A new report released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the U.S. legal services sector lost 4,200 jobs in August, reaching its lowest level so far this year, Reuters reports. Legal sector jobs totaled 1,175,700 last month, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted data. Though the count includes a range of legal workers such as paralegals and assistants, the majority of jobs lost were lawyers. The report also adjusted downward initial projections for legal sector employment in June and July.

The Biden administration formally asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to overturn a ruling from a federal appeals court that would limit the availability of the abortion pill mifepristone, The Hill reports. The manufacturer of the brand name pill, Danco Laboratories, also filed an appeal with the court. In August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the drug could stay on the market in states where abortion is legal, but struck down changes made in 2016 to expand access. The appeals court said those changes did not follow proper procedure. Its decision, however, remains on hold while the Supreme Court decides whether to take up the case.

Eric Munchel, the Nashville man known as "zip-tie guy," has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol — one of the longest sentences imposed for activities that day, the Tennessean reports. Munchel was sentenced to 57 months of incarceration and three years of supervised release. His mother, Lisa Eisenhart, received 30 months of incarceration with three years of supervised release. Both also were ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Munchel is one of 26 Tennesseans charged or sentenced. Read about the other cases here.

A national prisoner advocacy group is urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate alleged civil rights abuses at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center in Hartsville, the Tennessean reports. Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) says it has heard reports of sexual and physical assault; use of force, threats and retaliation by staff; neglect of medical and physical needs; unsanitary conditions; and gang activity. Private prison company CoreCivic, which runs the facility, says there are staffing issues but that the claims raised by FAMM "don't reflect the facts."

Police are investigating the death of a man who was found unresponsive in his cell Friday evening, WSMV reports. According to the station, officers at the Nashville-Davidson County Maximum Correctional Center discovered 60-year-old Phillip Pharris around 5:15 p.m. CDT. Medical staff were called in to assist and began CPR when they arrived. Pharris was pronounced dead at 5:55 p.m. He had been in custody since June 9 on two counts of probation violation with an arrest history of controlled substance possession, theft, vandalism and aggravated assault. An investigation is underway but foul play is not suspected.

The American Bar Association (ABA) filed an amicus brief last week with the U.S. Supreme Court, urging the court to uphold protections granted by Congress to administrative law judges (ALJs). In its next term, the court has agreed to hear a case challenging whether Congress violated Article II of the U.S. Constitution by limiting removal of ALJs. In May 2022, a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that for-cause removal protections violate the constitution’s requirement that the president ensure the laws be faithfully executed. The ABA argues that ALJs need “decisional independence … to maintain public confidence in their decisions.” Read more about the case from the ABA.

U.S. senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty are accepting applications from candidates interested in a judicial appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Those interested should download and complete the required questionnaire available online from Blackburn's website or Hagerty's website. Completed questionnaires and a current resume should be submitted by email to appointments@blackburn.senate.gov and appointments@hagerty.senate.gov by Oct. 2. Questions about the process also may be sent to both email addresses.

Kroger has agreed to pay up to $1.4 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits which allege that the supermarket chain's pharmacies contributed to the opioid epidemic. Reuters reports that this settlement includes $1.2 billion for U.S. states, counties and municipalities; $36 million for Native American tribes; and $177 million for attorneys' fees and expenses. The agreement does not require Kroger to admit wrongdoing, and the settlement amount depends on the participation of eligible states, which includes Tennessee. Kroger faced over 2,000 lawsuits related to the opioid crisis, and this settlement is part of a broader effort to hold companies accountable for their role in the epidemic, which has claimed the lives of nearly 645,000 people in the United States from 1999 to 2021.

The University of Tennessee College of Law welcomed its most highly credentialed class for the second year in a row. The 143 students in the Class of 2026 boast a median GPA of 3.78 and a median LSAT of 162, the strongest numbers in school history. The class, which is the largest since 2013, was drawn from a record number of applications, over 1,500. The number was 16% higher than in the most recent application cycle. The College of Law also saw an increase in applications to its Master in Legal Studies Program — and welcomed 22 new students — bringing that program’s total enrollment to 35.

Former employees of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) who were terminated due to the company's COVID-19 vaccine mandate have filed a class action lawsuit in Chattanooga federal court. The employees allege that BCBST threatened their livelihoods by not providing reasonable accommodations or telecommuting options for those who requested religious exemptions, resulting in the termination of 41 employees out of 900 "customer-facing roles." The Chattanoogan has the story.