President Barack Obama is calling for $35 million in his proposed budget to help address the backlog of untested rape kits, WMCTV reports. Memphis Mayor A C Wharton says Rep. Steve Cohen is already on board campaigning for Memphis to get a portion of the funding. The city has at least 12,000 victims with untested rape kits.

The Brentwood-based law firm of Ingraham, Pautienus and Tidwell PLLC is changing its name to Fidelis Law PLLC, a press release from the firm says. Effective March 10, the firm is also broadening its focus to serve clients in the areas of business, non-profit and church law, as well as estate planning, probate, trust administration, personal injury, adoption, family law, elder law, and copyright and trademark registration and enforcement. The Nashville Business Journal has more.

Tennessee prosecutors are supporting a bill to allow a magistrate or judge to issue a search warrant by telephone or “other reliable electronic means," the Times News reports. Current law calls for a law enforcement officer to appear before a magistrate or judge who will examine documents and issue a search warrant based on probable cause and supported by an affidavit. Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus said the bill originated from his office and is backed by state district attorneys general. He said it is in response to a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that blocked law enforcement from drawing blood without a search warrant in drunken-driving investigations. Staubus said this system moves too slowly when quick decisions need to be made, especially in DUI cases.

The Tennessee Senate this week voted to send wine-in-grocery stores legislation to Gov. Bill Haslam for signature, capping an often difficult seven-year debate, the Tennessean reports. Haslam has said he plans to approve the bill, but before wine will start appearing in stores, voters in cities and counties that already have liquor stores or bars must approve the change in separate referendums. To appear on the ballot, supporters will have to gather signatures equal to 10 percent of the voters in the most recent gubernatorial race.

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Student Bar Association will host the annual “Race Judicata” on April 5. All proceeds benefit Memphis Area Legal Service, which provides free legal service to the elderly and low-income families. The race is open to the public. Runners and walkers are welcome. For more information or to register, visit www.racejudicatamemphis.org.

Knoxville lawyer and former TBA President Pamela Reeves this afternoon received unanimous full Senate confirmation to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Reeves, who will be the first woman to hold the judicial post, was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace Judge Thomas W. Phillips, who retired in July. Knoxnews has the story.

Veteran prosecutor Jared Effler has qualified to run in the Aug. 7 election for 8th District Attorney General. Encompassing Campbell, Claiborne, Fentress, Scott and Union counties, the 8th District does not have permanent or full time offices in all five counties — a situation Effler says he wants to rectify, the Claiborne Progress reports.

The Davidson County Drug Court program serves some 200 current and recovering drug addicts, one in 10 of whom are there because of methamphetamine. Led by Criminal Court Judge Seth Norman, the program is widely hailed, boasting a success rate of more than 60 percent, the Tennessean reports. While alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and even heroin users typically take a little more than a year to complete the program, meth addicts take about 24 months, Norman tells the newspaper.

Former Hamilton County Election Commission attorney Chris Clem was appointed today by State Election Commissioner Judy Blackburn of Morristown to fill the seat being vacated by Tommy Crangle. Crangle is seeking the Tennessee House District 27 post being vacated by state Rep. Richard Floyd, R-Chattanooga. The Chattanooga Times Free Press has more.

The U.S. Senate today rejected Debo Adegbile, President Barack Obama’s nomination for Department of Justice assistant attorney general, PBS NewsHour reports. In a 47-52 vote, seven Democrats joined Republicans against Adegbile, who currently serves as Senior Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. President Obama called the Senate’s block a “travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant.”