The American Bar Association’s Council of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar preliminarily endorsed retaining the LSAT requirement for law school admissions, the National Law Journal reports. In 2011, some members of the ABA Standard’s Review Committee advocated dropping the requirement during an evaluation of the law school accreditation standards. Support for the change waned over time and the council now seeks public comment on the LSAT endorsement and other aspects of Chapters 2 and 5 of the accreditation standards.

Tennessee mental health professionals would be required to report any patient who makes a credible threat of serious bodily harm or death against “reasonably identifiable victims” or local law enforcement under a bill unanimously approved today by the Senate. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports that the bill is viewed as a response to mass shootings in states like Connecticut and Colorado. Information obtained would be entered into a state law enforcement information network and checked when people purchase guns or seek to maintain handgun-carry permits. Therapists’ decision to inform law enforcement would be solely based on their professional opinion however.

An amendment approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee removes any mention of the Supreme Court from the process for determining whether the governor is incapacitated or disabled to the point that he or she would be removed on a temporary basis. Now, a majority vote of five officers — Speaker of the House of Representatives, Speaker of the Senate, Secretary of State, Treasurer, and Comptroller of the Treasury — would make the decision. Gavel to Gavel reports.

Judge Julia Gibbons of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit testified before the U.S. Congress Wednesday that the $350 million in sequestration funding cuts will have dire consequences for the federal courts, the ABA Journal reports. Gibbons, chair of the Judicial Conference Budget Committee, appeared before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government along with Judge Thomas F. Hogan, director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. "I am not a fan of hyperbole and I avoid it," Gibbons said. "It is no hyperbole when I say we have deep concern about our ability to fulfill our constitutional mission." Read more in the court’s press release.

A federal appeals court on Wednesday questioned the $2.5 million in legal fees a district court awarded attorneys from the Tennessee Justice Center for representing TennCare patients in a costly and protracted legal battle over how patients are treated in the state’s Medicaid program. According to the Tennessean, attorneys representing the state called the award excessive and appealed, contending that the court “abused its discretion” by considering some work billable that the state claims was irrelevant to the TennCare case. Judge John Nixon, who issued the award, will re-examine a number of line items the state contends should not be compensated.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Path to Prosperity today, its 2014 budget resolution, the Chattanoogan reports. The budget will ensure an additional $1,500 in household income and create 500,000 jobs, its supporters say. Upon passage, Tennessee Congressmen Chuck Fleischmann and Scott DeJarlais released statements in support of the budget, with Fleischmann calling the budget “a step in the right direction."

The state House of Representatives passed a bill today to increase safety measures in youth sports and reduce the number of concussions children receive during practice and play. The Tennessean reports that the law requires mandatory education for parents, coaches and young athletes about the dangers of concussions and that children who have had a concussion to refrain from playing again until cleared by a doctor. Spurred by the story of a middle school football player in Washington state who suffered a serious brain injury after returning to play too quickly after a concussion, Tennessee will become the 44th state to pass such a law should Gov. Bill Haslam sign the bill as expected.

Because of its extensive calendar, the House Civil Justice subcommittee did not take up the proposal to radically alter the judicial performance evaluation program of appellate judges. However, the bill (SB1058/HB1227) is set for Senate floor action tomorrow.

In other legislative action, a bill (SB443/HB206) to prohibit court reporting by reporters who contract with companies or intermediaries to provide court reporting services advanced to the full Civil Justice Committee with an amendment that removed the most severe penalties. It could be heard next week.

Belmont University’s College of Law held its first-ever Barrister’s Ball last week at the Hutton Hotel. Organized by the college’s Student Bar Association, the event raised $5000 for Both Hands Foundation, a local nonprofit that serves widows, orphans, and adoptive families. While Barrister’s Balls are a traditional staple amongst law schools, Student Bar Association president Robert “Jaz” Boone said Belmont’s goal was “to go beyond a social event and find a way to connect locally."

Senate Democrats have removed a proposal to ban assault weapons from coming gun legislation according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The Memphis Business Journal reports that California Senator Diane Feinstein will offer the ban as an amendment to the gun legislation. Senator Dick Durbin said Reid did not believe there were enough votes to reach 60 needed to overcome a filibuster with a ban on assault-style weapons in the legislation.