Former U.S. Attorney General to Speak at Annual Conference

Attorneys, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is offering three presentations to satisfy your annual continuing education requirements on legal ethics at the Annual Educational Conference. This year, the conference will take place Monday, August 15, through Wednesday, August 17, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Murfreesboro.

We’re offering a one-hour ethics presentation on each day of the conference. 

The first presentation kicks off at 11:00 a.m. Central Time on August 15, before the conference formally begins. Arrive early to hear from former Justice of the Texas Supreme Court and U.S. Attorney General, and current Dean of Belmont University Law School, Alberto Gonzalez.

Dean Gonzalez will present a wide-ranging session considering how the provisions of the Code of Judicial Conduct regarding judge-lawyer interaction reflect healthy communication practices and provide a model for the broader civic community, including political interaction. Dean Gonzalez will also highlight some significant potential changes in the traditional legal profession and how those changes could be affected by judicial ethics principles.

The second presentation is at 3:15 p.m. Central Time on August 16. This session is a panel of lay persons, including a church rector, a church youth director, and a college professor. The panel will consider factual scenarios, whether they present ethical dilemmas, and why. Afterward, Sandy Garrett, Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Board of Professional Responsibility, and Marshall Davidson, Disciplinary Counsel for the Board of Judicial Conduct, will analyze the facts under applicable rules and case law.

Third, Buddy Stockwell, Executive Director of the Tennessee Lawyers’ Assistance Program, will speak at 8:00 a.m. Central Time on August 17. Lawyers and judges aren’t immune from mental illness or substance abuse. When they experience these problems, clients may not receive the legal services they deserve. Litigants may receive a less than just decision in their cases. Through TLAP, the Board of Professional Responsibility provides services and assistance to lawyers suffering from mental or emotional problems and/or substance abuse. Mr. Stockwell will present an overview of TLAP’s services, how an attorney can access them, and how TLAP interacts with the disciplinary function of the Board of Professional Responsibility.

The Bureau believes these presentations will be the most thorough and engaging ethics education yet. We urge your attendance and participation to support and learn from these imminently qualified presenters. See you there.

Courtesy of the Tennessee Court of Workers' Compensation Claims

Share This Article: