U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., R-Knoxville, describes a recent holiday party advisory at the University of Tennessee as “ridiculously overboard," the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. The advisory, posted on the website for the university’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion, warns holiday parties should have “no emphasis on culture or religion," such as Secret Santa. “People all over the country are sick and tired of all this political correctness,” Duncan said.

Online training is now available on drafting legislation. Drafting Legislation Parts 1 & 2: Bills and Drafting Legislation Part 3: Amendments offer insight on how legislation is prepared, drafted and reviewed.

The Washington County Bar Association will host its Christmas Party on Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. The event will be held at the Blackthorn Club at 1501 Ridges Club Dr. in Jonesborough. Contact the Washington Bar Association at 423-631-0326 to RSVP by Dec. 11.

Josiah Vacheresse, executive director of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Bradley County, says CASA assisted children in 150 court cases in the last year.  “We are for the child who has been abused and doesn’t want to go home,” Vacheresse said during a Community Crime Reduction meeting Tuesday at Bradley County Juvenile Court. “We are for the child who has been in five foster homes and attended six schools in four years.” Read more from The Cleveland Daily Banner.

Money for a new Nashville federal courthouse will likely be included in appropriation bills being negotiated now in Congress, The Tennessean reports. In order for the funding --  a $182 million project cost -- to be included in the package, Congress must vote and pass the bundle ahead of next Friday’s deadline. President Obama will also have to sign it into law. “While we can’t be sure until next week, I am optimistic that the Senate and the House will agree to fully fund the Nashville federal courthouse," said U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. The TBA’s support for the project dates to 2002 when members voted overwhelmingly to recommend that the courthouse be sited on a block bounded by 7th and 8th Avenues and Church and Commerce Streets in Nashville.

Sumner County School board members voted unanimously on Tuesday to appeal a November ruling that said the schools violated the Tennessee Public Records Act, the Gallatin News Examiner reports. Ken Jakes filed a lawsuit against the schools after his records request was denied because he made the request by email and telephone. Sumner County Judge Dee David Gay ruled the district must change its records request policy. "No one has articulated to me a legitimate reason why (Sumner County Schools) can't accept an email," Jakes' attorney Kirk Clements said. "Whatever downside there is to accepting emails it's not worth spending (thousands of dollars) to fight it."

The Associated Press describes the U.S. Supreme Court as “skeptical” when determining if state officials have the power to require health insurers to turn over information detailing how much they pay for medical claims. The debate landed before the high court after Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. refused to share health data with Vermont officials; state officials argued the database would minimize health costs and increase competition. Vermont joins an estimated 18 states that currently gather health care claims. Liberty Mutual attorney Seth Waxman argues that federal law intended for self-funded insurance plans to operate without state regulations. Attorneys attending the annual TBA Academy and Admissions Ceremony were on hand for the session.

Nine Tennessee attorneys were admitted to practice today before the U.S. Supreme Court at the 32nd Annual TBA Academy and Admission Ceremony in Washington, D.C. TBA President Bill Harbison led the activities leading up to admission of: Rebecca Wells Demaree of Cornelius & Collins in Nashville; Calvin Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley; incoming TBA president Jason H. Long of Lowe, Yeager and Brown in Knoxville; Shane Kelvin McNeill of Tellus Law in Thompson’s Station; C. Creed McGinley of Savannah; Charles McIver Molder of Mounger and Molder in Columbia; J. Britt Phillips of Sutter O’Connell in Franklin; Steven Wilson of The Steve Wilson Firm in Memphis; and Rachel Lea Zamata of Nashville. See more photos.

The Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Jamie Ellen Machamer from the practice of law on Nov. 30 for one year and 30 days to be served as active suspension and the remainder on probation. Machamer, a Nashville lawyer, failed to adequately communicate with a client she represented in a divorce and estate matters and also failed to communicate with clients she was appointed to represent in post-conviction matters. Read the BPR release.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today clarified the meaning and purpose of Tennessee Rule of Criminal Procedures 36.1, which was adopted in 2011 and outlines a procedure for challenging illegal sentences. The Court said Rule 36.1 does not expand the scope of relief for illegal sentence claims and to obtain relief under the rule, a moving party must show that the challenged sentence is “illegal,” and that the challenged sentence has not expired. Based upon this clarification, the Supreme Court unanimously concluded the defendant in State v. Wooden failed to show that his challenged sentence was an illegal sentence and that the defendant’s sentence in State v. Brown expired several years before he sought relief under Rule 36.1. Read the opinions in State v. Wooden and State v. Brown, authored by Justice Cornelia A. Clark.