The Tennessee Supreme Court has granted review to two civil cases involving insurance benefits assignments and termination of parental rights, and one criminal case pertaining to due process concerns associated with kidnapping convictions. The Raybin Perky Hot List has a summary and forecast of each case.

For the first time since 1940, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed unanimously on more than 66 percent of its cases throughout the term, Georgetown University law professor Neal K. Katyal writes in an opinion piece for the New York Times. Katyal notes that the figure still holds even if Monday’s remaining two cases are not unanimous. “Unanimity is important because it signals that the justices can rise above their differences and interpret the law without partisanship,” Katyal writes. “When the justices forge common ground, it signals to the nation the deep-seated roots of what the court has said and contributes to stability in the fabric of the law."

Effective Jan. 1, Tennessee lawyers will see big changes to the Tennessee Non-Profit Corporations Act, which will impact existing non-profit organizations and new formations. This October, TBA’s TennBarU will offer sessions in Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga that will focus on understanding the new requirements including conflict of interest, governance, changes to documents and more. Visit the TennBarU website for more information or to register. 

The Chattanooga Election Commission approved the wording on the city’s Domestic Partnership Benefits ordinance during an emergency meeting today. The meeting was called as quickly as possible because the issue arose just as it is time to print the ballots, officials said. Assistant City Attorney Phil Noblett said he has concerns that the wording is "vague and overbroad” and that voters would be getting "a slanted version" of the ordinance. The Chattanoogan has more.

The Administrative Office of the Courts is now working with Justice for Vets to help veterans who find themselves before a judge. More than 60 veterans became the state’s first ever Veterans Treatment Court mentors. Mentors completed a boot camp to learn how to help fellow men and women in uniform who end-up with criminal charges, and will be able to work in courts across the state, News Channel 5 reports.

Roane County Circuit Court Judge Russell Simmons Jr. announced today that he is taking under advisement a high-profile divorce case involving two men who married legally in Iowa and want to divorce in Tennessee. The issue pertains to whether a same-sex divorce can be granted in a state where such marriages are banned. Simmons said he will render a written opinion soon. Knoxnews has more.

The Tennessee Association for Justice (TAJ) recently elected Nashville attorney Jon Peeler as president for the 2014-2015 term. Elections for other Board of Governors leadership positions were held at the TAJ annual convention on June 13. View the press release for to the complete list.

Perry Mason, Matlock and Olivia Pope are just a few of the fictional lawyers listed as favorites by the Nashville Business Journal’s 2014 Best of the Bar winners. The most common favorite? Atticus Finch from Harper Lee’s seminal work “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Read more about the winners and their literary picks at the NBJ wesbite. 

U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan today denied a move for an injunction filed by the House of Bryant Publications to stop Lake City’s proposed name change to Rocky Top. The company owns the rights to the famous bluegrass ballad “Rocky Top.” Judge Varlan said attorneys for House of Bryant showed no reason why he should delay the vote while they appealed his decision dismissing a lawsuit against the name change. Knoxnews has more.

A federal appeals court in Denver ruled for the first time yesterday that states cannot prevent gay couples from getting married, extending the movement's legal winning streak and bringing the issue a big step closer to the U.S. Supreme Court. The 2-1 decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld a lower-court ruling that struck down Utah's gay marriage ban. It becomes law in the six states covered by the 10th Circuit: Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming. The panel immediately put the ruling on hold pending an appeal. The Utah attorney general's office planned to appeal the decision but it was assessing whether to go directly to the U.S. Supreme Court or ask the entire 10th Circuit to review the ruling, spokeswoman Missy Larsen said. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has more from the Associated Press.