Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility

What Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility does

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility is a state government regulatory body operating under the authority of the Tennessee Supreme Court pursuant to Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9, headquartered at 10 Cadillac Drive, Suite 220, Brentwood, Tennessee. The Board administers the attorney disciplinary system statewide and serves two primary constituencies: the general public (through the Consumer Assistance Program, complaint filing, and a public attorney directory) and approximately 29,083 registered attorneys (24,588 active in-state plus 4,495 out-of-state) who must comply with annual registration, ethics guidance, and continuing legal education expectations. Core operational products include a web-based Online Registration System, an Online Attorney Directory, the Consumer Assistance Program, Formal Ethics Opinions, the semi-annual Board Notes Newsletter, and Annual and Quarterly Reports, supported by educational offerings such as Ethics Workshops, Trust Account Workshops, the Succession Planning CLE, and the voluntary Proactive Management-Based Regulation (PMBR) self-assessment.

Operations are delivered through twelve governor-appointed Board members (nine attorneys, three public members serving three-year terms), a Chief Disciplinary Counsel with Deputy Chief Disciplinary Counsels for Investigations and Litigation, an Ethics Counsel, a Consumer Assistance Program Director, a Registration Manager, and a network of 221 volunteer district committee members across nine disciplinary districts. In FY 2024-2025 the Board logged 3,959 total requests for investigation or assistance, opened 783 investigations, filed 80 formal disciplinary cases, and produced 9 permanent disbarments. Revenue is derived from mandatory annual attorney registration fees, with administrative suspension enforced for non-payment; no commercial pricing or commercial revenue is reported. The technology footprint is limited to standard web portal infrastructure with no disclosed AI, machine learning, or automation capabilities beyond basic online self-service.

Name

Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility

Legal name

Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee

Website

https://tbpr.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility is a state government regulatory body under the Tennessee Supreme Court that administers attorney ethics, disciplinary proceedings, licensing, and consumer assistance for approximately 29,000 registered Tennessee attorneys and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Regulatory Services

NAICS

Courts (92211), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Courts & Judicial Administration (BPAIABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Judicial Courts & Court Administration (BPAIAFAA)

Keywords

• Attorney disciplinary system
• Legal ethics regulation
• Attorney registration services
• Consumer assistance program
• Professional responsibility oversight

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Attorney Registration Fees: Annual attorney registration fees fund Board operations. Attorneys are administratively suspended for non-payment of annual fees per Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9 § 10.6.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility administers the statewide attorney disciplinary system under Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 9. It investigates complaints of attorney misconduct, prosecutes disciplinary cases, issues formal and informal ethics opinions, manages annual attorney registration, and runs educational programs including CLE seminars, the PMBR self-assessment, and consumer assistance for the public.

