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BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE
SUPREME COURT OF TENNESSEE
10 CADILLAC DRIVE, SUITE 220
BRENTWOOD, TENNESSEE 37027
TELEPHONE: (615) 361-7500
(800) 486-5714
Website: www.tbpr.org
RELEASE OF INFORMATION
RE: JOE RICHARD JUDKINS, BPR NO. 005548
CONTACT: ERIC ANDREW FULLER
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
615-361-7500
November 15, 2022
ANDERSON COUNTY LAWYER CENSURED
On November 15, 2022, Joe Richard Judkins, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a Public
Censure from the Supreme Court of Tennessee and was ordered to pay the costs and fees of the Board of Professional
Responsibility.
Mr. Judkins represented a client in a divorce action. Following a disagreement between attorney and client, Mr.
Judkinsâ client discharged him and retained new counsel. Mr. Judkins refused to immediately transfer the client file to his
client's new counsel and asserted an attorneyâs lien in the litigation and over the file materials, pursuant to Tennessee
common law and Tennessee Code Annotated § 23-2-102, for the purpose of securing the payment of his fees and the
reimbursement of his expenses for his service as counsel. While the assertion of these lien rights was lawful, Mr. Judkinsâ
delay in transferring certain client file materials violated his duties to his former client under Rule of Professional Conduct
1.16(d) (terminating representation).
Mr. Judkins additionally failed to adequately communicate with his client about the terms of the fees to be paid or
the manner in which such fees would be paid, failed to provide updates as to the accrual of fees at regular intervals during
the representation, and did not notify his client as to the amount of fees owed until after his representation was terminated,
in violation of Rule of Professional Conduct 1.4 (communication)
Finally, in an attempt to assert and defend his valid attorneyâs lien for fees, Mr. Judkins sought and received
permission from the Court to intervene in the litigation. Following his intervention, he attempted to participate in the
litigation beyond the extent the Court deemed was necessary to assert and defend his lien rights, in violation of Rules of
Professional Conduct 8.4(a) and (d) (misconduct).
A Public Censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorneyâs ability to practice
law.
Judkins 3177-2 rel.doc