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners’ 2018 Deans’ Summit. The summit featured presentations and discussions on a range of topics, from law student wellness, to innovations at Tennessee law schools, to the state’s recent…
November 20, 2018
The Honorable Carol L. McCoy stepped down from her role as a chancellor on the 20th Judicial District Chancery Court in 2016. Those visiting or working at the Metropolitan Courthouse will still get to see her face for years to come, though, thanks to a new portrait of Chancellor McCoy that was…
November 16, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court today issued six execution dates for 2019 and 2020. The Court set an execution date of May 16, 2019, for Donnie Edward Johnson. Johnson was convicted in 1985 of killing his wife Connie Johnson in Shelby County. Johnson had a previous execution date set, which was…
November 15, 2018
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam today appointed Christopher V. Sockwell of Lawrenceburg as CircuitCourt Judge for the 22nd Judicial District, replacing Judge Robert Jones, who retired in October. The22nd Judicial District includes Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties. Sockwell, 55, has…
November 14, 2018
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam today appointed Jennifer L. Smith of Nashville as Criminal Court Judge for the 20th Judicial District, which serves Davidson County. Smith replaces Judge Seth W. Norman, who retired in August. In addition to maintaining a regular criminal court docket,…
November 13, 2018
The Trial Court Vacancy Commission will consider six applicants when it meets on Tuesday, December 4 in Nashville to select nominees for a seat on the 20th Judicial District Chancery Court. This district covers Davidson County. There is an impending vacancy on the court due to the Honorable Claudia…
November 8, 2018
Video recordings from oral arguments held before the Tennessee Supreme Court in October are available online. This is the first time oral arguments have been video recorded and made available to the public. “There has been too much mystique about the Supreme Court for too long,” Chief Justice…
November 5, 2018
The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear two cases on November 7, 2018, in Jackson, Tennessee. The details of the cases are as follows: Wednesday, November 7, 2018Gerald Stanley Green v. Board of Professional Responsibility.–Gerald Stanley Green, a licensed Tennessee attorney, is…