Mike Cody was a young civil rights lawyer when he received a call on April 3, 1968, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. needed help fighting a federal injunction against marching for the rights of sanitation workers. Cody and other attorneys met with King in the Lorraine Motel the night before his assassination. On the 45th anniversary of King’s death, the Huffington Post yesterday featured the veteran Burch Porter & Johnson attorney’s story of upholding the legacy and dream King left behind.

The University of Arizona’s law school plans to drop tuition by 11 percent for in-state students and eight percent for out-of-state students, the ABA Journal reports. According to the National Law Journal, the move appears to be the first significant drop in law school tuition since the application totals began to decline in 2011. Since 2005, Arizona has had a 36 percent decrease in applicants. The school plans to reduce the amount of scholarship money available and offset lost revenue by expanding its master of laws and doctor of juridical science programs and offering a new LL.M for nonlawyers.

On the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, Attorney General Eric Holder challenged the Supreme Court to uphold a key section of the Voting Rights Act that requires all or part of 15 states with a history of discrimination to get federal clearance before carrying out changes in elections. At a speech Thursday to civil rights group the National Action Network, Holder stated, “Let me be clear: While this country has indeed changed, and real progress has been made, we are not yet at the point where the most vital part of the Voting Rights Act can be described as unnecessary or a product of a flawed political process.” WATE reports that Holder also spoke on voter ID laws, gun regulation, and improving the criminal justice system.

William L. Hendricks, a former partner in the Memphis law firm Evans-Petree PC has been arrested on charges of theft, conspiracy to commit theft and money laundering in connection with a bogus health-insurance operation in Springfield. According to the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, Hendricks, Springfield businessman Bart S. Posey Sr. and his former business partner, Richard “Rick” Bachman Jr. of Texas, are charged with the theft of $225,000 in insurance premiums that came from some of the victims of a nationwide health-insurance scam that netted more than $20 million from about 12,000 victims. The Tennessean has the story.

Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Rich Land, policy head for the Southern Baptist Convention, called on Congress to pass sweeping immigration reform, WPLN News reports. At an event hosted by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the pair called for secure borders, more visas and access to college, and a path to citizenship.

Several counties in Tennessee are not following state law to submit to the FBI court records of people involuntarily committed to mental health facilities by a judge, WSMV reports. The law was designed to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill since the information should show up when a gun seller runs a background check. The Administrative Office of the Courts estimates that 25 to 30 counties across the state are not supplying the records to the FBI for several reasons, including lack of equipment to transmit the information in the electronic format the FBI requires. Under a proposed change the General Assembly is now debating, the Administrative Office of Courts would take responsibility for seeing that all involuntary committals are reported to the FBI.

Rep. Brenda Gilmore, D-Nashville, said a lawsuit against Nashville could be in store if Metro officials do not alter a proposed bus rapid transit project so that it steers toward North Nashville, the Tennessean reports. According to Gilmore, the low-income, predominantly African-American area has been neglected historically and any lawsuit would have an “economic disparity” focus. The proposal for the East-West Connector from 5Points in East Nashville to White Bridge Road by way of Broadway and the affluent West End Avenue neighborhoods does not include any stops near North Nashville, where Gilmore claims 40 percent of people depend on the bus.

The legal services sector added 2,000 jobs in March the Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports. According to the Department of Labor, data shows the sector has grown by about 9,000 jobs since March of last year. The economy overall generated just 88,000 jobs in March, the smallest gain in 10 months.

The attorney of a teen hurt in a four-wheeler accident is challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee law that caps damages on tort suits, claiming it violates the right to trial by jury enshrined in the Tennessee Constitution. According to the ABA Journal, under the Civil Justice Act of 2011, noneconomic damages are capped at $750,000 and punitive damages at either twice the amount of compensatory damages or at $500,000, whichever is greater. Tennessee is only one of several states where damage cap legislation is being challenged in court. While the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the noneconomic damage limits were unconstitutional, the Kansas court upheld a cap as a way to further the public interest in ensuring affordable and available health care and reduce the cost of malpractice insurance.

The Senate Judiciary Committee next week will consider a resolution directing the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to hand over all documents pertaining to the agency’s probe of 10th District Attorney General Steve Bebb. After a four-month TBI investigation, Attorney General Bob Cooper found no prosecutable criminal acts by Bebb, although Cooper did criticize Bebb’s office for poor judgment, mismanagement and deficient record keeping. As part of the panel’s oversight duties, Judiciary Committee Chairman Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, said “we need to be ensuring everyone in the judicial branch is doing their job correctly.” The Chattanooga Times Free Press has the story.