“The Economics of Gay Marriage”: Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner has this post at “The Becker-Posner Blog.”

Professor Gary S. Becker‘s post in response is titled “Should Gay Marriages be Allowed?”

“Tiffany appeals eBay counterfeiting decision”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“A profile in power: U.S. Judge Amy St. Eve; Rezko judge is a big punch in small package.” This profile of U.S. District Judge Amy J. St. Eve of the Northern District of Illinois appeared yesterday in The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (via WSJ.com’s “Law Blog“).

“In this appeal, we are asked to determine the unusual question whether dogs are ‘livestock.'” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit today issued this opinion addressing that question.

The opinion’s opening paragraph concludes, “Despite a gut inclination that the answer might be ‘no,’ resolution of the issue is not so clear, thus precluding summary judgment at this stage of the proceeding. As it turns out, the term ‘livestock’ is ambiguous at best and much broader than the traditional categories of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs.”

“We are called on to decide whether attorney misconduct towards clients, involving violations of rules of professional conduct binding on the attorney, requires forfeiture of the attorneys’ fees paid to them when, after all righteous furor is vented, the fees were eminently reasonable for the result produced.” So begins the majority opinion that a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.

On this past Saturday’s broadcast of C-SPAN’s “America and the Courts“: The broadcast featured Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s remarks at the recent Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference. You can view last Saturday’s broadcast by clicking here (RealPlayer required).

“Juror: Hamdan Didn’t Seem Like Al-Qaida Warrior.” This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

And yesterday evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Juror Questions U.S. Pursuit Of Salim Hamdan.”

RealPlayer is required to launch these audio segments.

“Supreme Court grabbed more power in recent term”: Law Professor John Yoo had this op-ed yesterday in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Driver’s trial gave courtroom firsts; The first terrorist convicted at trial by military commission was also the first man acquitted of a war crime”: Carol Rosenberg has this article today in The Miami Herald.

And today’s edition of USA Today contains an editorial entitled “Best face of a flawed system: Split verdict in Hamdan case shows trial neither model nor debacle.” In addition, Kenneth Roth has an op-ed entitled “A failed ‘experiment’: Commissions’ unfair rules deliver a shaky verdict rather than justice.”

“Santeria priest won’t let religious freedom be sacrificed; Ernesto Pichardo, co-founder of the first incorporated Santeria church in the nation, files a lawsuit stemming from a police raid during a worship ritual in 2007”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

“Social Initiatives on State Ballots Could Draw Attention to Presidential Race”: Today’s edition of The New York Times contains an article that begins, “Divisive social issues will be on the ballot in several states in November, including constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage in Arizona, California and Florida, and limitations on abortion in California, Colorado and South Dakota.”

In commentary available online from FindLaw: Marci Hamilton has an essay entitled “In Colorado Christian University v. Weaver, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Adopts the Incorrect Theory that Religious Individuals Are Entitled to Exemptions from Generally Applicable Laws.”

And John W. Dean has an essay entitled “Judge Bates Slams the Bush White House’s Claims of Congressional Immunity: Why There May Be No Consequences for the White House, Despite the Clear Ruling.”

“Expert Panel Debates What Presidential Candidates Should be Saying About Judicial Selection”: You can view video of the program, from the American Bar Association’s 131st annual meeting in New York City, by clicking here.

“Hamdan Jury Felt Evidence Didn’t Back U.S. Claim; Sentence Wasn’t Verdict on Tribunals, Juror Explains”: Jess Bravin has this article today in The Wall Street Journal.