More law firm mergers have occurred in the South than anywhere else in the country, the Memphis Business Journal reports. According to Atlman Weil MergerLine, 6 of the 14 nationwide mergers or acquisitions during the most recent quarter were in the South. Among recent mergers in Memphis: Williams McDaniel PC  merged with Kentucky-based Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs LLP; and Adelman Law Firm PLLC merged with Mississippi-based Wilkins Tipton PA.

The former financial advisor and owner of A.D. Vallett & Co. has been sentenced to 120 months in prison for running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 30 victims of over $5 million, BrentwoodHomePage reports. Aaron Vallett pleaded guilty to orchestrating the Ponzi scheme. His sentence was announced as the Department of Justice kicks off a series of investment fraud summits in cities across the country, including Nashville. The event was held at Vanderbilt School of Law this morning.

While Gov. Bill Haslam said the deaths of 31 Tennessee children who had come to the attention of the Department of Children’s services was “incredibly distressing,” he told editors of the Tennessean on Tuesday that he found no evidence to substantiate recent allegations that the agency acted inappropriately.

The Governor’s Office is currently accepting applications to appoint a special judge for the General Sessions Court of Hamilton County, Division IV. Qualified attorneys must apply by Oct. 19.

Was Pat Summitt forced to step down as the Lady Vols' basketball coach? University of Tennessee athletic officials say no, but an affidavit from the coaching legend filed Wednesday suggests she had initially felt that way. The statement was filed in federal court by lawyers for former Lady Vols media director Debby Jennings, who is suing the university alleging unlawful discrimination and retaliation, the Tennessean reports. In the affidavit, Summitt says she initially felt she was being forced to step down, but that athletic director Dave Hart later told her she had misinterpreted his comments.

Today is the first day of the U.S. Supreme Court's fall term and court watchers say this term may be just as exciting as the last one, Law.com reports. Subjects the justices will cover include affirmative action, same-sex marriage and possibly erecting new obstacles to class actions. Also waiting in the wings are cases questioning the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and voter ID laws.  Refresh your memory on the justices --  the AP shows you the justices' order of seniority, age, the presidents who appointed them, and when they took their seats on the high court.

The Tennessee Bar Associaiton's Supreme Court Boot Camp allows lawyers to learn by watching two oral arguments before the Tennessee Supreme Court, followed by a debriefing with the attorneys who argued them. The course offers 6.5 hours of CLE in Nashville this Thursday.

Many law firms are offering legal fee alternatives to the traditional billable hours, thanks to a new breed of law firm executives known as pricing directors. Value-based pricing is the new billing model where the focus is on producing outcomes such as client satisfaction and repeat business instead of racking up hours to succeed. “Change your firm’s conversation from hours and revenue, to revenue and profit," Toby Brown tells ABAJournal.com. "If you succeed in doing that, then everything else follows.”

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled today that passing worthless checks could be used to impeach a defendant's credibility. In a trial against Wanda F. Russell, who was indicted on four counts of theft, the court stated that the prior misdemeanor conviction was admissible to impeach her credibility since it involves dishonesty. Learn more from the Administrative Office of the Courts

The state Attorney General's Office is appealing Senior Judge Jon Kerry Blackwood's refusal to recuse himself from hearing the Christian/Newsom murder trials. The News Sentinel reports that the AG has asked the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals to overturn Kerry’s decision to continue, arguing he has lost objectivity.