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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: LORING EDWIN JUSTICE, BPR #019446
CONTACT: JAMES W. MILAM
BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
615-361-7500
June 13, 2024
KNOX COUNTY LAWYER SUSPENDED
Effective June 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of Tennessee unanimously held in a majority opinion, with
one Justice writing a concurring opinion, that Loring Edwin Justice committed professional misconduct for
which the sanction is a suspension of his law license for three (3) years pursuant to Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9, § 12.2.
After a hearing upon the disciplinary petition, a Hearing Panel determined by a preponderance of the
evidence that Mr. Justice made statements about a judge in court pleadings that were either false or that no
reasonable attorney would believe were true, that the statements were made to disrupt a judicial proceeding, that
they caused unnecessary delay and needlessly increased litigation costs, and that they undermined public
confidence in the administration of justice. The Hearing Panel concluded the above conduct by Mr. Justice was
in violation of RPC 3.5(e) (disrupting a tribunal), RPC 8.2(a)(1) (judicial and legal officials), and RPC 8.4(a)
and 8.4(d) (misconduct). On appeal, the trial court affirmed the findings of the Hearing Panel as to the ethical
violations but reversed the Hearing Panelâs imposition of a three (3) year suspension and increased the sanction
to disbarment.
The trial courtâs judgment was affirmed in part and reversed in part by the Supreme Court, resulting in
affirmation of the findings by the Hearing Panel and the trial court regarding each ethical violation found, and
the reversal of the trial courtâs order of disbarment and reinstatement of the Hearing Panelâs three (3) year
suspension. The Court ordered Mr. Justice to obtain an additional six (6) hours of CLE pertaining to ethics
instruction and pay the costs of his disciplinary proceeding as conditions precedent to reinstatement of his
license.
Justice 2811-2 rel.doc