A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge last week issued an opinion permitting a law school graduate, who failed to pass the bar exam, to discharge her $11,000 bar study loan, The National Law Journal reports. Lesley Campbell filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy after making payments on the loan and sought to have the loan discharged. Citibank, the loan provider, argued the type of loan could not be discharged "absent undue hardship" and that the loan was an “educational benefit.”

The U.S. Supreme Court today asked for additional information on both sides in Zubik v. Burwell, in which religious nonprofits are seeking an exemption from the Obama administration’s contraceptive coverage rule. The order instructs parties in the suit “to examine the minimum the groups must do in order to register their objection to paying for contraception,” the Associated Press reports. The court set an April 20 deadline. A 4-4 split has previously been predicted in the case, which would leave different rules in place in different parts of the country.

The Claiborne Jail Committee will move forward with $700,000 in state-mandated jail renovations. The Claiborne Progress reports the amount had been worked into the original costs of a jail expansion project, but that project is in limbo as signatures are needed to bring the issue to a ballot. Later this year, officials will appear before the Board of Control to show what has been done to address overcrowding in order to maintain accreditation.

A measure that would have sealed Tennessee police body camera recordings from the public died today in a House committee. The Associated Press reports the matter was sent to be studied after the legislative session.

Judge Monte Watkins today ruled that Corey Batey, one of four men charged with raping an unconscious woman at Vanderbilt University in 2013, will stand trial alone. Worrick Robinson, Batey’s attorney, said today that a judge granted a request to delay Brandon Vandenburg’s trial because of “personal issues.” Robinson then filed an emergency motion to delay the trial for Batey, but Deputy District Attorney General Tom Thurman argued the trial “would not be significantly different for Batey alone.” The Tennessean reports jury selection will begin Wednesday in Chattanooga and Batey’s trial is expected to start Monday. Judge Watkins last year granted a mistrial for Batey and Vandenburg due to a juror’s conduct.

The Tennessee Supreme Court today suspended the law license of Rhea County lawyer John Arnold Fitzgerald for four years, retroactive to Sept. 10, 2014. Fitzgerald entered a conditional guilty plea to the Board of Professional Responsibility’s Hearing Panel on Feb. 22. The Court accepted the panel’s recommendation and issued an Order of Enforcement that lays out the terms of the suspension. Read the BPR release. 

Former state university police officer brought suit against the university, its governing board, and the university‘s chief of police asserting causes of action under the Tennessee Public Protection Act (?TPPA?), the Tennessee Human Rights Act (?THRA?), and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (?Title VII?); the officer alleged that he had been discriminated against on the basis of his sex and in retaliation for filing a complaint of discrimination with the university and charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (?EEOC?), and that he was subjected to a

Upon consideration of the application for permission to appeal of Reynaldo Manuel Aragon and the record before us, the application is granted. The Clerk is directed to place this matter on the docket for oral argument upon the completion of briefing.

This is a termination of parental rights case. The trial court found clear and convincing evidence of grounds for terminating the parental rights of R.P.G. II, (father) to K.J.G. (the child). By the same quantum of proof, the court found that termination was in the child‘s best interest. Father appeals. We hold that the trial court‘s final judgment does not include or incorporate written findings of fact justifying its decision as required by Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-1-113(k) (2014).