Product overview

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility operates a suite of regulatory and educational services for the legal profession. The core offerings include an Online Attorney Directory for public attorney search, a Consumer Assistance Program for dispute mediation, Formal Ethics Opinions providing professional guidance, and an Online Registration System for attorney licensing compliance. The Board also publishes the semi-annual Board Notes Newsletter and issues Annual and Quarterly Reports on disciplinary activities. Educational products include Proactive Management-Based Regulation (PMBR) self-assessment, Succession Planning CLE, Trust Account Workshops, and Ethics Workshops. Supporting resources include Practice Monitor Guidelines, the Trust Account Handbook, and a Pro Hac Vice Attorney Search tool. An Attorney Portal provides secure access for licensed professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Attorney Directory Public search directory allowing users to search for Tennessee attorneys by name, county, and BPR number to access licensing, registration, and contact information.
• Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) Program that answers questions, provides information, and informally mediates disputes between members of the public and attorneys, and refers appropriate matters to Disciplinary Counsel.
• Online Registration System Web-based system enabling Tennessee lawyers to fulfill annual attorney registration requirements, with administrative suspension for non-payment per Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9, Section 10.6.
• Formal Ethics Opinions Published ethics guidance documents providing interpretation of the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys.
• Board Notes Newsletter Semi-annual newsletter providing articles of interest, ethics opinions, and disciplinary actions to Tennessee attorneys and judges.
• Annual Reports Annual reports providing a summarized overview of Board activities and disciplinary statistics.
• Proactive Management-Based Regulation (PMBR) Voluntary self-assessment program designed to help lawyers with professional development, risk mitigation, and law firm management improvement.
• Trust Account Workshop Educational workshop covering trust accounting requirements and best practices for Tennessee attorneys.
• Ethics Workshop Annual ethics education seminar covering professional responsibility topics for Tennessee attorneys.
• Succession Planning CLE Continuing legal education course addressing how attorneys can plan for practice transition, closing, or selling of their practice.
• Attorney Portal Secure portal for Tennessee attorneys to manage their registration, view disciplinary information, and access Board services.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tennessee Supreme CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Board operates under the authority of the Tennessee Supreme Court pursuant to Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 9. The Court appoints the 12 Board members and oversees the disciplinary system. The Board assists the Court in protecting the public from unethical lawyers.
• Tennessee Bureau of InvestigationminorOthersListed as a link of interest under Executive Branch state government agencies. Provides investigative resources that may be referenced in disciplinary matters.
• Tennessee Bar AssociationminorOthersListed as a link of interest under State Law & Justice Organizations. Professional association for Tennessee attorneys that may collaborate on CLE and professional development initiatives.
• Lawyers Fund for Client ProtectionminorOthersReferenced in Board resources; provides compensation to clients who suffer financial loss due to attorney dishonesty. Related entity under the Tennessee court system.
• Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP)minorOthersListed as a related judicial branch organization. Provides assistance to attorneys dealing with substance abuse, mental health, or other issues affecting their ability to practice law.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Florida Bar - Branch Offices (Discipline): The Florida Bar's branch offices and grievance committees investigate and prosecute attorney discipline across Florida. It performs the same core function as the Tennessee Board, including ethics opinions, CLE oversight, and disciplinary prosecution.
• New York State Bar Association - Lawyer Discipline System: NYSBA's disciplinary committees and the broader New York lawyer discipline system handle attorney discipline through four judicial departments. The structure mirrors Tennessee's district-based model with volunteer attorney participants investigating complaints.
• State Bar of Michigan - Attorney Discipline Board: Michigan's Attorney Discipline Board hears misconduct cases and recommends sanctions. Combined with the State Bar's intake and investigative arm, it mirrors Tennessee's end-to-end disciplinary process from complaint to disbarment.
• Ohio Board of Professional Conduct: The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct administers the disciplinary system for Ohio attorneys under the Ohio Supreme Court. It performs equivalent registration, complaint investigation, and disciplinary functions.
• Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court: Pennsylvania's Disciplinary Board investigates complaints against attorneys and recommends discipline to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Like Tennessee's Board, it operates under direct Supreme Court authority with district-based volunteer committees.
• New Jersey Office of Attorney Ethics: New Jersey's Office of Attorney Ethics, part of the New Jersey Courts, investigates and prosecutes attorney discipline and oversees the New Jersey Lawyers Assistance Program. It is a direct functional peer under state supreme court authority, closely paralleling Tennessee's structure.
• State Bar of Texas - Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel: Texas's Chief Disciplinary Counsel and regional grievance committees investigate and prosecute attorney discipline statewide. The Texas model closely parallels Tennessee's district-based, volunteer-driven disciplinary system.
• Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC): The ARDC administers attorney registration, investigates complaints, and prosecutes disciplinary cases for Illinois lawyers under Illinois Supreme Court authority. It is structurally and functionally analogous to the Tennessee Board, including registration, investigation, and disciplinary processes.
• State Bar of California - Office of Chief Trial Counsel: The California State Bar's Office of Chief Trial Counsel investigates and prosecutes attorney discipline matters across California, performing the same regulatory function as the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility. As the largest state bar in the U.S., it is a direct functional peer despite operating under a different governance structure (unified bar).
• North Carolina State Bar - Office of Counsel: North Carolina State Bar's Office of Counsel investigates grievances and represents the Bar in disciplinary hearings. NC operates as a unified bar with a similar combination of regulation, ethics opinion issuance, and CLE oversight as Tennessee's Board.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/board-of-professional-responsibility

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility