The state House joined the Senate today in unanimously approving two bills named in honor of torture-murder victims Channon Christian and Chris Newsom. Sponsored by Rep. Ryan Haynes, R-Knoxville, and Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, SB 1796, designated the “Chris Newsom Act,” revises the rules for a judge acting as a “13th juror” at the conclusion of a criminal trial. SB 1797, designated the “Channon Christian Act,” puts new restrictions on what criminal defendants and their attorneys can do in trying to portray a victim in a negative light before a jury. Knoxnews has more.

After yesterday’s ruling that Northwestern University football players can unionize, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog takes a look at what may happen next. The blog reports that the university plans to appeal, which would send the case to the full National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), whose members are appointed by the president and approved by Congress. Given the high-profile nature of the case, the NLRB may solicit submissions from outside labor unions and employers, lengthening the decision-making process. The eventual NLRB decision could also be appealed by either side, and would then move to a federal appeals court. If the ruling stands, Law Blog predicts teams could bargain directly with conferences, which in turn could lead to the players receiving a cut of conference revenues.

The Obama Administration’s proposed FY 2015 budget includes changes to student loan and public service loan forgiveness (PSLF) programs that may concern law students and young lawyers. These changes include a proposed cap of $57,000 on the amount of loans that can be forgiven under PSLF, a limit on the types of loan payments qualifying for forgiveness and limits on eligibility for income-driven repayment options. The ABA YLD's newsletter The Affiliate reports that a White House petition has been started by some law students seeking to have the administration modify its proposal.

A panel of experts will explore the details of the Affordable Care Act during the Health Care Reform Seminar April 3 at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Dale Condor, attorney at Rainey, Kizer, Reviere & Bell PLC, will join fellow panelists Tim Finnell, founder and president of Group Benefits LLC, and Mitch Graves, president and CEO at Health Choice LLC. Dr. Scott Morris, founder and CEO of the Church Health Center, will deliver the keynote address. Seating is limited. Register or learn more.

The second federal lawsuit since December was filed against the city of Memphis over the backlog of more than 12,000 untested rape kits, the Memphis Daily News reports. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three women allegedly raped by Anthony Alliani during a string of rapes covering a decade. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages for all three women arguing that the failure to test the rape kits and investigate the complaints is negligence and a violation of due process guarantees and the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution.

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais officially filed for re-election with the Tennessee State Division of Elections yesterday, the Daily News Journal reports. DesJarlais, who represents the Fourth Congressional District, has been ranked as the fourth most conservative member of the U.S. House of Representatives and the most conservative in Tennessee by National Journal Magazine. He has also faced controversy surrounding his 2001 divorce proceedings, details of which were made public during the final weeks of the last election. Read more from Politico.

Hamilton County residents report that a man identifying himself as a lieutenant with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has called them saying they failed to appear for jury duty and must purchase a Green Dot Card to avoid going to jail. Court officials who work with jurors say there have been other similar calls. In each case, the "victim" had never been given a jury summons, the Chattanoogan reports. "This is a complete fraud that our citizens should be beware of," General Session Judge Christie Sell said after being alerted to the scam. "It is a travesty when someone tries to undermine the justice system in this way." If you receive such a call or have information on those perpetrating this scam, contact the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at (423) 209-8940.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a program to train local police to better respond to transgender crime victims. The program is being overseen by the department's Community Relations Service, which was established under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. News Channel 9 reports the program is an acknowledgment that transgender people are more often victims of violent crime, although they often do not report it.

Thomas Francis diLustro was disbarred by the Tennessee Supreme Court on March 25. In 2012, a petition for discipline was filed against diLustro based upon three complaints of misconduct. A panel determined diLustro failed to represent his clients in a diligent manner, failed to keep clients reasonably informed about the status of their cases, failed to promptly respond to numerous reasonable requests for information, forged his client’s signature to a parenting plan and submitted the document to the court for approval, falsely testified under oath regarding the signature on the Parenting Plan and failed to act promptly to correct an erroneous child support order. Download the BPR notice.

John Jay Clark was suspended from the practice of law for one year, which is to be served on probation subject to the conditions that he engage a practice monitor, comply with the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program recommendations and pay restitution and costs. Download the BPR notice.