The city of Nashville, TN has a number of regulations and laws that apply to government entities operating within its limits. The Zoning Code (Title 17 of the Metro Code of Ordinances) is designed to promote and support aspects such as quality of life, public safety, and a better built environment. It focuses on how properties interact with surrounding neighborhoods. The Metro Buildings and Construction Ordinance (Title 16 of the Metro Ordinances Code) is based on standards created by construction officials across the country.
It focuses on building regulations with the primary concern of protecting occupants. The Tennessee State Board of Legal Examiners (the “Board”) is part of the judiciary of government and is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has general oversight authority over the Board's actions and controls admission to the practice of law. To be admitted to the Tennessee Bar Association, applicants must meet certain requirements, such as being at least eighteen years old, having met the educational admission requirements specified in this Rule, obtaining a minimum score on the Uniform Bar Exam required in Tennessee for admission, obtaining a passing grade in the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam, certifying that they have read and are familiar with the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct, completing the Tennessee law course, paying all licensing and admission fees to this Board, to the Clerk of the Supreme Court and to the Professional Responsibility Board, and demonstrating their commitment to serving the administration of justice in this state. Applicants who have been admitted to practice in another state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a U. S., may be waived from the requirement to pass the Tennessee bar exam or pass a UBE score.
Additionally, licenses for persons holding licenses valid to practice in Tennessee as of the date of adoption of this Rule do not need to be renewed. The Tennessee law course provides instruction in specific areas of Tennessee law not addressed in the Uniform Bar Exam. In order to take the bar exam or be admitted without examination in Tennessee, applicants must have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher from an approved university or accrediting agency that imposes at least substantially equivalent standards. They must also have obtained a J. D.
degree from a law school accredited by the ABA at the time of their graduation or from a Tennessee law school approved by the Board pursuant to section 17.01 of this Rule at the time of their graduation. The applicant must also have completed all other requirements for obtaining a lawyer's license within one year from when they complete all other requirements in order to obtain a Tennessee lawyer's license. The applicant must submit evidence of their degree in the form required by the Board before taking their first bar exam or applying for admission without examination in Tennessee. They must also submit evidence that they have completed an instructional course and graduated with a J. degree from an approved law school before taking their first bar exam or applying for admission without examination in Tennessee. The applicant shall bear all costs associated with their application for admission and any fees imposed under Rule 21, section 8.02.
