Former state Attorney General Paul G. Summers will preside over the 10-year-old murder trial of Tyrone Tackett after the recusal of Sumner County Criminal Court Judge Dee David Gay. Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary R. Wade appointed Summers earlier this month after it was argued that Gay gave advice to Hendersonville police officers while serving as an assistant district attorney,  the Tennessean reports.

A majority of law school are losing money and operating at a deficit as they grapple with lower enrollment, Colorado law professor Paul Campos says. After studying the budgets of 31 ABA-approved law schools, 23 of them private and eight of them public, Campos writes in his  Lawyers, Guns & Money blog that the law-school tuition-pricing system “invariably contains the seeds of its own destruction.” Law schools raise tuition each year, he says, so they can spend more money to raise or maintain their place in law-school rankings. The ABA Journal has more.

Anderson County Commissioner Steve Mead made a public request to ease up on restrictions on guns and knives in the county courthouse, Knoxnews reports. According to County Commission meeting notes, commissioners voted 12-4 to ban civilians toting guns into the building in 2007 but the ban was not extended past the Feb. 2009 expiration deadline.

Knoxville law firm Eldridge & Blakney PC was recognized today for the firm’s service to the community and for its support of Legal Aid of East Tennessee. The honor came on the occasion of National Philanthropy Day. Eldridge & Blakney was among nine other individuals and organizations recognized during a luncheon hosted by the Great Smoky Mountain Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Eleven Republican lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to seek the impeachment of Attorney General Eric Holder in a resolution that was to be introduced today, the ABA Journal reports. According to various news sources, the group has drafted four articles of impeachment citing Holder for allegedly refusing to comply with congressional subpoenas relating to the botched gun-tracking program, Operation Fast and Furious; failing to enforce multiple laws, including some drug laws and the Defense of Marriage Act; failing to prosecute any IRS employees accused of showing bias in their handling of tax-exempt applications by conservative groups; and misleading Congress about his knowledge of an investigation of a Fox News reporter in a probe of classified leaks. The group’s leader, U.S. Rep. Pete Olson of Texas, says more lawmakers may be on board by the time the measure is introduced.

Memphis lawyer and U.S. District Court nominee, Sheryl H. Lipman appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday with two other district judgeship nominees from Illinois and Washington state, and a Kansas Supreme Court justice tapped for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Lipman, who is general counsel for the University of Memphis, was nominated by President Barack Obama for the Western District of Tennessee post after Judge Jon P. McCalla announced he was taking senior status. During the confirmation hearing Lipman was asked about the Derrick Rose eligibility scandal that invalidated the University of Memphis’ 2007-2008 basketball season and about her role with Planned Parenthood. According to the Commercial Appeal, no date has been set for a confirmation vote.

The Senate Judiciary Committee decided today on a voice vote — without discussion — to send Knoxville attorney and former TBA President Pamela Reeves’ nomination for federal judge on to the full Senate for consideration. Reeves was nominated to the judicial post in May by President Barack Obama to replace U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Phillips, who retired in July. Knoxnews has more.

Tom Marshall has announced he is seeking a fourth consecutive eight-year term as public defender for the Seventh Judicial District. A Democrat, Marshall was appointed to the post in 1989 by Gov. Ned McWherter. Knoxnews has the story.

The League of Women Voters of Blount County discussed Tennessee’s voter identification law last night during a panel presentation at Maryville College, the Daily Times reports. Three panelists — Blount County Administrator of Elections Libby Breeding; Dr. Frances Henderson, associate professor of political science at Maryville College; and state Rep. Bob Ramsey — discussed the requirements for registering and voting in Tennessee and the law’s impact on voters. 

Former Knox County Criminal Court Judge Richard Baumgartner has been released from a federal work camp after serving most of the six-month sentence he received for lying to cover up his mistress’ involvement in a federal drug conspiracy. Attorney Donald A. Bosch said Tuesday that Baumgartner is on home detention for two weeks to finish out the remaining sentence and is barred from speaking to the media until his detention is complete. According to Knoxnews, Baumgartner is appealing his federal conviction.