President Barack Obama renominated 33 people for federal judgeships today, including seven to the federal appeals courts, 24 to federal district courts, and two to the Court of International Trade. The Legal Times reports that he chastised Congress for failing to act on nominations before they expired at the end of 2012. Obama said in a statement that several candidates had been awaiting a vote for more than six months despite having bipartisan support. View the full list of renominated candidates.

Detroit-based law firm Dickinson Wright PLLC is merging with the law practice of Mariscal, Weeks, McIntyre & Friedlander PA in Arizona, and will operate under the name Dickinson Wright/Mariscal Weeks. In addition to Michigan and Arizona, the firm has offices in Tennessee, Nevada, Ohio, Washington, DC, Toronto, and Ontario.

Republican John Boehner was re-elected House Speaker yesterday at the convening of the 113th Congress, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. While there were grumblings amongst GOP ranks about the embattled Boehner, only 10 Republicans did not vote for him.

A new Robert Half Legal Salary Guide anticipates that lawyers across the country will receive a salary increase in 2013, the Birmingham Business Journal reports. The average salary for attorneys with four to nine years of experience is expected to increase 4.55 percent, while attorneys with 10-12 years experience will see an average 3.68 percent raise. Lawyers with one to three years experience and first-year associates are projected to receive a 2.6 percent and 1.9 percent increase, respectively.

Senior Judge Walter Kurtz says he will retire after presiding over the trials of Christian-Newsom murder defendants Lemaricus Davidson, Letalvis Cobbins and George Thomas. His retirement will be retroactive to Dec. 31, 2012,  WATE Knoxville News Channel 6 reports.

As the opening of 108th General Assembly nears, many see the Legislature’s new Republican “supermajority” as divided, with one faction leaning towards moderate views and business interests and the other more conservative. Hot button issues that may cause division this year will include worker’s compensation, Medicaid expansion, and the sale of wine in grocery stores. The Knoxville News Sentinel has more.

The Judicial Nominating Commission will interview six attorneys who applied for the Chancery Court vacancy in the 8th Judicial District during a public meeting Jan. 18 at 9 a.m. at Woodlake Lodge, Golf & County Club in Tazewell. The vacancy was created by the death of the Hon. Billy Joe White. During the hearing, attorneys and members of the public may express their approval or objections to the candidates. Applicants are Elizabeth C. Asbury, James L. Cotton Jr., Kathy Parrott, Charles Patrick Sexton, Thomas Jackson Tabor Jr. and Andrew R. Tillman.

According to the 2012 Annual Report by the Second Look Commission, investigations into severe child abuse cases were left incomplete and failed to address the complicated needs of the family. The 23-page report details eight areas in which Tennessee can improve the protection of children including providing more training for child abuse investigators, Department of Children’s Services (DCS) caseworkers, mental health providers and law enforcement.

Of the nine Tennesseans who represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives, only Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, voted for the American Taxpayer Relief Bill yesterday, although he admitted he was not entirely happy with the agreement. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, voted against the legislation, claiming it produced "No real spending cuts. No real deficit reduction. No acknowledgement of America's out-of-control national debt." Meanwhile, both of the state’s Republican senators voted for the package. Sen. Bob Corker called it "legislation to rescue 99 percent of the American people from a rax rate increase." The Memphis Daily News has the story.

The Chattanooga Bar Association will host its 115th Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Read House Silver Ballroom on Jan. 23. Lunch will be provided to CBA Members.