Seven Tennessee lawmakers spent more than $30,000 in campaign money to buy tickets for Titans and Memphis Grizzlies games, The Tennessean reports. Rep. Larry Miller, D-Memphis, accused of spending the most campaign funds, said the tickets were purchased to give away to constituents. "I think my campaign donors knew that I was contributing quite often to community services, nonprofits, making year-round donations. I don’t think they’d have a problem with that,” Miller said. 

The University of Tennessee College of Law will host an admissions workshop Sept. 9, 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., for potential law school applicants in East Tennessee. The free event will include a Q&A with admission officers and a recruitment fair. Preregistration is not required.

A proposal calling for a new $89 million Tennessee State Library and Archives building has been endorsed by the editors of both the Chattanooga Times and the Free Press. Left-over revenue from the fiscal year that ended June 30 could go to fund the project according to state officials, though others want to use the money for other priorities. The proposed library and archives, though expensive, would allow the state librarians to fulfill their statutory responsibility of storing materials including legislation and governors’ notes, the editors write. "Preserving history is is worthy of a place in Tennessee spending," they conclude.

The Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a job applicant does not have a claim against a prospective employer when the employer fails to hire the person because he or she previously filed a workers’ compensation claim. In Kighwaunda M Yardley v. Hospital Housekeeping Systems LLC, Yardley asserted she was not hired for a new cleaning job at her place of employment because she had previously filed for workers' compensation. The court declined to recognize a cause of action for retaliatory failure to hire, explaining there is a fundamental difference between discharging an employee and refusing to hire a job applicant.

Justice Sharon Lee was today unanimously re-elected as chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court. Lee has been a member of the Tennessee Supreme Court since 2008, and recently led the launch of the state’s first business court. She also recently spoke at a White House forum on Tennessee’s nationally-recognized Access to Justice program. “I look forward to continuing the work we have begun,” Lee said. “I am thankful for the support of my colleagues on the court. I will continue to work hard to ensure that courts in Tennessee are on a continuous path of making things better in our communities and across the state.”

State Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, is introducing legislation that would provide immunity and personal liability protection for Tennessee National Guard members involved in protection during a terrorist attack, Nooga reports. “Our Tennessee National Guardsmen have become targets of terrorists, as demonstrated by the tragic events in Chattanooga,” Briggs said. The proposal comes one month after the July 16 shooting in Chattanooga that killed five service members. The bill is being developed in consultation with Gov. Bill Haslam and Adjutant General Max Haston, according to the paper.

Circuit Court Judge J. Eddie Lauderback was sworn in today by Gov. Bill Haslam on the steps of the Washington County Courthouse in Jonesborough. The position in the First Judicial District became open following the retirement of Judge Thomas J. Seeley Jr. Lauderback is a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law and has been a partner since 1991 at Herndon, Coleman, Brading and McKee in Johnson City.

Gov. Bill Haslam said he has not had any communication with his close friend Attorney General Herbert Slatery about an upcoming vacancy on the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Associated Press reports. Haslam acknowledged that “there has been a lot of speculation” on whether Slatery will seek to move into the seat, which will be vacant as of Sept. 8 due to Justice Gary Wade’s retirement. Because the attorney general is so close with the governor, other potential candidates may want to wait and see what Slatery decides before submitting an application, the AP suggests. WATE News 6 has more.

Join local attorneys for the annual Court Square CLE in Cookeville on Sept. 15 from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. at First Tennessee Bank. Topics to be covered include legislation, billing and labor law. TBA members can use membership prepaid credits and attend for free.

Entries are due Oct.1 for the 2016 Seigenthaler-Sutherland Cup National First Amendment Moot Court Competition, which will be held March 18-19. The competition for law students is sponsored by the Newseum’s First Amendment Center and the Columbus School of Law. First-day rounds will be at the Columbus School of Law and second-day final rounds at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.