How Appealing



Monday, June 20, 2011

“First Amendment Veterans Weigh In on Free Speech in the Roberts Court”: Zoe Tillman has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

Posted at 10:25 PM by Howard Bashman



“Global-warming lawsuit rejected by Supreme Court; In an 8-0 decision, the Supreme Court kills a global-warming lawsuit filed by eight states and environmentalists against the nation’s five largest electric power companies; The court says Congress and the EPA already have authority to make rules regulating greenhouse gases and courts need not get involved”: David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has this news update.

Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor reports that “Supreme Court throws out back-door bid to curb global warming; A coalition of states and conservation groups sought to use public-nuisance law to compel five energy companies to curb greenhouse gases linked to global warming; The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed the case.”

And Lawrence Hurley and Gabriel Nelson of Greenwire report that “High Court Blocks States’ Lawsuit Over Coal Plant Emissions” (via The New York Times).

Posted at 9:00 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court blocks massive sex-discrimination suit against Wal-Mart”: Robert Barnes of The Washington Post has this news update.

Bob Egelko of The San Francisco Chronicle has a news update headlined “Court sides with Walmart on sex-bias suit.”

Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor reports that “Supreme Court dismisses women’s class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart; The Supreme Court decision, seen as a victory for Wal-Mart and corporate America, makes it more difficult for employees to join together in a common lawsuit unless they are able to identify a common injury.”

And this evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Top Court Rules In Favor Of Wal-Mart” featuring Nina Totenberg.

Posted at 8:50 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court Limits Public-Employee Grievance Rights”: Mark Walsh has this post at the “School Law” blog of Education Week.

Posted at 8:42 PM by Howard Bashman



“Death penalty costs California $184 million a year, study says; A senior judge and law professor examine rising costs of the program; Without major reforms, they conclude, capital punishment will continue to exist mostly in theory while exacting an untenable cost”: Carol J. Williams has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

Posted at 6:25 PM by Howard Bashman



“Friendship between Thomas and Crow Triggers Controversy — Again”: Tony Mauro has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

Posted at 12:25 PM by Howard Bashman



“Justices Rule for Wal-Mart in Bias Case”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this news update.

David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Supreme Court throws out huge discrimination suit against Wal-Mart; In a 5-4 vote, justices rule that the lawsuit, which claimed that Wal-Mart discriminated against 1.5 million female workers, did not qualify as a class action.”

Joan Bisupic of USA Today has a news update headlined “Supreme Court limits Wal-Mart sex discrimination case.”

And Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Supreme Court rules for Wal-Mart in sex bias lawsuit.”

Posted at 12:18 PM by Howard Bashman



Access online today’s Order List and rulings in argued cases of the U.S. Supreme Court: You can access today’s Order List at this link. The Court granted review in four cases. The Court also called for the views of the Solicitor General’s office in one case.

In addition, the Court issued rulings in four argued cases.

1. Justice Stephen G. Breyer delivered the opinion of the Court in Turner v. Rogers, No. 10-10. Justice Clarence Thomas issued a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Antonin Scalia joined in full and in which the Chief Justice and Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. joined in part. You can access the oral argument via this link.

2. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered the opinion of the Court in American Elec. Power Co. v. Connecticut, No. 10-174. Justice Alito issued an opinion concurring in part and concurring in the judgment, in which Justice Thomas joined. You can access the oral argument via this link.

3. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy delivered the opinion of the Court in Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri, No. 09-1476. Justice Thomas issued an opinion concurring in the judgment. And Justice Scalia issued an opinion concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part. You can access the oral argument via this link.

4. And Justice Scalia delivered the opinion of the Court in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes, No. 10-277. Justice Ginsburg issued an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part, in which Justices Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan joined. You can access the oral argument via this link.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press has reports headlined “Supreme Court limits Wal-Mart sex bias case“; “High court blocks states’ climate change lawsuit“; “Court: Public lawyers not required in civil cases“; “Court limits gov’t employees’ speech rights“; “Court to decide if pilot can sue over disclosure“; “High court to hear Montana dams lawsuit“; “Court won’t hear ACORN lawsuit over gov’t funding“; and “High court won’t look at dispute over Sioux land.”

Posted at 10:04 AM by Howard Bashman



Carter, Phillips on the impact of gender on U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments: Last Wednesday’s edition of The Salt Lake Tribune contained an article headlined “BYU study shows Supreme Court justices aren’t blind to gender; Jurists react differently toward female attorneys, researchers say.”

And The Deseret News reported last Saturday that “Justices act differently for women.”

According to a news release from Brigham Young University, the study — which will appear in the Rutgers Law Journal — was conducted by BYU Communications professor Ed Carter and then-BYU graduate student James Phillips.

What are the odds that academics named Carter and Phillips would study the interaction of U.S. Supreme Court Justices with veteran advocates such as Carter Phillips? Apparently, the answer is 100%.

Posted at 8:04 AM by Howard Bashman



“Miranda rights for minors: The Supreme Court decided correctly in extending the warning to children questioned by police in school.” This editorial appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

Posted at 7:52 AM by Howard Bashman