A Senate bill passed Wednesday would link interest rates on federal student loans to the financial markets, providing lower interest rates right away but higher ones if the economy improves and markets  rise. Undergraduates this fall would borrow at a 3.9 percent interest rate, graduate students at 5.4 percent and parents at 6.4 percent. The rates would be locked in for that year’s loan, but would recalibrate each year. Liberal members of the Democratic caucus were vocal in their opposition to the potentially shifting rates included in the Senate measure, which passed with support from both parties, 81-18. The Tennessean has the story.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee will offer two free legal clinics for elderly and low-income individuals on Aug. 20 at 4 p.m. and Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. Both sessions will be held at Memorial Park Community Center in Johnson City. Volunteer attorneys will assist individuals with preparing simple last wills and testaments, powers of attorney and living wills. For more information, contact LAET’s Johnson City office at (423) 928-8311 or (800) 821-1312.

Just one week after the Senate hashed out a compromise for approving seven of President Barack Obama's nominees to run government departments, agencies and boards, Republicans on Wednesday signaled their opposition to Obama's plan for filling vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, WRCBTV reports. Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the top Republican on the committee, said law professor and former senior Justice Department official Cornelia "Nina" Pillard's nomination wasn't necessary because the D.C. circuit doesn't have enough work to justify filling its three vacancies. The D.C. circuit has 11 judgeships authorized by Congress. Republicans have proposed moving two of the vacant seats to other circuits with larger caseloads and eliminating the third seat altogether.

Tony West was confirmed as associate attorney general in a 98-1 Senate vote today, making permanent his position as third in command at the U.S. Department of Justice. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. released a statement praising West's work with the department since his return there in 2009. "As a key member of the department's senior management team, he has led with integrity, acting always in the best interests of the American people and in accordance with the finest traditions of public service," Holder said. The Blog of the Legal Times has more.

University of Tennessee student David Kernell — who was arrested five years ago for hacking the personal email of former Alaska Governor and then Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin — was released from the remainder of his supervision. Kernell completed a year in federal prison in November 2011 but remained under the supervision of the U.S Probation Office through November 2014. Knoxnews notes that the U.S. attorney’s office did not resist the release.

State lawmakers and staff from around the county will be gathering in Atlanta next month for the National Conference of State Legislatures 39th annual legislative summit, WDEF News 12 reports. The event is billed as the largest gathering of its kind where lawmakers and staff gather to discuss topics including helping veterans find jobs and regulating drones. Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be a guest speaker.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has issued an order soliciting comments regarding 10 proposed changes to Supreme Court Rule 31: Alternative Dispute Resolution. View the full text of the order and the attached proposed changes, as well as all current proposals for rule changes at the Administrative Office of the Courts’ website.

Although “practical skills” is the new buzz in legal education, the Nashville Ledger says that it is nothing new in Tennessee. The state’s six law schools integrate practical skills into the curriculum, offering opportunities for experiential learning in the form of law clinics that serve the community, externships at government and public interest offices, pro bono work requirements and more. “We recognize that it’s critical when we graduate new lawyers, that they have the basic skills they need to practice law," University of Tennessee College of Law professor Valorie Vojdik told the newspaper. "Studying law in a classroom is not the same as actually going to court or sitting with a client to advise them on doing a deal. The clinics are where the law comes to life.”

The House Financial Services Committee today approved the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act, which will wind down Fannie May and Freddie Mac over five years and rely on the private sector to provide a secondary market for residential real estate mortgages. The committee approved the legislation on a party-line vote after working on the bill 11 hours yesterday. Democrats offered numerous amendments to the bill, but all were defeated. Republicans contend the legislation will increase competition in the mortgage market and give home buyers more choices on loan products. The Nashville Business Journal has more. 

Attorneys for Pilot Flying J and eight plaintiffs that have joined a settlement agreement on Tuesday filed a motion to amend the settlement, WATE reports. The deal changes the timeline of the agreement, allowing payments to be made for unpaid or underpaid rebates since January 2005 instead of 2008.The change answers one of the concerns raised by trucking companies that did not participate in the settlement negotiations, the Memphis Daily News reports. Those companies have criticized the terms and asked the federal courts to let them go forward with their own lawsuits.