TCCLES Certification Process Prior to January 1, 2015
Until January 1, 2015, the Commission certified attorneys as specialists in fourteen areas: Civil Trial, Criminal Trial, Consumer Bankruptcy, Business Bankruptcy, Creditors Rights, Accounting Malpractice, Legal Malpractice, Medical Malpractice, Estate Planning, Elder Law, Family Law, Juvenile Law, DUI Defense, and Social Security Disability.
TCCLES consists of 11 members, nine of whom are attorneys, appointed by the Supreme Court of Tennessee. The Commission has the power to regulate continuing legal education and attorney specialization.
Attorneys who are certified by an accredited organization have achieved significant experience in a specific areas of the law, maintained legal malpractice insurance, passed a written examination, attended continuing legal educational (CLE) seminars, and received positive references from other attorneys who are familiars with their practice and good character.
Attorneys must also follow the applicable bar rules related to attorney advertising when communicating their status as a certified specialist including Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) 7.4.
The process for attorneys in Tennessee to become certified specialists prior to January 1, 2015, involved a two steps. First, the attorney was certified in the appropriate field by the appropriate national agency. Second, the attorney would do the following:
- apply to the Tennessee Commission on CLE & Specialization;
- complete the Law Practice Management Checklist;
- provide proof of carrying $500,000 of malpractice insurance coverage;
- provide client references;
- submit to an additional check by the Commission concerning disciplinary complaints; and
- pay an application fee of $100 to the Commission (with an additional $100 annual fee once certified);
- Copies of all advertisements; and
- Copies of any orders holding the attorney in contempt or sanctions against the attorney.
Once the attorney submitted a copy of his or her certificate from the organization and met the minimum requirements, TCCLES would certify the attorney. After the certification process was complete, the attorney was permitted to advertise as a specialist.
Approved Certifying Organizations
The Tennessee Commission on CLE & Specialization recognizes the following organizations to certify attorneys whoo practice law in Tennessee:
Different Specialist Practice Areas Approved for Certification
Different practice areas for certification by national organizations include:
- Business Bankruptcy
- Lawrence Ahern - Nashville
- Erika Barnes - Nashville
- Michael Collins - Nashville
- Michael Coury - Memphis
- Paul Matthews - Memphis
- William Norton - Nashville
- Michael Paslay - Nashville
- Joseph Prochaska - Nashville
- Shane Ramsey - Nashville
- Joseph Rusnak - Nashville
- Robin White - Nashville
- Consumer Bankruptcy
- Scott Wilson - Nashville
- Mary Ausbrooks - Nashville
- Richard Banks - Cleveland
- Richard Bohannon - Cookeville
- Bradford Botes - Knoxville
- Zachary Burroughs - Knoxville
- Eron Epstein - Chattanooga
- Charles Greer - Kingsport
- Perry Happell - Brentwood
- James Harlan - Columbia
- Henry Hildebrand - Nashville
- Alexander Koval - Nashville
- Jon Long - Nashville
- William Maddox - Knoxville
- Paul Matthews - Memphis
- Richard Mayer - Knoxville
- Andrew Morgan - Cleveland
- James Nave - Asheville
- John Newton - Knoxville
- David Phillips - Nashville
- Kenneth Rannick - Chattanooga
- Keith Slocum - Columbia
- Amanda Stofan - Chattanooga
- Carl Teel - Jackson
- Jodie Thresher - Nashville
- Hannah Tippett - Oak Ridge
- Robert Vandiver - Jackson
- LuAnn Whaley - Chattanooga
- Mark Young - Hixson
- Elder Law
- Norma Brill - North Fort Myers
- Deborah Brooks - Memphis
- Amelia Crotwell - Knoxville
- Henry Fincher - Cookeville
- Monica Franklin - Knoxville
- Matthew Frere - Lenoir City
- Kelly Frere - Lenoir City
- Donna Harkness - Memphis
- Colleen Mac Lean - Nashville
- Barbara McGinnis - Hendersonville
- David McGuffey - Dalton
- Dana Perry - Chattanooga
- William Self - Memphis
- Linda Shown - Alcoa
- Timothy Takacs - Hendersonville
- Martha Wright - Jackson
- Estate Planning
- C. Adams - Memphis
- James Adcox - Brentwood
- Edward Autry - Memphis
- Rita Bradford - Brentwood
- Russell Cook - Brentwood
- Steven Greer - Paris
- Jason Havens - Jacksonville
- Robert Hazard - Nashville
- Dan Holbrook - Knoxville
- James Holmes - Kingsport
- Laurence Howard - Nashville
- Robert Malin - Nashville
