“Either Pay Staff or Pay Rent; Caught in Financial Bind, Federal Courts Ask Congress for Relief”: The Administrative Office of U.S. Courts issued this news release today. Related witness testimony delivered to Congress today can be accessed here and here.

“Would a Rehnquist Retirement Make A Difference? Yes, in Some Important Areas.” Law Professor Rick Hasen provides this post at his “Election Law” blog.

Raich and wetlands: Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner issued this opinion today on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel in a case involving a commerce clause to the federal government’s attempt to regulate activities pursuant to the Clean Water Act.

“Court faults US SEC on mutual fund directors rule”: Reuters provides this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued today.

“Court reverses ruling on GSU student paper; Dean not liable for halting printing so she could review articles”: This article appears today in The Daily Southtown of Tinley Park, Illinois.

And The Associated Press reports that “Court Dismisses College Newspaper Suit.”

“Another toast to St. Pat’s ruling; Parade stalwarts recall court victory”: The Boston Globe today contains this article reporting on yesterday’s celebration of the recent tenth anniversary of a particular U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

“Speculation mounts on Rehnquist retirement”: The Scripps Howard News Service provides this report.

And online at The Village Voice, James Ridgeway’s “Mondo Washington” column today is entitled “Pulling Up Lame: Loser versus loser: handicapping the coming supreme court vacancies.”

“Ex-KKK Member Convicted in 1964 Killings”: The Associated Press provides this report from Philadelphia, Mississippi.

“Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference to Focus on Future of Federal Courts”: The Ninth Circuit’s Public Information Office issued this news release last week. A review of the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference Speaker and Panelist Biographies suggests that the conference may suffer from a dearth of law blogger-panelists.

“Attorney Gen. Urges Sentencing Guidelines”: The Associated Press reports here that “Attorney General Alberto Gonzales called Tuesday for requiring federal judges to adhere to guidelines that set mandatory minimum prison sentences, saying there is evidence of growing disparity in jail terms since a landmark Supreme Court ruling.”

“State’s banking data law in doubt; An appeals court has invalidated some limits on sharing, saying that U.S. statutes pre-empt them”: This article appears today in The Sacramento Bee.

“Courtney’s sentence affirmed; U.S. Supreme Court had ordered a review at the appeals level”: The Kansas City Star today contains an article that begins, “A federal appeals court panel on Monday upheld a 30-year sentence given to former Kansas City pharmacist Robert R. Courtney for diluting chemotherapy drugs.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Appeal of Ex-Pharmacist Sentence Rejected.”

You can access yesterday’s per curiam ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit at this link.

“Frist blows Graham’s and DeWine’s cover on judicial nominations deal”: This article appears today in The Hill.

“‘They showed her no mercy’; Defense admission has judge, prosecutor asking point of trial”: The Rutland Herald today contains an article that begins, “Donald R. Fell’s attorney didn’t waste much time admitting to the jury that his client played a role in killing a North Clarendon woman in a case that could send him to death row. In Vermont’s first death penalty case in nearly 50 years, federal public defender Alexander Bunin told the jury Monday in U.S. District Court that his client ‘accepted responsibility’ for the death of Tressa King, 53, of North Clarendon on Nov. 27, 2000.”

The newspaper also contains a related editorial entitled “Breaking the cycle.”

Access online today’s en banc nude dancing decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit: You can access today’s ruling, which appears to have been decided by a margin of 7-5 on some issues, at this link.

“College paper lawsuit fails; Federal court backs Governors State dean”: The Chicago Tribune today contains an article that begins, “In a case with wider implications for college newspapers and their inevitable struggles with the administrations they cover, a full panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit against Governors State University filed by two student journalists who were sharply critical of the school’s president and a dean.”

And Inside Higher Ed reports that “Colleges Can Censor, Too.”

“Fort Trumbull Residents, City Officials Still Holding Their Breath; Supreme Court’s Ruling On Eminent Domain Is Anxiously Awaited”: This article appears today in The Day of New London, Connecticut.

