Judge David Bragg has joined the faculty at Nashville School of Law, the school announced. Bragg, who serves as circuit court judge in the 16th Judicial District in Rutherford and Cannon counties, will teach a class on secured transactions in May. An NSL alum, Bragg was elected in 2008 and is currently running for re-election. Previously, he practiced law in Murfreesboro, where he represented clients in all areas of law but specialized in real estate, the Tennessean reports. 

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville Student Government Association Tuesday passed a bill to potentially add a Judicial Branch, the Daily Beacon reports. Similar to that of the federal government, the branch will absorb the current jurisdictions of the Student Tribunal, Student Disciplinary Board and the Student Life Council. In addition, the branch will serve as the "constitutional authority" responsible for ensuring SGA members uphold and carry out their "respective duties" per the SGA Constitution and accompanying bylaws.

CASA Nashville still has tickets available for its 15th Annual Red Shoe Party on April 12 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Rocketown. The event is the agency’s primary fundraiser and community awareness activity for the year, and will feature dancing, silent auction and contest for the best red shoes.

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) this week published child fatality statistics for the first time since the agency overhauled how deaths are reported, counted and investigated. The report showed DCS investigated the deaths of 245 children in 2013, finding evidence of abuse or neglect in 40 cases, although almost a fifth of investigations haven’t concluded. The new method of counting makes comparisons to prior years impossible, but DCS officials have vowed to be faster in reporting deaths, be transparent with records and more rigorous in their internal investigations into cases in which state investigators had contact with families before children died. The Tennessean has more.

A bill that would have let for-profit companies operate charter schools in Tennessee was defeated today after House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, made a rare display of public opposition to the measure, the Tennessean reports. House Bill 1693 was quashed on a 10-7 vote at the urging of Harwell, who said turning charter schools over to private operators could sink the entire project. She also cited concerns about the bill raised by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, a supporter of charter schools.

Four newly proposed pet laws failed to move forward in the legislature this week, WSMV reports. Proposals included placing animal cruelty convicts on a registry for two years, continuing inspections at puppy mills, requiring Tennesseans who tie up their dogs to give them at least 10 feet and increasing fines for cockfighting and dog fighting from $50 to $500. State Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, said the agriculture committee is not representing Tennesseans, and he would like to see pet-protection laws go to a judicial committee and not agriculture since these are not livestock or farm issues.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will bring oral arguments to Bethel University next week as part of the Supreme Court Advancing Legal Education for Students (SCALES) program. More than 800 students from eight area high schools and Bethel University are expected to participate in the April 10 event, which will give students the opportunity to study a real case before the state Supreme Court and hear oral arguments between the parties in front of the five-member panel of justices. The program’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for students to experience firsthand the path a Supreme Court case follows and the effort required to bring a case before the state’s highest court. The Administrative Office of the Courts has more.

Eighth District U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher formally kicked off his re-election campaign Monday in Jackson at an event featuring conservative talk show host Michael Reagan. He faces opposition in the August Republican primary from Dana Matheny of Collierville and a Democratic primary field of Rickey R. Hobson of Fayette County, Lawrence Pivnick of Memphis and Tom Reasons of Dyersburg, Memphis Daily News reports. The filing deadline for the August state and federal primaries, as well as nonpartisan Shelby County Schools board and judicial positions, was today at noon.

The Tennessee Bar Association yesterday filed a petition to amend Supreme Court Rule 10B governing the handling of all motions for the recusal or disqualification of judges. As part of this proposed amendment, the TBA recommends the court clarify that the proper standard of review for any appellate review of the denial of recusal motions is de novo, rather than abuse of discretions.

The U.S. Supreme Court today struck down aggregate limits on direct contributions from individuals to federal political candidates and committees, citing a First Amendment right to political association. The 5-4 decision overruled the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision, which allowed restrictions on some campaign contributions to protect against corruption or the appearance of corruption. Justice Stephen G. Breyer dissented in today's opinion, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. "Taken together with Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission," Breyer wrote, "today’s decision eviscerates our nation’s campaign finance laws, leaving a remnant incapable of dealing with the grave problems of democratic legitimacy that those laws were intended to resolve." The ABA Journal has more.