- Jacob Mason - Gallatin
- A McDaniel - Memphis
- John Murrah - Memphis
- Michael Parham - Memphis
- R Peters - Chattanooga
- Martin Pierce - Hixson
- Joel Roettger - Knoxville
- Jason Salomon - Memphis
- Lauren Schick - Nashville
- Jon Smith - Memphis
- Michael Stice - Kingsport
- David Swilley - Memphis
- Alexander Taylor - Dandridge
- Cynthia Tobin - Memphis
- L. Worley - Brentwood
- Medical Malpractice
- Darrell Baker - Germantown
- Heidi Barcus - Knoxville
- Daniel Clayton - Nashville
- Brian Cummings - Nashville
- John Day - Brentwood
- John Floyd - Nashville
- Timothy Holton - Memphis
- Fred Kelly - Hendersonville
- Clinton Kelly - Hendersonville
- Randall Kinnard - Nashville
- William Smith - Madisonville
- David Smith - Nashville
- Irma Stratton - Memphis
- Thomas Wiseman - Nashville
- Privacy Law
- Lisa LaVigne - Charlotte
- William O'Connor - Birmingham
- Social Security Disability
- Juvenile Law - Child Welfare
- Rebekah Bradley - Knoxville
- Elizabeth Brady - Johnson City
- Christine Carlton - Nashville
- Sharon Coppock - Strawberry Plains
- Thomas Coupe' - Memphis
- Christine Dummer - Knoxville
- Richard Elliston - Cleveland
- Audre Estes - Elizabethton
- Tiffany Evans - Dresden
- Jennifer Evans Williams - Springfield
- Rachel Fisher - Cleveland
- Emily Gannon - Memphis
- Stacey Graham - Memphis
- David Grimmett - Franklin
- Jennifer Hall - Nashville
- Danessa Herd - Columbia
- Tracy Hetzel - Cookeville
- Kelly Keylon - Trenton
- Jessica Lott - Memphis
- Stephen Marsh - Nashville
- Amy McLaughlin - Oak Ridge
- Stacy Miller - Nashville
- Angela Mueller - Trenton
- Matthew Muenzen - Franklin
- Sean Muirgaen - Clinton
- Stacie Odeneal - Lawrenceburg
- Rochelle Oldfield - Knoxville
- Kathleen Parsons - Knoxville
- Mary Rial - Lexington
- Rachel Rieger - Nashville
- Kathy Rowell - Chattanooga
- Candace Simpson - Dyersburg
- Elizabeth Smith - Knoxville
- Daniel Smithwick - Alcoa
- Julia Spannaus - Maryville
- Jeanette Spivey - Jackson
- Civil Trial
- Morgan Adams - Chattanooga
- Russell Adkins - Kingsport
- William Aldred - Clarksville
- Darrell Baker - Germantown
- Daniel Beasley - Huntsville
- Jimmy Bilbo - Cleveland
- John Bingham - Kingsport
- George Boston - Lawrenceburg
- David Burkhalter - Knoxville
- Gregory Burks - Chattanooga
- Richard Carter - Memphis
- James Catalano - College Grove
- Daniel Clayton - Nashville
- Gregory Coleman - Knoxville
- David Cooper - Nashville
- Paul Cooper - Memphis
- Daniel Coughlin - Bristol
- Melanie Davis - Maryville
- Stanley Davis - Brentwood
- Gary Dawson - Knoxville
- John Day - Brentwood
- David Day - Cookeville
- Joy Day - Brentwood
- Chance Deason - Hendersonville
- John Edwards - Memphis
- Terry Fann - Murfreesboro
- J. Farmer - Knoxville
- Mart Fendley - Clarksville
- Henry Fincher - Cookeville
- John Floyd - Nashville
- Mark Freeman - Nashville
- Jeffrey Garrety - Jackson
- William Gavin - Swansea
- Sidney Gilreath - Knoxville
- David Gordon - Memphis
- John Grissim - Nashville
- Hubert Hamilton - Chattanooga
- William Harvey - Clarksville
- Thomas Helton - Chattanooga
- Alaric Henry - Chattanooga
- Timothy Holton - Memphis
- William Jakes - Nashville
- William Jenkins - Dyersburg
- Douglas Johnston - Nashville
- Fred Kelly - Hendersonville
- James Kennamer - Chattanooga
- Steven Keyt - Chattanooga
- Rockforde King - Knoxville
- Randall Kinnard - Nashville
- Eugene Laurenzi - Memphis
- William Leader - Nashville
- Farrell Levy - Knoxville
- Goodloe Lewis - Oxford
- Joseph Longmire - Hendersonville
- Wendy Longmire - Nashville
- Joe Manuel - Chattanooga
- Christopher Massenburg - New Orleans
- Richard Matthews - Columbia
- William McCaskill - Brentwood
- Frederick McLean - Paris
- Barbara Medley - Lewisburg
- Marc Meister - Hilton head island
- Earl Melson - Knoxville
- Robert Meyers - Memphis
- Phillip Miller - Nashville
- James Miller - Kingsport
- Cathy Morton - Maryville
- Michael Newton - Chattanooga
- Harry Nichol - Knoxville
- John Phillips - Gallatin
- Nancy Phillips - Nashville
- Michael Ponce - Goodlettsville
- Jerry Potter - Memphis
- Mark Rassas - Clarksville
- Stephanie Reifers - Memphis
- Russell Reviere - Jackson
- Steven Riley - Nashville
- Wayne Ritchie - Knoxville
- Jon Roach - Knoxville
- Larry Roberts - Johnson City
- Helen Rogers - Nashville
- William Ryan - Memphis
- Gary Shockley - Nashville
- Jerry Smith - Dickson
- William Smith - Madisonville
- Kevin Snider - Germantown
- M. Spoden - Nashville
- Mark Stapleton - Rogersville
- Sarah Stein - Nashville