“Kids in legal gray area when gay couples split”: Today’s edition of USA Today contains this article.

“Controversial federal prosecutor loses job; Jeffrey Del Fuoco testified in a case against a Hillsborough circuit judge”: This article appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

“Are Accounts of Consensual Sex a Violation of Privacy Rights? The Lawsuit Against the Blogger ‘Washingtonienne.'” FindLaw commentator Julie Hilden has this essay today.

“Conservative talking shop puts its mark on judicial agenda”: Financial Times contains this article today.

“Specter: Chief justice doing fine; William Rehnquist doesn’t look like he’s ready to retire just yet, Pa.’s senior senator said.” This article appears today in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

In news from Seattle: The Seattle Times today contains articles headlined “Man killed at court was upset over child support” and “Courthouse passes first test of its security.”

And The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports today that “Bitter divorce behind courthouse shooting; Police kill man with a grudge and a grenade” and “Shooting victim angered over child-support system.”

“Pryor sworn in as appeals court judge”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today contains an article that begins, “William Pryor was sworn in Monday to a lifetime appointment on the federal appeals court in Atlanta, a temporary job he has held for more than a year.”

Bob Egelko is reporting: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, he has articles headlined “High court justice to leave bench June 30; Janice Rogers Brown to move to federal appeals court in D.C.” and “Court upholds state sentencing system; Judges can tack on years based on data juries never heard.”

“High court takes aim at poor defense; Pa. man removed from death row by 5-4 ruling”: Joan Biskupic has this article in today’s issue of USA Today.

In The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Michael McGough reports today that “Pa. death sentence set aside for lack of defense diligence.”

The Allentown Morning Call reports that “High court spares Allentown killer; In ruling that could affect other cases, it says his defense was inadequate, overturns death sentence.”

And The Washington Times reports that “High court reverses death case; faults defense team.”

“U.S. top court upholds 2 Mich. fees on truckers”: Michael McGough has this article today in The Toledo Blade.

“Hotel owners lose before high court; Justices turn down challenge to city’s fee for converting rooms to tourist use”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

In The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports that “Supreme Court Upholds Local Regulations on Private Property; A San Francisco law requires developers to pay a fee when turning rentals into hotel rooms.”

And in related coverage, The San Francisco Examiner today contains an article headlined “Litigious owners under one roof.”

“Supreme Court to hear arbitration and patent cases”: Patti Waldmeir has this article in Tuesday’s edition of Financial Times.

Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski‘s dissenting opinion today in United States v. Sears made Sean Sirrine’s day: Details here at the blog “De Novo.”

“Lesbian gets custody; State Supreme Court says woman is the ‘psychological parent’ of the child”: Saturday’s edition of The Charleston Gazette contained an article that begins, “The West Virginia Supreme Court on Friday gave the lesbian partner of a deceased woman the parental rights over a 5-year-old child the two had been raising together.”

You can access last Friday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia at this link.

“Quiet but Ambitious White House Counsel Makes Life of Law”: This profile of White House counsel Harriet Miers will appear Tuesday in The Washington Post.

“Putting the DMCA on trial”: Declan McCullagh provided this preview of a case argued today before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (via Corante’s “The Importance of…” and “Copyfight“). You can access the oral argument audio by clicking here (RealPlayer required). [Update: Or, if you’d prefer the oral argument in MP3 format, Joe Gratz has posted it here.]

Available online from law.com: Asher Hawkins has an article headlined “Specter: Not Expecting High Court Vacancies.”

Jeff Chorney reports that “Judicial Conference to Mull Unpublished Opinions.”

And in other news, “Conn. Courthouse Shooting Shows Risks Faced by Divorce Attorneys.”

“Justices Overturn a Death Sentence, Citing an Inadequate Defense Counsel”: Linda Greenhouse will have this article Tuesday in The New York Times, along with an article headlined “At Docket’s End, Moses and Movie Studios.”

And in Tuesday’s edition of The Washington Post, Charles Lane will have an article headlined “High Court Blocks Pa. Inmate’s Death Sentence.”