Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will speak at Tennessee Tech University on Tuesday as part of Constitution Day activities. Gonzales’ talk will be at 6 p.m. in Derryberry Hall Auditorium with a reception to follow. Both events are free and open to the public. The Herald Citizen has more.

The law license of Stacy D. Attkisson was transferred to disability inactive status on Sept. 10. Attkisson may return to the practice of law upon showing of clear and convincing evidence that the disability has been removed and she is fit to resume. View the BPR notice.

Autry L. Jones has recently accepted an appointment as the Child Support Magistrate for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court. The swearing in ceremony will be Friday at 1 p.m. at the juvenile court.

More than 120 members of Congress are urging the Supreme Court to recognize that pregnant workers are entitled to reasonable accommodations such as light duty and other protections to ensure expecting mothers are not forced out of their jobs, the Memphis Daily News reports. A friend-of-the-court brief was filed today regarding the case of a pregnant UPS delivery worker who was asked to take unpaid maternity leave, rather than being provided a less strenuous position as her doctors advised. Many of the lawmakers are pushing legislation to make the pregnancy protections explicit in federal law. The case is scheduled to be heard by the Supreme Court in December.

In light of the recent attack at an East Memphis Kroger store, District Attorney General Amy Weirich spoke about deadly force against juveniles at a press conference Tuesday. Weirich said Tennessee law allows people to use deadly force to protect themselves or others if their lives are at risk but that issue is not cut and dry, as the country has seen in several highly publicized incidents. Saturday night, a large group of juveniles attacked three people and vandalized a fourth person’s car outside a Kroger store. WREG has more.

The Tennessee Supreme Court plans to announce its choice for Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter at 11 a.m. Monday in Nashville. “We have remained true to our commitment of a transparent process and look forward to sharing with the citizens of Tennessee who will serve as their Attorney General,” Chief Justice Sharon Lee said. The six candidates in the running are: Eugene N. Bulso Jr., Brentwood; Robert E. Cooper Jr., Nashville; Mark A. Fulks, Johnson City; James Douglas Overbey, Maryville; Herbert H. Slatery III, Nashville; and William E. Young, Brentwood. The court completed personal interviews on Tuesday and is waiting for detailed background checks before making a final decision. View the full press release. 

The city of Memphis has received two grants by the Department of Justice to combat gangs and domestic violence, U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton announced yesterday in a press release. Totaling $900,000, the “Grant to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders” will help enforce protection orders and protect victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. “Project Safe Neighborhoods Grant” is a $148,885 grant to reduce gang and gun violence locally. The Memphis Flyer has more.

The Supreme Court has formally added gay marriage cases to the justices' agenda for their closed-door conference on Sept. 29. The action does not mean that the court will decide that day to hear state appeals of lower court rulings that struck down bans on same-sex marriage, but the late September conference will be the first time the justices have the issue before them. Appeals have been filed from Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. WRCB has more from the Associated Press.

Hamilton County Public Defender Steve Smith has already made some extensive changes in the public defender's office after defeating longtime Public Defender Ardena Garth, the Chattanoogan reports. Smith named veteran attorney Mike Little as the deputy public defender and hired Kevin Loper, Jay Underwood and Manzura Talipova as new assistant public defenders. Those no longer with the office include Rick Mabe, Karla Gothard, Mary Ann Green and Jane Buffaloe.

The Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association and the Tennessee Fraternal Order of Police have joined the growing list of statewide organizations supporting the passage of Amendment 2, the Crossville Chronicle reports. “Amendment 2 brings new clarity and accountability to the process of selecting Tennessee’s Supreme Court and appellate court judges,” said Fraternal Order of Police President Johnny Crumby. “We need the best judges, not the best politicians. Amendment 2 will help ensure that we get the fair and impartial judges that Tennesseans want and need.”