<ul id="adminMenu">
    <li class="ui-widget-header">Application Settings</li>
    <li id="menuitem1" onclick="loadAppSettings();">Settings</li>
    <li id="menuitem2" onclick="LoadView('wLibs', 'Libraries', this);">Libraries</li>
    <li id="menuitem3" onclick="LoadView('wDocs', 'Document', this);">Documents</li>
</ul>
var previousmenuitem = "menuitem1"

//initializes with
$("#" + previousmenuitem).click()

function LoadView(a, b, liObj){

    if(condition_not_met){ //if condition is not met, I need to set the previous active menu item back to active
        //remove active class from what was clicked
        $(liObj).removeClass("active")
        //set active menu li to previousmenuitem
        $("#" + previousmenuitem).addClass("active")
    }
}