- Jill Steinberg - Memphis
- William Stover - Nashville
- Irma Stratton - Memphis
- James Summers - Memphis
- Herbert Thornbury - Chattanooga
- Charles Trotter - Huntingdon
- Richard Underwood - Memphis
- William Vines - Knoxville
- Donald Vowell - Knoxville
- Allan Wages - Millington
- Roger White - Brentwood
- B. Williams - Lebanon
- Civil Pre-Trial Specialist
- William Aldred - Clarksville
- Darrell Baker - Germantown
- Jimmy Bilbo - Cleveland
- John Bingham - Kingsport
- George Boston - Lawrenceburg
- David Burkhalter - Knoxville
- James Catalano - College Grove
- Daniel Clayton - Nashville
- Gregory Coleman - Knoxville
- Melanie Davis - Maryville
- Stanley Davis - Brentwood
- Gary Dawson - Knoxville
- John Day - Brentwood
- David Day - Cookeville
- John Edwards - Memphis
- Henry Fincher - Cookeville
- John Floyd - Nashville
- Mark Freeman - Nashville
- Jeffrey Garrety - Jackson
- David Gordon - Memphis
- John Grissim - Nashville
- Hubert Hamilton - Chattanooga
- Thomas Helton - Chattanooga
- William Jakes - Nashville
- Douglas Johnston - Nashville
- James Kennamer - Chattanooga
- Steven Keyt - Chattanooga
- Rockforde King - Knoxville
- Randall Kinnard - Nashville
- William Leader - Nashville
- Farrell Levy - Knoxville
- Wendy Longmire - Nashville
- Christopher Massenburg - New Orleans
- Richard Matthews - Columbia
- William McCaskill - Brentwood
- Frederick McLean - Paris
- Earl Melson - Knoxville
- Phillip Miller - Nashville
- James Miller - Kingsport
- Cathy Morton - Maryville
- Nancy Phillips - Nashville
- Michael Ponce - Goodlettsville
- Jerry Potter - Memphis
- Russell Reviere - Jackson
- Steven Riley - Nashville
- Wayne Ritchie - Knoxville
- Jon Roach - Knoxville
- Larry Roberts - Johnson City
- Helen Rogers - Nashville
- Jerry Smith - Dickson
- Kevin Snider - Germantown
- M. Spoden - Nashville
- Mark Stapleton - Rogersville
- Sarah Stein - Nashville
- Jill Steinberg - Memphis
- James Summers - Memphis
- Herbert Thornbury - Chattanooga
- Charles Trotter - Huntingdon
- Richard Underwood - Memphis
- William Vines - Knoxville
- Roger White - Brentwood
- B. Williams - Lebanon
Contact Information for TCCLES
Tennessee Supreme Court Commission on CLE & Specialization
Dave Shearon, Executive Director
221 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 300
Nashville, TN 37219Phone: (615) 741-3096
Additional Resources
Roll of Certified Legal Specialist in Tennessee - The Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education & Specialization previously maintained a directory to locate a certified specialist in Tennessee by selecting the specialty, selecting the city, and clicking on the "Submit" button. Now TCCLES maintains a Roll of Certified Specialist.
How to Become a Board Certified Specialist in Tennessee - Visit the TCCLES website to find out why the Commission no longer approves Tennessee Specialist certifications as of January 1, 2015. The website explains the rules for regarding the registration of specialists found in Rule 21; Section 11. Find a list of specialty practice areas recognized by the Commission.
Online Tennessee Attorney Directory - Visit the website for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility TBPR to find an Online Attorney Directory. The directory provides the public with information about the attorney including their full name, office address, and any public Informational Releases issued by the Board concerning the attorney. The TBPR online directory is a good way to determine whether the Tennessee lawyer is active and in good standing to practice law in Tennessee. The directory can also help the public determine if the attorney has been disbarred or suspended as a result of imposed disciplinary actions, failure to meet Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements, non-compliance with IOLTA reporting, failure to pay the annual Professional Privilege Tax, or failure to pay annual attorney's dues.
Finding a Certified Specialist in Tennessee
If you need to find an attorney in Tennessee then consider the benefits of beginning your search with a certified specialist. These attorneys have demonstrated their commitment to a specialty practice. These programs provide a powerful tool for the public when they begin their search for an attorney.
Lawyer Legion is not endorsed or approved by any state or national board certification program or by any bar association, including the State Bar of Tennessee.
This article was last updated on Friday, November 22, 2019.
