The U.S. Attorney’s office is rejecting assertions by TennCare that the federal government is to blame for a bungled Medicaid application process in Tennessee that has spawned a lawsuit, stating the burden lies with the state. The filing came just before oral arguments began this afternoon in front of U.S. District Judge Todd Campbell. Lawyers for the Tennessee Justice Center and two other nonprofits are asking the judge to force TennCare to set up a work-around until a behind-schedule $35.7 million computer system becomes operational. They are also asking the judge to grant the case class-action status, which would open the case up to other plaintiffs. TennCare is asking that the case be dismissed. The Tennessean has more.

The Tennessee Supreme Court reinstated the law license of Elbert Jefferson Jr. on Aug. 28. Jefferson had been temporarily suspended on July 14 for failing to respond to the Board of Professional Responsibility regarding a complaint of misconduct. View the BPR notice.

After 22 years as Knox County’s top prosecutor, District Attorney General Randy Nichols is retiring. In his time in office, he's locked up the most criminals of any DA in the county’s history. Despite his tough exterior and pride in putting the worst criminals away, he says he also sees the justice system a place for people who need help. "At some point in time, I started changing my philosophy,” Nichols said in an interview with WBIR. “And thought, we needed to put more energy into intervention and prevention. We need to keep crime from happening.” He lobbied in the legislature, worked to heal drug offenders and established the Randall Nichols Family Justice Center as a safe place for domestic violence victims.

Claiborne County and district officials elected Aug. 7 were sworn in to office Thursday afternoon. Tennessee State Supreme Court Justice Gary Wade administered the oaths. The local officials will officially take office Sept. 1. For more information and photos, visit the Claiborne Progress.

The Tennessee Bar Association will be closed on Monday fo Labor Day. The office will reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. Visit the TBA.org website for information on CLE or other TBA programs.

Long-time defense attorney Glenn Funk on Thursday took the oath to become Nashville's District Attorney. Today, he started making changes, dismissing five lawyers from the previous administration: Hugh Ammerman, Sarah Davis, Sarah Beth Myers, Karen Fentress and Earnie Hickerson. Four out of the five fired prosecutors publicly supported Rob McGuire’s bid for the office over Funk, The Tennessean reports. Funk is only the third attorney to hold the Nashville post since 1966, WKRN reports. 

Judge Leon Burns, Jr., Judge John Maddux, Jr. and Judge Nolan Goolsby are spending their last week on the bench before three new judges begin their terms next week. Judge Burns and Judge Maddux are retiring as 13th Judicial District criminal court judge and circuit court judge, respectively. Voters elected Gary McKenzie to replace Burns and elected Jonathan Young to replace Maddux in the Aug. 7 election. Putnam County General Sessions Judge Nolan Goolsby, who lost to Steve Qualls, says he will return to private practice. The Herald Citizen spoke with the three outgoing judges about their terms and memories from the time of the bench.

Top business organizations from across the state are urging their members and supporters to Vote YES on 2 this November. Amendment 2 would continue the current system of gubernatorial appointment of appellate court judges, while adding legislative confirmation. “Our ability to attract and keep businesses in our state relies in part on having a stable, fair and impartial judiciary,” said Clay Thompson, Chairman of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and President of Caterpillar Financial Insurance Services in Nashville. “Amendment 2 gives voters the chance to put an end to the legal challenges the current process has faced which threatens to destabilize our judiciary and weaken our state.”

Rep. Vince Dean will be leaving his House District 30 House seat early to start his duties as Criminal Court clerk, the Chattanoogan reports. His effective retirement date from the Legislature is Aug. 31. It will be up to the County Commission to name a replacement until the election for the post in November. East Ridge City Councilman Marc Gravitt is the only candidate in the election. County Attorney Rheubin Taylor said the position would need to be advertised.

The $17 billion settlement that Bank of America reached with the Justice Department last week will result in at least $30 million for a program that raises funds for the nation’s providers of civil legal services to the poor, the Washington Post reports. The settlement — which resolved claims that the bank and its subsidiaries sold billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities without fully disclosing to investors the quality of the loans — requires Bank of America to allocate $7 billion to consumer relief efforts. Of that portion, at least $30 million will go to the Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts program, known as IOLTA.