Amid a push to make same-sex marriage legal, some employers are telling gay workers they must wed in order to maintain health-care coverage for their partners, the Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required). About a third of public- and private-sector employees in the U.S. have access to benefits for unmarried gay partners, according to a federal tally, but employment lawyers say the fast-changing legal outlook is spurring some employers to rethink that coverage. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality in all 50 states, some say it could result in more employers dropping same-sex partners in favor of spousal benefits.

Harvard law grads have the advantage of a JD from an elite institution, but they don’t differ from other law grads when it comes to leaving law practice, the ABA Journal reports. About 28 percent of Harvard law grads from four graduating classes are no longer practicing law in their current jobs, according to preliminary findings from the survey of grads in 1975, 1985, 1995 and 2000. The results for Harvard law’s class of 2000 are similar to findings from the American Bar Foundation’s After the JD study, which found that 24 percent of surveyed lawyers who passed the bar in 2000 were not practicing law in 2012.

The Tennessee Justice Center will host a free webinar about changes to the CHOICES program on May 21 at 3:30 p.m. The CHOICES 3 program will be closed for most new enrollment on July 1. Join the TJC to learn what the closing means for consumers, advocates and providers. Contact John Orzechowski for more information.

The Giles County Bar Association will host a retirement reception on May 20 in honor of Judge Jim T. Hamilton, who has served the 22nd Judicial District as Circuit Court Judge since 1982. The reception will be held at the Giles County Courthouse from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Congress has passed a bill setting up a national alert system whenever a police officer is killed or injured, the Johnson City Press reports from the AP. Supporters say the bill would ensure that information about suspects is quickly shared with other law enforcement agencies and the public. The program would be managed by the Justice Department and participation by state and local police agencies would be voluntary. Another bill passed by the House Tuesday as Part of National Police Week would prohibit death benefits for the families of fallen police officers from being subjected to federal income tax.

A federal judge is refusing to delay a pending ruling on how much BP will have to pay in Clean Water Act penalties for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. A Texas lawyer had argued that a high penalty imposed before all claims are resolved would be a deterrent to BP negotiating with various interests who have been harmed by the spill. Penalties could exceed $13 billion. The Associated Press has the story.

The Dickson County Commission last week approved the merger of the Drug Interdiction Crime Enforcement (DICE) unit with the 23rd Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Tennessean reports. The task force will have new leadership and direction under District Attorney Ray Crouch Jr. and Task Force Director Brian Beasley.

Gov. Bill Haslam’s Chief of Staff Mark Cate is leaving to establish a "strategic consulting and management firm," according to an announcement from the governor's office. Haslam has not yet named a replacement; Cate will continue serving "through the summer," according to a news release. The Tennessean has more.

The Tennessean is denying accusations that it asked for personal medical information for state lawmakers and employers. According to the publication, several Republican lawmakers, the Tennessee State Employees Association and others have said The Tennessean is seeking information that in some way violates the privacy of state lawmakers. "The Tennessean has never requested personal health care information about lawmakers or state employees regarding our coverage of Insure Tennessee,” said Maria De Varenne, news director of The Tennessean. “We have requested how much taxpayers pay for lawmakers to have state health insurance. ”

Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, benefited from the Affordable Care Act by having his adult son enrolled on state benefits, but voted twice to keep Tennessee from using the federal health law to provide health coverage to poor people. The law mandates that all employer-based plans allow workers to add coverage for their children up to age 26. Gardenhire adamantly disputed state documents obtained by The Tennessean that showed he had a child on the plan and hung up on a reporter Monday morning. According to the newspaper, he then called back to "eat crow," apologize and say that his son, Andrew, had been covered.