On July 9, 2025, Lena Ann Graves Buck, an attorney licensed to practice law in Tennessee, received a Public Censure from the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Ms. Buck provided consultation regarding a workers’ compensation case to a client. While the client never signed a retainer agreement nor paid an attorney fee, between late 2020 and mid-2021, Ms. Buck met with the client on three (3) occasions, where she provided legal advice regarding workers’ compensation and social security disability issues. Their second meeting was held the month before client’s statute of limitations ran to file his workers’ compensation claim with the third meeting being held the month after the statute ran.
During that time and over the next three (3) years, while Ms. Buck represented the client in a disability claim, the client believed Ms. Buck was also acting as client’s attorney in the workers’ compensation matter. Ms.
Buck discussed the workers’ compensation issue with the client at both 2021 meetings, but failed to keep the client apprised of the statute of limitations deadline. The client did not discover the deadline had passed until mid-2024.
Thereafter, Ms. Buck entered into a business transaction with the client without first advising the client in writing of the desirability of seeking or giving the client a reasonable opportunity to seek the advice of independent legal counsel on the transaction.
By these acts, Ms. Buck has violated Rules of Professional Conduct 1.1 (competence), 1.3 (diligence),
1.4 (communication), 1.8(a)(2) (conflict of interest), and 8.4(d) (misconduct) and is hereby Publicly Censured for these violations.
A Public Censure is a rebuke and warning to the attorney, but it does not affect the attorney’s ability to practice law.
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