Maria Alejandra Dalton is the third recipient of Waller law firm’s Diversity Endowed Scholarship at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Established in 2011, the $30,000 scholarship is the cornerstone of Waller’s efforts to support the law school’s diversity recruiting program and honors students whose lives have been guided by the examples of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Knoxnews has more.

Former TBA president and Knoxville attorney Pamela Reeves’ nomination to federal judgeship may be quicker than anyone expected, Metro Pulse reports. President Barack Obama’s nominees to the federal bench have been taking an average of 218 to 227 days to be confirmed, but the recent filibuster “fix” worked out between Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republicans has sped up the nomination process. Reeves, who was nominated in May, could be confirmed when the Senate returns from the Labor Day recess or shortly thereafter.

The Tennessee Supreme Court updated Rule 26 regulating the use of recording equipment in light of technological advances. The rule outlines procedures for recording trial court proceedings and includes provisions for designating the recording as the transcript under the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure. “The use of electronic recording has proven to be an exceptionally accurate and economical method of preserving the trial record and the response from litigants and lawyers in my courtroom has been universally positive,” said Davidson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas W. Brothers.

Martin Arnold Peebles Jr. died Saturday (Aug. 31). He was 71. Peebles was formerly a practicing attorney in Nashville. He was living in Franklin at the time of his death. The family will visit with friends Friday at 4 p.m. at Oaks & Nichols Funeral Home, with the memorial service immediately following at 6 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Tennessee Supreme Court Historical Society, in care of Joy Day, 341 Cool Springs Blvd., Suite 430, Franklin, TN 37067 or to the charity of one's choice.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the first justice to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony Saturday, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports. Ginsburg officiated over the Washington, D.C., wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser to John Roberts, an economist unrelated to Chief Justice John Roberts. “I think it will be one more statement that people who love each other and want to live together should be able to enjoy the blessings and the strife in the marriage relationship,” Justice Ginsburg told the Washington Post.

Criminal Court Judge Mark Fishburn has joined the faculty at the Nashville School of Law and will teach his first group of fourth-year students in February. Fishburn, a 1979 graduate of the school, has been a criminal court judge since 2003. Before that, he served as a general sessions judge for three years and worked in private practice for 18 years. The Nashville Post has the story.

Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willet, a successful vote-getter who knows how to win judicial elections, says he finds these contests “toxic to the idea of an impartial, independent judiciary,” Gavel Grab reports. The judge disclosed his desire to bid judicial elections farewell, stating, “I’d be shocked if people didn’t look askance at such a flawed system. I do, too, having had close-up experience spanning several contested statewide races. Nothing would please me, or my wife, more than if my last election were my last election, and between now and 2018, Texans would opt for a smarter system. Hopeful? Yep. Optimistic? Nope.”

In an unprecedented court filing, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) intervened in a case about the quality of indigent defense in Burlington and Mount Vernon, Washington. According to National Public Radio, plaintiffs in the suit against the two cities claim only two part-time lawyers were handling 2,000 misdemeanor cases. Should a judge find the city governments guilty of systematically depriving people of their Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel, the DOJ urged that an independent monitor be appointed to oversee public defender workloads.

The Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee celebrated its 10th anniversary today at 4:30 p.m. with an exhibit and reception in the center’s rotunda. “In recognition of the support from Senator Baker, our board, private donors, and the university, we are proud to display and share highlights of our first 10 years of service," Baker Center Director Matt Murray said. "This is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the fond memories and memorabilia of the past and clarify our sights for the future.

The Rutherford County Commission’s Property Management Committee recently asked for updated estimates for building a new judicial facility a block north of the existing building on the north side of Murfreesboro's public square, the Daily News Journal reports. “I see it as moving onto the commission with a positive note that we need to go ahead and do this project,” said Commissioner Allen McAdoo, who has served on the commission since 1978. “We’ve been looking at this judicial building for 20 years.”