Former TBA President Gail Ashworth has been appointed by the Supreme Court to serve the remainder of Bill Young’s term on the Tennessee Access to Justice Commission. Ashworth will be eligible for reappointment in April 2014.

UT Medical Group Inc. says it plans to appeal a Memphis jury’s $33.5 million malpractice verdict against the organization that has its leadership considering bankruptcy protection. The Memphis Business Journal reports that case records from Shelby County Circuit Court show that after the verdict, UTMG called for a new trial and requested the $33.5 million verdict be reduced. Circuit Court Judge Robert Childers denied the motion for a new trial but agreed to reduce the award by $1 million.

Clinton lawyer J. Michael Clement is running for Anderson County Juvenile Court judge in the May 2014 Democratic primary, Knoxnews reports. Clement is seeking the post now held by Brandon Fisher, who is running for the Anderson County chancellor seat vacated by the retiring Chancellor Bill Lantrip. Clement said he has represented clients in Juvenile Court since he began practicing law and brings “a wealth of knowledge and a depth of feeling for the Juvenile Court system.”

Gov. Bill Haslam appears to be coasting easily to a second term. Less than a year before Tennesseans take to the polls next November, Haslam does not face a serious challenge from the left or the right, the Tennessean reports. A poll released last week by Vanderbilt University shows Haslam has a 61 percent approval rating, and campaign finances show he has at least $2 million in the bank. But the Republican governor appears to be taking little for granted, the newspaper notes. The Haslam campaign is preparing a major fundraiser in Nashville early next year with a top donor’s circle of $100,000, an escalation in the money battle even as Democrats struggle to find a credible challenger.

Charles Grant, the new president of the Nashville Bar Association, tells the Nashville Business Journal that while the proposed constitutional amendment to change the way judges are selected is not perfect, it is better than popular elections for filling appellate and Supreme Courts posts. "Our view is that the direct election of appellate judges is not in the best interest of Tennesseans," Grant said. An attorney at Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz and the first African American president in the association's 182-year history added, "While the constitutional amendment is not the ideal solution, it is much better than the popular election of them, where candidates run and [are] elected due to powerful interests," The Nashville Business Journal reports.

In a nearly around the clock push, the Senate has confirmed a slate of non-controversial judicial and executive nominees, the Blog of the Legal Times reports. Because Republicans have forced Democrats to use all the time required under Senate rules to get to confirmation votes, the Senate has gone into marathon sessions this week. That has included unusual vote times such as 1 a.m. Thursday and 7 a.m. today. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) says more confirmation votes will come next week.

The city of Brentwood must pay $54,744 in legal fees for the Williamson County Election Commission following a 2012 lawsuit over the use of the Brentwood Library as an early-voting polling place, the Tennessean reports.  In 2013, the Tennessee Supreme Court declined to hear the matter, officially ending the legal wrangling. Brentwood’s insurance service, TML Risk Management Pool, will cover the legal fees related to the case.

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke is among new mayors from across the county who are meeting with President Barack Obama today to talk about ways the Obama administration can actively support cities' efforts to create jobs and help middle class families. “This is a great opportunity to highlight the important assets that create local jobs and strengthen Chattanooga's economy," Berke said a news release. Today's meeting with mayors complements the Obama administration's effort of the Administration "to partner with mayors working to implement policies that lead to high-paying, high-skill jobs in their communities," the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports.

The Tennessean writes in a recent editorial that the sudden push for the state Supreme Court to set execution dates for 10 people on death row could be dangerous. “The state of Tennessee is infusing its commitment to the death penalty with a new level of zeal that should worry anyone who understands that our system of justice is carried out by humans and thus is fallible,” the editors write.

Attorney David Peel ponders the legality of drones in an opinion piece for the Millington Star. While drones can be used for positive, protective measures such as searching for a missing child or tracking down suspects running from law enforcement, Peel also mentions the dangers of armed drones that are used to drop missiles and surveillance drones that can listen in on civilian conversations. Nine states have already passed some laws restricting drone use, he notes, questioning whether the law can keep up with the  technology.