ADM2020-01159

The Court is soliciting written comments on proposed amendments to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 21, section 3.01(a) of the Rules of the Tennessee Supreme Court requires each attorney admitted to practice in the State of Tennessee to obtain fifteen hours of continuing legal education (“CLE”) in each compliance year. On August 28, 2020, the Nashville Bar Association (“NBA”) filed a petition asking this Court to modify Rule 21, section 3.01(a) to require each attorney to complete two hours of the required fifteen in diversity, inclusion, equity, and elimination of bias. Comment deadline: December 30, 2020. Comments should reference the docket number and should be e-mailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to: James M. Hivner, Clerk, Tennessee Appellate Courts, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219-1407.

Click here to view the Order.

The Knoxville Bar Association sent a survey to KBA members on September 2 to get input on event planning in 2020-2021. Members were asked to complete the ten-question survey by 5 pm on September 21. 30% of the attorney members of the KBA completed the survey.

The complete survey results can be found here.

Summary:

• The majority of members indicate that they would attend in-person events in Spring or Summer 2021, with an equal number indicating that they are unsure at this time.
• Members would feel most comfortable attending in-person events if staff and attendees wore masks. Limiting the group size or the facility to 50% of capacity was somewhat important.  
• 29% of members feel that the availability of a vaccine would impact their decision to attend live events.
• The majority of members would feel comfortable with temperature checks, answering questions about COVID-19 symptoms, and disclosing recent travel.

The KBA thanks everyone who completed the survey to assist with our planning in 2020-2021.

Applications Being Accepted for Sixth Judicial District Chancery Court Vacancy

The Trial Court Vacancy Commission is accepting applications for a Chancellor in the Sixth Judicial District, which covers Knox County. This vacancy was created by the retirement of Judge Michael W. Moyers, effective Jan. 23 of next year. Qualified applicants must be licensed attorneys who are at least 30 years of age, have been residents of the state for five years and are residents of the Sixth Judicial District. Those interested should submit the Trial Court Vacancy Commission Application to the Administrative Office of the Courts by noon CDT on Sept. 30. The commission will hold a hearing virtually via Zoom on Oct. 29 at 10 a.m. EDT. It will be live streamed for the public on the AOC’s YouTube page. Those who wish to address the commission to express their objection or support concerning an applicant must email Ceesha Lofton or call 615-741-2687 by 4 p.m. CDT on Oct. 14. Read more about the vacancy on the AOC’s website. 

Applications Sought for Knox Circuit Court Vacancy

ADM2020-01180

The Court is soliciting written comments on proposed amendments to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9, Section 27.4. The changes pertain to the status of an attorney seeking to transfer to disability inactive status during the course of disciplinary proceedings. Comment deadline: October 1, 2020. Comments should reference the docket number and should be e-mailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to: James M. Hivner, Clerk, Tennessee Appellate Courts, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219-1407.

Click here to view the Order.

ADM2020-01016

The Court has requested comments concerning the Advisory Commission's recommended amendments to the Rules of Appellate Procedure and Civil Procedure. The proposed amendments are set out in Appendix I. The deadline for submitting written comments is November 30, 2020. Comments should reference the docket number and should be e-mailed to appellatecourtclerk@tncourts.gov or mailed to: James M. Hivner, Clerk, Tennessee Appellate Courts, 100 Supreme Court Building, 401 7th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37219-1407.

Click here to view the Order.

The Helen Ross McNabb Center was one of several community mental health centers recently awarded FEMA/SAMHSA dollars through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to provide a virtual Crisis Counseling Program (CCP). This program was funded as part of the COVID-19 disaster response for the State of Tennessee. A Help Line (1-855-661-9191) has been created for residents in Blount, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, and Sevier Counties. The purpose of the program is to provide free emotional support, psychoeducation regarding common disaster reactions/coping skills, and assistance navigating community resources to anyone impacted by COVID-19. 

If you and your family are seeking assistance, click here. / Si usted y su familia necesita ayuda con COVID-19, haga clic en este enlace. 

If you are seeking assistance for yourself or someone else, click here. / Si usted necesita ayuda para ti o otros, haga clic en este enlace. 

Emerald Youth Foundation has identified a need of about 300 students within their system that need a laptop to learn and develop skills at home and they will distribute the laptops to students in need. RCN Technologies’ goal is to collect, sanitize, and recondition 300 laptops by August 31st to meet this need for our community. The KBA will serve as a collection center for members who wish to donate laptops to the Emerald Youth Foundation.

How To Donate

1. Confirm your machine meets the minimum specifications needed for reconditioning (see below).
2. Drop off your laptop at one of our laptop collection sites.
3. Smile and know that something that was likely going to collect dust in a drawer will have a major impact on a child’s life…because of you.

What To Donate

We are collecting any laptop that meets the minimum standards below, however, Emerald Youth Foundation has expressed that Chromebooks would be the best type of machine to fit within their existing IT infrastructure, which will generate less ongoing maintenance and IT expenses for their organization.

Types of Computers Accepted

• Chromebooks (preferred)
• Laptops (all major brands)

Minimum Laptop Specifications

• 64-bit x86 processor or equivalent
• At least 2 GB of memory (RAM)
• Hard drive (4 GB or larger)
• USB port

What Happens To The Laptops

RCN Technologies’ TechLab IT technician team will follow a cleaning and reconditioning protocol for each device that is donated and meets minimum specifications.

1. Physically clean and sanitize each device
2. Securely erase all existing data on each device
3. Reinstall core operating system and applications
4. Test for proper functionality

KBA Members may drop off laptops at the KBA Office at 505 Main Street, Suite 50, up until August 31^st.

The Knoxville Bar Association sent a survey of KBA members in private practice on Tuesday, July 14 to learn about law firm operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members were asked to complete the six-question survey by 5 pm on July 15. The complete survey results can be found here.

Summary:

• More than half of the respondents indicated that they are operating with social distancing protocols in the office.
• Approximately half of the respondents have not changed their office procedures since last week.  
• When meeting with clients, 10% are operating normally, 25% meet with clients over the phone or online, but by far most of the firms are operating with social distancing including requiring attorneys and clients to wear a mask.
• 88% of the respondents expect their operational procedures to remain the same in the next 7 days. 10% will be implementing stricter procedures and 2% anticipate moving back towards operating normally.

The KBA plans to follow the syllabus created by the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law. The goal of the Challenge is to assist each of us to become more aware, compassionate, constructive, engaged people in the quest for racial equity. It transcends our roles as lawyers. It is, of course, completely voluntary to do, and participation in the Challenge shall not be construed as agreement with every word of every assignment nor a commitment by any person to a particular professional position or strategy. Further, participants are free to opt-out of participating along the way. There is no grade at the end of the Challenge. While it is not the intention of the Challenge to cause offense, some participants may be offended by some language used in the lessons.

The Challenge invites participants to complete a syllabus of 21 short assignments (typically taking 15-30 minutes), over 21 weekdays, that include readings, videos, or podcasts. It has been intentionally crafted to focus on the Black American experience. The assignments seek to expose participants to perspectives on elements of Black history, identity and culture, and to the Black community’s experience of racism in America. Even this focus on Black Americans cannot possibly highlight all of the diversity of experiences and opinions within the Black community itself, much less substitute for learnings about any other community of color. This syllabus is but an introduction to what we hope will be a rewarding journey that extends far beyond the limits of this project.

Learn more and sign up to participate.