Three attorneys took a step toward becoming more effective leaders when they graduated from Leadership Chattanooga in May, the Hamilton County Herald reports. Janie Varnell of Davis & Hoss, Jeffrey Maddux of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel and Jeremy Cothern of Berke, Berke & Berke completed the 10-month leadership development program last month. 

Lawyers visiting Nashville for business or pleasure now face new challenges as hotel rates continue to rise. The Nashville Business Journal reports the average daily rate for a room downtown or on West End Avenue has skyrocketed 28 percent in two years — a growth rate almost quadruple the national average — due in part to the opening of the new Music City Convention Center.

The Nashville juvenile justice system is changing the way it treats children who commit crimes, WSMV reports. Instead of parole officers, the Davidson County Juvenile Justice Center will now have support intervention and accountability teams. Whether it's criminal trespassing or a theft charge, an assessment team will go into the child's home and school and spend 30 days writing an assessment report to get to the root of the problem. In Maury County, The Columbia Herald covers an ongoing debate about the treatment of juvenile offenders.

Senior U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier sees a danger to democracy in the growing lack of public confidence in the American judicial system. Speaking to the Chattanooga Kiwanis Club, Collier pointed to national surveys that demonstrate this trend of declining public interest and support, including a 2012 CBS poll that revealed only 44 percent of those polled approved of what the Supreme Court was doing, an all-time low. The Chattanoogan has more.

Metro Nashville General Sessions Judge Allegra Walker has been accused of “bias” and “prejudice” by the Metro public defender’s office. In a recent email to members of the Davidson County District Attorney General’s Office, Walker stated how she would handle cases. The email was cited in a motion filed yesterday by public defender’s office that said the email calls “into question Judge Walker’s impartiality” and reflects “her bias or prejudice concerning certain defendants.” WKRN has the story.

Law school applications are down for the fifth year in row, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports. Applications dropped 4.6 percent this year from last year, according to numbers from the Law School Admission Council. Law schools have adjusted to the decline in students by scaling back entry-level class sizes, boosting financial aid or cutting tuition price, and trimming staff ranks.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider nine applicants when it meets July 14 in Clarksville to select nominees for the impending circuit court vacancy in the 19th Judicial District, which serves Montgomery and Robertson counties. The nominees are Jill Bartee Ayers, Robert Thomas Bateman, Carl Daniel Brollier Jr., Ted Archer Crozier Jr., Sharon Tipton Massey, James Winn Milam, John Michael O’Neil, Herbert E. Patrick and Debra A. Wall. The vacancy was created by the legislature this spring and signed by Gov. Bill Haslam in May. The AOC has more on each candidate.

The Senate Appropriations Committee today marked up a bill that contains $385 million for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) for FY 2016, an increase of $10 million over current levels. LSC had asked for $486.9 million, approximately the same amount requested for the past two years, the agency reports. While not moving forward with a similar increase, the House has not presented an amendment to zero out the LSC budget as it has for at least six years.

The six “court dogs” that attend proceedings at the Knox County Juvenile Court have proven to be a comfort and stress reducer for the children and families who pass through the court. CASA Volunteer Coordinator Summer Colbert started the program in collaboration with HABIT, or Human-Animal Bond in Tennessee, a University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine program that offers animal-assisted therapy. Knoxnews has the story.

The Kids First Child Advocacy Center of the Ninth Judicial District raised $45,000 during its annual dinner and auction last week at the Yacht Club in Tellico Village. The theme was “A Child’s Voyage ... from Victim to Survivor.” The event boasted a silent auction, live auction and music by the Tellico Top Notes. The News Herald has more.