33.1.(a) The respondent or petitioning attorney or the Board may appeal the judgment of a hearing panel by filing within sixty days of the date of entry of the hearing panel's judgment a Petition for Review in the circuit or chancery court of the county in which the office of the respondent or petitioning attorney was located at the time the charges were filed with the Board. If the respondent or petitioning attorney was located outside this State, the Petition for Review shall be filed in the circuit court or chancery court of Davidson County, Tennessee. If a timely application for the assessment of costs is made under Section 31.3(a), the time for appeal for all parties shall run from the hearing panel's submission of its findings and judgment with respect to the application for the assessment of costs unless, upon application of the Board to the Court and for good cause shown, the Court orders otherwise. In the absence of such an application and order, a Petition for Review filed prior to the hearing panel's submission of its findings and judgment with respect to the application for the assessment of costs shall be deemed to be premature and shall be treated as filed after the submission of the hearing panel's findings and judgment with respect to the assessment of costs and on the day thereof. (b) The review shall be on the transcript of the evidence before the hearing panel and its findings and judgment. If allegations of irregularities in the procedure before the hearing panel are made, the trial court is authorized to take such additional proof as may be necessary to resolve such allegations. The trial court may, in its discretion, permit discovery on appeals limited only to allegations of irregularities in the proceeding. The court may affirm the decision of the hearing panel or remand the case for further proceedings. The court may reverse or modify the decision if the rights of the party filing the Petition for Review have been prejudiced because the hearing panel's findings, inferences, conclusions or decisions are:(1) in violation of constitutional or statutory provisions;(2) in excess of the hearing panel's jurisdiction;(3) made upon unlawful procedure;(4) arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted exercise of discretion; or(5) unsupported by evidence which is both substantial and material in the light of the entire record. In determining the substantiality of evidence, the court shall take into account whatever in the record fairly detracts from its weight, but the court shall not substitute its judgment for that of the hearing panel as to the weight of the evidence on questions of fact.(c) There shall be no petitions for rehearing in the trial court.(d) Either party dissatisfied with the decree of the circuit or chancery court may prosecute an appeal directly to the Court. The appeal shall be determined upon the transcript of the record from the circuit or chancery court, which shall include the transcript of evidence before the hearing panel, and upon the parties' briefs but without oral argument, unless the Court orders otherwise. If a timely application for the assessment of costs is made under Section 31.3(b), the time for appeal for all parties shall run from the trial court's entry of its findings and judgment with respect to the application for the assessment of costs unless, upon application of the Board to the Court and for good cause shown, the Court orders otherwise. Absent such application and order, a Notice of Appeal filed prior to the trial court's entry of its findings and judgment with respect to the application for the assessment of costs shall be deemed to be premature and shall be treated as filed after the entry of the trial court's findings and judgment with respect to the assessment of costs and on the day thereof. Prior decisions of the Court holding that appeal of disciplinary proceedings must be taken to the Court of Appeals because Tenn. Code Ann. § 16-4-108 so requires are expressly overruled. Except as otherwise provided in this Rule, Tenn. R. App. P. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 shall apply to such appeals to this Court.33.2. The Chief Justice shall designate a trial judge or chancellor, regular or retired, who shall not reside within the geographic boundaries of the chancery division or circuit court wherein the office of the respondent or petitioning attorney was located at the time the charges were filed with the Board. Alternatively, the Chief Justice may designate a Senior Judge who shall not be subject to this geographic limitation. It shall be this judge's, chancellor's, or Senior Judge's duty to review the case in the manner set forth in Section 33.1 and to enter judgment upon the minutes of the circuit or chancery court of the county where the case is heard, and the judgment shall be effective as if the special judge were the regular presiding judge of said court. The duty is imposed upon the clerks and the regular trial judge to promptly notify the Chief Justice of the filing of an appeal in disciplinary cases.33.3.(a) The judgment of the hearing panel may be stayed in the discretion of the hearing panel, pending any appeal pursuant to Section 33. Upon the filing of a Petition for Review pursuant to Section 33, and in the event the judgment is not stayed by the hearing panel, the trial court in its discretion may stay the hearing panel's judgment upon motion of a party. (b) The final judgment of the trial court may be stayed in the discretion of the trial court, pending an appeal to the Court pursuant to Section 33. In the event the trial court does not issue a stay pending appeal, the Court may issue a stay upon the motion of a party.Amended by order filed March 24, 2022, effective 3/24/2022.