“Ken Starr tells Texas Wesleyan law students that legal profession is ‘under a lot of stress'”: The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has a news update that begins, “Ken Starr — the independent counsel who investigated Whitewater and former President Bill Clinton’s relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky — says he’s had one key disappointment in his professional career: not being named to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“White House Court Brief Backs Race-Based Admissions”: In Wednesday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal, Jess Bravin will have an article that begins, “The Obama administration has asked a federal appeals court to uphold a race-conscious admissions system at the University of Texas at Austin, aiming to stymie a lawsuit that conservatives hope will spur the Supreme Court to limit affirmative action at public colleges.” You can freely access the full text of the article via Google News.

“Supreme Court justices have a good time debating ‘good time'”: Bill Mears of CNN.com has this report.

You can access at this link the transcript of today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in Barber v. Thomas, No. 09-5201.

“Mutual Fund Investor Suits Limited by Top U.S. Court”: Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News has this report.

James Vicini of Reuters reports that “Top court hands victory to mutual fund industry.”

And Brent Kendall of Dow Jones Newswires reports that “US High Court Sends Fund Fees Case Back For More Proceedings.”

Access online today’s opinions of the U.S. Supreme Court in argued cases: The Court today issued three opinions in argued cases.

1. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court in Jones v. Harris Associates L.P., No. 08-586. In addition, Justice Clarence Thomas issued a concurring opinion. You can access the oral argument transcript at this link.

2. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court in Berghuis v. Smith, No. 08-1402. In addition, Justice Thomas issued a concurring opinion. You can access the oral argument transcript at this link.

3. And Justice John Paul Stevens delivered the opinion of the Court in Graham County Soil and Water Conservation Dist. v. United States ex rel. Wilson, No. 08-304. Justice Antonin Scalia filed an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. Justice Sonia Sotomayor filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Stephen G. Breyer joined. You can access the oral argument transcript at this link.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Court says judges can settle mutual fund fee fight” and “High court restricts whistleblower lawsuits.”

“Gag order targeted; Coverage limit forbidden, Blade contends”: Jim Provance has this article today in The Toledo Blade.

“Retrial due in slaying of ex-Raider’s daughter”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

And The San Jose Mercury News reports today that “San Mateo County prosecutors say they will retry killer of football star’s daughter.”

“Ruling stymies child sex-abuse case; Citing a 2004 decision that limits the use of videotaped interviews, Hennepin County won’t prosecute a case involving 4-year-old victim”: This article appears today in The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

“Supreme Court Justices Hostile to ‘Foreign-Cubed’ Cases”: Tony Mauro of The National Law Journal has this report.

“Majority of D.A.s in state oppose Obama nominee”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article that begins, “Forty-two of California’s 58 county district attorneys are opposing President Obama’s nomination of Goodwin Liu to the federal appeals court in San Francisco, saying they believe the UC Berkeley law professor is hostile to the death penalty.”

“Supreme Court cases test speech rights — and more; Politically charged disputes put a spotlight on justices”: Joan Biskupic has this article today in USA Today.