“Republicans Want to Sideline This Regulator. But It May Be Too Popular.” In Friday’s edition of The New York Times, Steve Eder, Jessica Silver-Greenberg, and Stacy Cowley will have a front page article that begins, “With the election of President Trump, the nation’s consumer watchdog agency faced a quandary: how to shield the Obama-era institution from a Republican administration determined to loosen the federal government’s grip on business.”

“Why Masterpiece Cakeshop is a Harder Case Than You Think (and Why Federalism Can Help Resolve It with a Meta-Accommodation of Religious Disagreement)”: Rick Hills has this post at “PrawfsBlawg.”

“Questions about the Emoluments Amicus Brief on Behalf of Trump”: Jed Shugerman has this post at the “Take Care” blog.

“Pantyhose defense rejected for man who took upskirt videos at Wegmans”: Justin Zaremba of NJ.com has this report on a ruling that the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, issued today.

“Michelle Carter’s attorney files notice to appeal her conviction”: Danny McDonald of The Boston Globe has this report.

“Supreme Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor is in the Judge’s Chambers at Yankee Stadium”: Daniel Rapaport of Sports Illustrated has this report.

“Impersonator of Dead Sea Scrolls scholars sees U.S. conviction upheld”: Brendan Pierson of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued today.

“Roy Moore blasts Congress over appeals court ruling on prayer by football coach”: Paul Gattis of AL.com had this report last week.

“Janice Rogers Brown, America’s Most Libertarian Federal Judge, Is Retiring; The possible replacements include Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett”: Damon Root had this post at Reason’s “Hit & Run” blog back on July 12, 2017.

The title of “America’s Most Libertarian Federal Judge” will be back up for grabs starting tomorrow, as today is Judge Brown’s final day of service on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

This blog has been fortunate to cover numerous interesting and noteworthy opinions from then-Justice Brown of the Supreme Court of California and many more such opinions during her service thereafter on the D.C. Circuit.

“Supreme Court rejects petition to recognize same-sex marriage; Justices stated that the issue should be determined by legislators, not the court”: ByUdi Shaham of The Jerusalem Post has this report.

And in other news, Nir Hasson of Haaretz reports that “Mystery Golden Effigy of Israel’s Chief Justice Pops Up Outside Supreme Court in Jerusalem; The police said an investigation has been opened after the statue was discovered on Thursday morning, though the public security minister has asked for clarification as seemingly no crime had been committed.”

“Mick Jagger and the Minnesota Supreme Court”: Kevin Featherly has this post at the “Bar Buzz” blog of Minnesota Lawyer.

“Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg to visit Roger Williams University; Will participate in Jan. 30 ‘fireside chat’ with Circuit Court of Appeals Senior Judge Selya”: G. Wayne Miller of The Providence (R.I.) Journal has this report.

Today, the Roger Williams University School of Law issued a news release titled “U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg to Visit RWU Law; Her Jan. 30 ‘fireside chat’ with Judge Selya will mark the eighth time a high court justice has addressed RWU School of Law students.”

“Cake artist to Supreme Court: Affirm artistic freedom, free speech; ADF attorneys file opening brief with high court on behalf of Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop.” Alliance Defending Freedom issued this news release today.

You can access the Brief for Petitioners filed today in the U.S. Supreme Court at this link.

“Democrats say ‘Citizens United’ should die; Here’s why that won’t happen; Some question whether liberal politicians’ outrage is even genuine”: Sarah Kleiner of The Center for Public Integrity has this report.

“He earned a Purple Heart, led UNC Law and shaped civil rights as a judge”: Anne Blythe of The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina has written an obituary that begins, “Dickson Phillips was deeply admired for being a sharp jurist with a keen intellect throughout a law career that gained him a seat on a federal appeals court and included a 10-year stint as dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill law school.”