“House speaker sends abortion bill to Rounds; Governor has 15 days to sign it”: The Argus Leader of Sioux Falls, South Dakota provides a news update that begins, “A bill that would ban nearly all abortions in South Dakota is now officially in the hands of Gov. Mike Rounds.”

“Case on probate matters drawing lots of attention”: Today in The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dave Montgomery has an article that begins, “Even participating attorneys admit that Supreme Court Case No. 04-1544 is dry and legally esoteric. So why does Marshall v. Marshall get so much attention? Three words: Anna Nicole Smith.”

“Supreme Court Set to Weigh Central Election-Law Issues”: Linda Greenhouse will have this article Tuesday in The New York Times.

“A minor revolt on state court; Sitting judge Price challenges top judge Keller on Court of Criminal Appeals”: This article appears today in The Austin American-Statesman.

“Judge’s ruling could delay trial for Andrea Yates”: The Houston Chronicle provides this news update.

“Supreme Court to consider ex-Playboy model’s claim to estate”: Stephen Henderson of Knight Ridder Newspapers provides this report.

“High Court to Take Up Pressing Issues This Week”: Linda Greenhouse of The New York Times provides this news update.

“Court says Hill wrong to fire 27 employees; Ga. high court says workers part of county merit system”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution provides this news update.

You can access today’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Georgia at this link.

“State rethinks three-strikes law; Proposed initiatives in California would give judges more leeway in sentencing”: This article will appear Tuesday in The Christian Science Monitor.

“Judges tackling national-security learning curve; As invasive laws test individual freedoms, Federal Court seeks outside expertise”: This article appears today in The Toronto Globe and Mail.

“Can states limit what candidates spend? Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday on a Vermont law that would curb the flow of campaign money.” Warren Richey will have this article Tuesday in The Christian Science Monitor.

And at his “Election Law” blog, Rick Hasen has a post titled “Thoughts About the Vermont Campaign Finance Case to Be Argued Tomorrow.”

“High Court to Rule on DeLay Redistricting”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“The Unlikely Center”: In the March 6, 2006 issue of The New Republic, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David J. Garrow has this review (pass-through link) of two books: “Sandra Day O’Connor: How the First Woman on the Supreme Court Became Its Most Influential Justice,” by Joan Biskupic; and “David Hackett Souter: Traditional Republican on the Rehnquist Court,” by Tinsley E. Yarbrough.

“Supreme Court nominee vows independence”: The Toronto Globe and Mail provides a news update that begins, “Canada’s newest nominee to the Supreme Court of Canada Monday described the experience as humbling and promised to make good on the trust placed in him by Prime Minister Stephen Harper while also emphasizing the importance of an independent judiciary.”

“High court to assess sentencing in state”: Today in The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko has an article that begins, “Uncertainty surrounds thousands of prison sentences in California after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would decide whether the state’s 29-year-old sentencing system violates a defendant’s right to a jury trial.”

“Ohio Court Orders Resentencing of Hundreds”: The Associated Press provides this report.

“Defense Department Personnel System Blocked”: The Washington Post provides a news update that begins, “A federal judge today blocked the Department of Defense from implementing its new personnel system, handing the Bush administration a major setback in its attempts to streamline work rules and install pay for performance in the federal workplace.”

Today’s decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia can be accessed online (opinion; order).

Today’s appellate court filing: Between now and Monday, March 13, 2006, I’ll be filing three reply briefs in the U.S. Courts of Appeals. The reply brief that I’m filing today in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit involves a dispute between a primary insurer and a reinsurer over whether the termination of a reinsurance treaty required the reinsurer to return more than $2 million in active life reserves to the insurer. The opening Brief for Appellant can be accessed here. The case is tentatively scheduled for oral argument in Richmond, Virginia sometime during the last week in May 2006.

“Merck’s fight looks tougher in NJ; Lanier, the only lawyer to defeat drug maker in a Vioxx suit, returns for round two”: CNNMoney.com provides this report.

“Will high court draw the lines? The Supreme Court will hear arguments on the 2003 Texas redistricting; Its decision could change the future of politics as usual.” This article appears today in The St. Petersburg Times.

“Justices Won’t Expand Death Penalty Review”: Gina Holland of The Associated Press provides this report.

“Scalia champions hunting and conservation; Supreme Court justice gives speech at wild turkey event”: This article appeared yesterday in The Tennessean.

And The Associated Press reports that “Supreme Court Justice Champions Hunting.”

“Ohio applies Blakely and the Booker remedy!” The blog “Sentencing Law and Policy” provides this report.

Today’s U.S. Supreme Court Order List: Today’s Order List can be accessed here.

At “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Court grants no new cases.”

A drag racing death near Detroit and the state-created danger doctrine: A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued this interesting decision today. According to the dissenting opinion, “What really matters is [plaintiff’s] evidence that the race was about to be called off for fear of police intervention but ultimately went forward after the officers actively encouraged the race to proceed, reassuring the drag racers and the crowd that nobody would be arrested for conducting the race.”

“Blogging law profs assault ivory tower; Is it scholarship, or a cyber chit-chat?” This article appears in this week’s issue of The National Law Journal.

“Death Penalty Trials a Painstaking Process”: The Associated Press provides this report focusing on the Zacarias Moussaoui trial.

“Blawg Review #46”: Available here, at “De Novo.”

“Congress Puts ‘Partial-Birth’ Abortion Back on the Supreme Court’s Agenda”: This week’s installment of my “On Appeal” column for law.com can be accessed here.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting: In today’s newspaper, Naftali Bendavid reports that “Texas-size gerrymander case heads to high court.”

And in other news, an article is headlined “St. Thurgood? It just might be; Episcopalians in the nation’s capital seek sainthood for the 1st black high court justice.”

“Justices have a date with former Playmate”: Patty Reinert has this front page article today in The Houston Chronicle.

“Blog Epitaphs? Get Me Rewrite! Rumors of Blogs’ Demise Are Exaggerated, But a Lot Less Obsession Would Be Healthy.” Jason Fry has this essay (free access) online today at The Wall Street Journal.

USA Today is reporting: In today’s newspaper, Joan Biskupic has an article headlined “Anna Nicole legal drama moves center stage to Supreme Court.”

And in other news, “RIM, NTP urged to settle dispute; BlackBerrys could face shutdown as early as this week.”

“The Supreme Court’s Unanimous Decision Recognizing a Religious Right to Use Hallucinogenic Tea”: FindLaw commentator Michael C. Dorf has this essay today.