- (1) Any party to a contested case may be represented, at the party’s own expense, by an attorney or attorneys licensed in Tennessee or granted to appear pro hac vice upon satisfaction of the requirements in (2) of this rule below.
- (2) Out-of-state counsel shall comply with T.C.A. § 23-3-103(a) and Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 19, except that the affidavit referred to in the latter rule shall be filed with the Commission Docket Manager.
- (3) Any party to a contested case may represent itself. Under Tennessee law, however, a business entity must be represented by an attorney licensed in Tennessee or approved to appear pro hac vice.
(4) Entry of an appearance by counsel shall be made by:
- (a) The signing of any filing;
- (b) The filing of a notice of appearance; or
- (c) Appearance as counsel during a Commission Conference, pre-hearing conference, or a hearing.
- (5) After appearance of counsel has been made, all orders, notices, and filings shall be served only upon such counsel, unless otherwise requested.
- (6) Counsel wishing to withdraw shall give written notice to the Commission. Permission to withdraw shall not be unreasonably withheld.
Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-305, 23-3-103(a), and 65-2-102 and Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 19. Administrative History: Original rule filed June 30, 2000; effective September 13, 2000. Editorial changes made by the Secretary of State pursuant to Public Chapter 826 of 2002 by replacing “Executive Secretary” with “Chair of the Authority”; effective March 28, 2003. Administrative changes made to this chapter on April 27, 2018 pursuant to Public Chapter 94 of 2017; “Tennessee Regulatory Authority” references were changed to “Tennessee Public Utility Commission,” “Authority” references were changed to “Commission,” “Authority Director” references were changed to “Commissioner,” and “Chief” references were changed to “Director.” Amendments filed August 11, 2025; effective November 9, 2025.