“Donald Trump and the Chamber of Secrets: The president’s solicitor general nominee Noel Francisco thinks executive privilege should shield pretty much everything. Uh-oh.” Mark Joseph Stern has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor at UC Berkeley”: Berkeley Law has posted this video on YouTube.

Lavenski R. Smith is the first African-American to serve as the Eighth Circuit’s chief judge: On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit issued two related press releases, which you can access here and here.

Eighth Circuit Chief Judge Smith — not to be confused with Third Circuit Chief Judge Smith — is no doubt used to federal judicial milestones, as upon his confirmation to the Eighth Circuit in 2002 he became the first federal judge with the first name Lavenski.

In news coverage, Emerson Clarridge of The Omaha World-Herald reports that “First African-American to serve as chief judge of Eighth Circuit takes office Saturday.”