As the charter class of Belmont University’s College of Law prepares to graduate in May, its members face a tight legal job market. The Tennessean highlights Ed Leonard and his 120 fellow students as they prepare to enter a saturated legal market, and looks at Belmont's efforts to connect law students with local firms. “We have worked closely with many practitioners in Nashville and elsewhere to help identify opportunities for our students to engage in appropriate legal work as part of their education,” said Jeff Kinsler, founding dean. “We are one of a few law schools, if not the only law school, to require students to complete a practical skills course each semester.”

In an opinion piece for the Millington Star, injury lawyer David Peel points out a number of famous people with law degrees who never actually practiced law, proving that a law degree can be a benefit in whatever career you choose. When would-be students speak with him about going to law school, he mentions journalist Geraldo Rivera, communist leader Fidel Castro, author Washington Irving, Ghandi and many more.

Many of our readers were curious to know when Tennessee added Walker County to our state ranks after reading our story Thursday "Walker County Courthouse Closed Due to Furlough." You did not miss major annexation news; Walker County is in Georgia, bordering Hamilton County.

Federal agencies are continuing to boost their efforts to investigate health care fraud, including in Tennessee, the Tennessean reports. Over the past four years, the Obama administration has recovered more than $14.9 billion in health care fraud judgments, settlements and administrative impositions, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “If you trace back what our office has done in the last couple of years, you’d see a significant increase” in these types of fraud cases, said David Rivera, the acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Tennessee health care institutions such as Vanderbilt University, LifePoint Hospitals and HCA Holding have all recently faced fraud investigations.

In another effort to undo part of the 2010 health care reform law, the House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Diane Black that would bar federal subsidies for people participating in newly created health insurance exchanges until the Obama administration sets up a system to verify if they are eligible. According to the Tennessean, the vote marked the 41st time the GOP-controlled House has tried since 2011 to repeal or delay the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The Democratically controlled Senate is not expected to take up Black’s bill, and the president has threatened to veto it if it would pass.

The Tennessee Ethics Commission voted Wednesday to dismiss a complaint against Gov. Bill Haslam that said he failed to disclose how much he had paid his former chief campaign strategist Ted Ingram for political advice in the years following the 2010 election, the Memphis Daily News reports. Earlier this week, the commission declined to fine Ingram and his partner, Marcille Durham, for failing to disclose a lobbying relationship. Former state Democratic Chairman Chip Forrester brought the complaint against the governor and filed a similar one with the Registry of Election Finance. That complaint is still pending.

The Chattanooga Bar Association will celebrate Constitution Week with three main events next week, the Hamilton County Herald reports. Monday at 6 p.m. at the Hamilton County Courthouse, Judge Neil Thomas III and historian Linda Moss Mines will lead a seminar on “Contempt of Court: The Ed Johnson Case.” Tuesday at noon, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and others will “ring the bells” of the courthouse celebrating our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms. Lastly, Thursday at 4 p.m. students from local schools will gather at the Chattanooga City Hall to read the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Former Johnson City Commissioner Phil Carriger said yesterday that he is seriously considering running against incumbent state Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, for the Seventh House District seat, the Johnson City Press reports. “I haven’t made a firm decision yet, but I’ve been doing some research,” he said. “The guy in there’s an incumbent, and it would be a tough spot to fill. If I do decide to run, I’ll likely announce sometime in October.”

The Rutherford County Commission voted 12-8 last night to ask the Republican and Democrat parties not to hold primaries for 21 commission seats in 2014. Commissioner Jeff Jordan called for the resolution asking the parties to stay out of commission elections. Commissioner Robert Stevens of Smyrna joined the eight in the minority vote who opposed asking his fellow Republicans in particular to change their minds about holding a primary for commission seats May 6 to nominate candidates for the Aug. 7 county general election.“It’s not our decision,” said Stevens, an attorney who noted that state law gives political parties the option to hold primaries to nominate candidates for the commission. “It’s not our place.” The Daily News Journal has the story.

The Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services (TALS) today announced its 2013 Access to Justice Honorees. Award recipients include Gordon Bonnyman, founding executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, Harrison McIver III, executive director of Memphis Area Legal Services and Charity Miles Williams and Emily O’Donnell, both from Legal Aid of East Tennessee. The Access to Justice Dinner will be held Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville.