Board of Professional Responsibility

of the Supreme Court of Tennessee

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Attorney Details

Name:
Dessem, R. Lawrence
Public E-mail Address:
dessemrl@missouri.edu
BPR Number:
011377
Status:

Definitions for BOPR Status Codes

  • Active - eligible to practice law in Tennessee.
  • Active - Military Exempt - an attorney on full-time active-duty in the armed forces is eligible to request exemption from payment of registration fees; while the license is on exempt status, the military exempt attorney may not engage in the private practice of law in Tennessee, his practice is limited only to his engagement in the military.
  • Deceased - an attorney who is no longer living.
  • Disability - an inactive status resulting from an attorney being incapacitated from continuing to practice law.
  • Disbarred - terminates the individual’s status as a lawyer. May apply for reinstatement after 5 years.
  • Disbarred Permamently - terminates an individual's status as a lawyer. Attorney will never be reinstated.
  • Federal Exempt - attorneys who serve as a justice, judge, or magistrate judge of a court of the United States or who serve in any federal office in which the attorney is prohibited by federal law from engaging in the practice of law.
  • Inactive - attorneys not currently practicing law may request inactive status, such as retired attorneys 65 years of age or older, faculty members of Tennessee law schools who do not practice, or attorneys not engaged in the practice of law in Tennessee.
  • Surrendered - an attorney in good standing who is no longer practicing in Tennessee may choose to voluntarily surrender their law license and no longer be licensed to practice law in Tennessee.
  • Suspended - not in good standing and cannot practice law in Tennessee, subject to reinstatement to active status. This may be as a result of failure to pay annual attorneyÕs dues, failure to pay the annual Professional Privilege Tax, non-compliance with IOLTA reporting, failure to meet Continuing Legal Education (CLE) requirements, or imposed disciplinary actions.
Office County:
Beaufort
Licensed in TN Since:
1985
Law School:
Harvard University - Harvard Law School

Public Information:

No Public Information Available

Informational Releases for Public Discipline:

No Public Discipline

Names Used:

Name
R. Lawrence Dessem

* Information accurate as of Wednesday, April 01, 2026 01:00 PM CDT