The Children's Advocacy Center of the First Judicial District will host the Polar Bear Plunge and 5K on New Year’s Day, WJHL reports. You can start your New Year's resolution with an icy cold dip in the pool at the Wellness Center in Johnson City. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the race starts at 9 a.m. All proceeds benefits the center.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is among 90 schools across the U.S. being investigated by the U.S. Office of Civil Rights for possible sexual violence and discrimination violations. This investigation comes in the wake of the university's expulsion of a star wrestler, who was found guilty of sexual misconduct. Vanderbilt University is also under this kind of investigation. News Channel 9 has more.

District Attorney Matt Stowe of the 24th Judicial District has cut off all ties with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), News Channel 5 reports. Under state law, the TBI is only allowed to work on local cases at the request of the district attorney for the area where the crime occurred. Stowe’s action would mean that TBI agents will no longer be assigned to work that district, which includes Benton, Carroll, Decatur, Hardin and Henry Counties. The TBI crime lab would also no longer be available to help local law enforcement, and TBI experts likely would not be able to testify in cases in that district.

The one-hour "Pro Bono Made Easy" webcast is one of many offerings available online to help you meet your 2014 requirments for ethics education. Webcasts are recorded in the TBA Studio every week. See all upcoming and available webasts at TBA CLE. 

Large-scale independent spending ushered in by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision dominated this year’s judicial elections, according to the Center for American Progress (CAP). Independent spending totaled more than $8.5 million of an overall $15 million spent on the elections, according to CAP, which said it was the first time independent spending outpaced candidate spending. GavelGrab has the story.

The American Bar Association recently launched Ankerwycke, a new trade imprint that will publish legal fiction and nonfiction books. While the ABA publishes nearly 160 books a year for lawyers and other legal professionals, this new arm of its publishing division is an attempt to reach a broader audience by stepping outside the realm of legal information and advice and offering fiction such as the legal thrillers of John Grisham. AssociationsNow has more.

A sweeping defense policy bill that would give President Barack Obama authority to expand the campaign against Islamic militants cleared a major hurdle yesterday, WRCB reports from the Associated Press. The Senate voted 85-14 to move ahead on the bill to authorize the training and equipping of moderate Syrian rebels for two years, and it would provide $5 billion for the fight against Islamic extremists.

Hamilton County General Sessions Judge Christie Mahn Sell and Chattanooga attorney Amanda Dunn are among 10 women who will be honored by Girls Inc. at its 11th annual UnBought and UnBossed Awards luncheon. Named for the phrase coined by Shirley Chisholm during her run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination, the UnBought & UnBossed Awards honor local women who through their career and community involvement have made a significant impact on the lives of women and girls. The luncheon will be held April 23. The Hamilton County Herald has more.

Williamson County Circuit Court Judge Michael Binkley has recused himself from presiding over a case involving county commissioner Barbara Sturgeon, who was accused of bringing a handgun to a school board work session, the Tennessean reports. Carrying or possessing a weapon on school grounds is a felony under state law. Beyond a general citing of the Code of Judicial Conduct, Binkley didn’t explain why he recused himself from the case in the document. District Attorney Kim Helper said that’s not uncommon in cases involving elected officials, so that there’s “no appearance of a conflict of interest.”

Indian tribes can grow and sell marijuana on their lands as long as they follow the same federal conditions laid out for states that have legalized the drug, the U.S. Justice Department said yesterday. Some advocates said the announcement could open new markets across the country and give rise to a rich new business on reservations, not unlike the advent of casino gambling. Additionally, many in Indian Country are wary of compounding existing drug and alcohol problems by growing and selling pot. The Greeneville reports from the Associated Press.