Members of the Williamson County School Board last night sparred over a vote to hire outside legal counsel to handle a pending lawsuit against the district. The measure ultimately passed 11-0 to request $100,000 from the County Commission to hire a lawyer, though the board disagreed over whether the district's own legal counsel should assist in finding this special-appointed attorney. The district currently faces a lawsuit filed last month by Williamson County Commissioner Barbara Sturgeon over the school district banning her from school property until a criminal charge against her is settled for carrying a loaded weapon on school property. Franklin Homepage has the story.

The Supreme Court appeared sharply divided today in a debate over a decades-old strategy for fighting discrimination in housing, WRCB reports. Chief Justice John Roberts expressed serious doubts during a one-hour argument that the 1968 Fair Housing Act can be used to ban housing or lending practices without any proof of intent to discriminate. The court's four liberal justices defended the use of so-called "disparate impact" lawsuits that allege even race-neutral policies can have a harmful effect on minority groups. Justice Antonin Scalia, who usually aligns with Roberts and other conservatives, asked tough questions of both sides, making it tough to determine how the court might rule in a case that has steep ideological divisions. 

The Supreme Court today ruled that a former air marshal who was fired after leaking plans to the media about security cutbacks can seek whistleblower protection. By a 7-2 vote, the justices said Robert MacLean did not violate federal law when he revealed that the Transportation Security Administration planned to save money by cutting back on overnight trips for undercover air marshals. MacLean leaked the information in 2003 to an MSNBC reporter after supervisors ignored his safety concerns. His disclosure triggered outrage in Congress, and the Department of Homeland Security quickly reversed the policy, calling it a mistake, but TSA fired McLean three years later after it discovered he was the leaker. WRCB has more from the Associated Press.

Expectations are growing that Pope Francis will ascend the House rostrum this fall, becoming the first pontiff ever to visit the Capitol and speak before a joint meeting of Congress, Roll Call reports. The pope has already committed to being in Philadelphia the last weekend of September for a global conference on Roman Catholic family values. Vatican officials have signaled strongly in recent days that Francis’ first papal trip to the United States would begin the previous week, with stops in Washington as well as New York. A final itinerary is expected at the end of February.

Oak Ridge city judge William Lawrence Tunnell is free on a $50,000 signature bond on an aggravated assault charge for allegedly striking a good Samaritan with his car, knocking him to the ground. Tunnell — who at 94 is reported to be Tennessee’s oldest practicing attorney — allegedly struck Charles Smallwood with his vehicle after Smallwood and others helped Tunnell to his feet after a fall. Smallwood stepped in front of Tunnell's car to prevent him from leaving after he and other witnesses tried to get Tunnell to remain at the scene until medical personnel arrived. During a first appearance in Anderson County General Sessions Court, Judge Roger Miller recused himself and the case was referred to Miller’s counterpart in Clinton, Judge Don Layton, who is also expected to recuse himself. Knoxnews has the story.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is now the richest elected official in America, the Nashville Business Journal reports. Thanks to falling gas prices, Forbes reports that Haslam's net worth has more than doubled since August 2014, from $980 million to a now estimated $2 billion. The heir of the Pilot Flying J truck stop founder, Haslam owns 15 percent of the $38 billion company.

Belmont University has appointed Doug Howard to the position of dean for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. A 1979 alumnus of Belmont, Howard received his law degree from the George Washington University School of Law. Following law school, Howard served as vice president and general manager for PolyGram Music Publishing for five years before becoming the senior vice president of A&R for Lyric Street Records, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Howard is the president and owner of Vandermont Music Group, a company he founded in 2010.

Sarah Y. Sheppeard has joined the Knoxville office of Lewis Thomason as Special Counsel, the firm announced. Sheppeard was a founding member of Knoxville firm Sheppeard & Mynatt PLC. She joins Lewis Thomason with more than 35 years of experience encompassing primarily civil litigation, including domestic relations, civil rights, personal injury and corporate litigation. 

Jennifer P. Keller has been appointed Baker Donelson’s new president and chief operating officer effective April 1. Keller is currently a shareholder in the firm's Tri-Cities office, a member of Baker Donelson's board of directors and chair of the company's Labor & Employment Department. A graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law, Keller specializes in employment litigation. The Nashville Business Journal has more.

Lisa Doster has been hired as the new director of Career Services at Belmont University College of Law. In her new role, Doster will support Belmont law students and alumni with job strategy, professional development and career counseling services. She replaces Claudia Levy, who left in November to start a consulting firm to help lawyers and law firms with recruitment, business development and career counseling services.