News
May 27, 2009
On May 27, 2009, the Tennessee Supreme Court brought the SCALES program to Tennessee Boys State for the seventh consecutive year. SCALES, which stands for Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students, is a Tennessee Supreme Court initiative designed to educate high school students about the…
May 29, 2009
Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee spoke to hundreds of high school juniors at both the 2009 Boys State and Girls State programs.On May 27, she addressed more than 600 students at Tennessee Boys State, which was held at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. During her remarks, she shared…
June 5, 2009
During the recent graduation season, Chief Justice Janice Holder and Justice Gary Wade addressed hundreds of Tennessee students during their commencement addresses.On May 23, Chief Justice Holder addressed the graduates of Nashville School of Law. In her speech, Chief Justice Holder applauded the…
June 8, 2009
On June 4, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee addressed more than 80 women at the East Tennessee Regional Economic Summit for Women. The event, which was held at Maryville College, was geared to help women learn about reaching their financial goals for their businesses and personal lives.…
June 11, 2009
In a formal investiture ceremony on June 5, David E. Durham was sworn in by Gov. Phil Bredesen as the criminal court judge for the 15th judicial district, which is comprised of Jackson, Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties. Durham was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of…
June 5, 2009
NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen today appointed Amy V. Hollars of Livingston, Tenn., to the Tennessee Circuit Court for the Thirteenth Judicial District. Hollars will fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John A. Turnbull. The Thirteenth Judicial District is composed of Clay,…
June 25, 2009
Trial and appellate judges from across the state gathered in Memphis, Tenn., for their annual judicial conference. The conference featured more than 11 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminars with topics ranging from the legal implications of electronic medical records to internet crimes…
June 25, 2009
The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) awarded nearly $220,000 in grants from the Parent Education and Mediation Fund (PEMF) to organizations that provide court-related assistance to low-income parties. The 16 organizations that received funding for the 2009-2010 fiscal year provide services…
June 26, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – An additional $5 million has been added to the state’s indigent defense fund to pay remaining claims for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. The supplemental funding comes as part of the $29.4 billion budget signed by Governor Bredesen Thursday. The $5 million in supplemental funding will…
June 26, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – The Administrative Office of the Courts is now accepting applications for the new Judicial Nominating Commission, which will review and recommend applicants for vacancies on the appellate and state trial courts for the governor’s consideration. The Judicial Nominating Commission…
July 8, 2009
Lorrie K. Ridder, circuit court judge for the 30th judicial district, was recently sworn in by Governor Phil Bredesen. Judge Ridder was appointed by Governor Bredesen in April to fill the vacancy created by the death of Rita Stotts in January. The 30th judicial district serves Shelby County.Prior…
July 8, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee Supreme Court today denied the Davidson County Juvenile Court’s petition for exemption from Rule 40A, which governs the appointment of guardians ad litem (GAL) in child custody proceedings. Rule 40A was established on May 1, 2009, to outline the appropriate use of…
July 8, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Supreme Court has amended Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 43 and Rule 8, RPC 1.15, the Rules of Professional Conduct, to require attorneys who hold eligible client funds to participate in the Tennessee Bar Foundation’s Interest On Lawyer’s Trust Accounts (IOLTA)…
July 13, 2009
James Russell, circuit court judge in the 30th Judicial District, was named “Victims’ Advocate of the Year” at the 15th Annual Crime Victims’ Rights dinner on April 28, 2009, in Memphis. The annual dinner is sponsored by Operation: Safe Community, a joint initiative by law enforcement, government…
July 16, 2009
Amy V. Hollars, circuit court judge for the 13th judicial district, was sworn in by Governor Phil Bredesen Wednesday. Judge Hollars was appointed by Governor Bredesen in June to fill the vacancy created by Judge John A Turnbull’s retirement. The 13th judicial district is composed of Clay,…
July 24, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. - In a 3-2 decision, the Tennessee Supreme Court upheld rulings by the Loudon County Chancery Court and the Eastern Section of the Court of Appeals, each of which had struck down a statute designed to impose a tax on controlled substances. In an opinion that left open the prospect…
July 27, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – Tennesseans who wish to serve on the Judicial Nominating Commission must submit their application to the Administrative Office of the Courts by Friday, July 31. The newly formed commission, which will be composed of 17 members, will review and recommend applicants for vacancies…
July 30, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – The Tennessee Judicial Conference Foundation has awarded seven $1,000 scholarships to students attending each of the four law schools in the state of Tennessee. The following students received $1,000 scholarships from the Foundation for the 2009-2010 school year:Heather Graves -…
August 3, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – The Administrative Office of the Courts has received 237 applications for the newly created Judicial Nominating Commission. The application deadline expired July 31 at 4:30 p.m. Members of the 17-member commission will review and recommend applicants for vacancies on the state…
August 17, 2009
Nashville, Tenn. – Circuit Court Judge Robert L. Childers of Memphis has been appointed to a third term as Chair of the American Bar Association’s Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs (CoLAP). The Commission was created to promote a healthy work-life balance and offer assistance to lawyers,…