Available online from law.com: Marcia Coyle reports that “High Court Vets False Claims Act.”

And Pamela A. MacLean reports that “4th Circuit Ruling Trims Reach of State Anti-Spam Laws; A critical finding for companies that use mass e-mail to target clients.” My earlier coverage appears at this link.

“An Update on the State of the Docket”: At “SCOTUSblog,” Tom Goldstein has this interesting post about the state of the U.S. Supreme Court‘s docket. Goldstein summarizes his point as follows: “[O]n the one hand, the Court is not taking enough cases to fill the argument calendar; on the other hand, it is scheduling briefing as if it were. The failure to adapt the briefing schedule to the smaller size of the Court’s docket produces expedited briefs that are less thorough and helpful to the Justices and creates a recurring cycle in which it is necessary to apply still more expedited schedules.”

“Appeals court: Soledad cross measure constitutional.” The San Diego Union-Tribune provides a news update that begins, “A San Diego appeals court ruled Thursday that Proposition A, a voter-approved 2005 measure which authorized transferring land underneath the Mount Soledad cross to the federal government was constitutional. The 3-0 ruling by a panel of justices from the 4th District Court of Appeal overturned a decision by Superior Court Judge Patricia Yim Cowett that invalidated the measure.”

You can access today’s ruling of California’s Court of Appeal for the Fourth Appellate District, Division One, at this link.

“Throw Him in the Brig!: The Bush administration’s latest, and most appalling, assault on habeas corpus.” Emily Bazelon has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“A Conversation with Justice Breyer and Harvard Professor Fried”: Law Professor Neal Katyal will be the moderator of this event, scheduled to occur on Friday, December 8, 2006 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. According to the media advisory, there will be a live webcast.

“Court Stays Out of Abortion Records Case”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “The Kansas Supreme Court refused Thursday to intervene on behalf of two abortion clinics in a dispute with the state attorney general over patient records that were leaked to ‘The O’Reilly Factor.'”

Glass Doctor shatters dreams of The Windshield Doctor: Today, a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirms a federal district court’s decision that the trademark “The Windshield Doctor” infringes on the trademark “Glass Doctor.” You can access today’s Fourth Circuit ruling at this link.

“Court Weighs Moussaoui Trial Evidence”: The AP provides a report that begins, “A Justice Department lawyer urged a federal appeals court Thursday to deny some families of Sept. 11 victims evidence from the Zacarias Moussaoui trial for their lawsuits against the airline industry and others.”

The Associated Press is reporting: An article headlined “Mass. Gay-Marriage Case on to Full Court” begins, “The state’s entire high court should decide whether to force lawmakers to take action on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, one justice decided Thursday.”

And an article headlined “Blind Inmate’s Medication Claim Revived” reports on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued yesterday.

“Government seeks delay in Hamdan case”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

Eighth Circuit affirms dismissal of antitrust lawsuit alleging that pharmaceutical manufacturers engaged in a concerted course of conduct designed to prevent brand name prescription drugs purchased from Canadian pharmacies from entering the United States: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit at this link. The lawsuit was filed by a group of consumers and organizations from Minnesota.

In news from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit: The “South Carolina Appellate Law Blog” today provides a post that begins, “My sources report that today Chief Judge William Wilkins sent a letter to President Bush announcing that he will take senior status effective July 1, 2007. Judge Karen Williams will become the next Chief Judge of the Fourth Circuit.”

“Kan. Man Sentenced in Internet Sex Sting”: The AP provides a report that begins, “A lawyer convicted in an Internet sex sting was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison, capping a legal battle that challenged a common tool police use to catch sexual predators online.”

And The Kansas City Star reports today that “Ex-lawyer gets five-year term.”

“Court: Boy Can’t Join Girls’ Gym Team.” The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A state appeals court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit by a boy who wanted to compete on his high school’s girls’ gymnastics team.”

You can access today’s ruling of the Court of Appeals of Wisconsin at this link.

“S.D. kept in cross lawsuit; Judge says ruling could affect city”: The San Diego Union-Tribune today contains an article that begins, “A federal judge refused yesterday to dismiss the city of San Diego from a lawsuit challenging the transfer of the Mount Soledad cross to the federal government in an effort to preserve it. The ruling is the first in the latest suit over the controversial La Jolla landmark, and it comes as state and federal appeals courts ponder rulings against the city in earlier lawsuits.”

“Gitmo Justice Is a Joke”: Andrew Cohen has this essay online today at washingtonpost.com.

“Lesbian birth mom loses case for custody”: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today contains an article that begins, “The state Supreme Court let stand a lower court decision giving a non-biological, lesbian mother primary custody of the children she helped raise with their biological mother.”

“Ryan dodges jail — for now; Development raises his hopes for reversal”: The Chicago Sun-Times today contains an article that begins, “After a year filled with defeats, George Ryan has won a round. An unusual 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that lets Ryan stay free on bond during the appeals process signals the court has serious questions with the former governor’s conviction, experts say.”

And The Chicago Tribune reports today that “Ruling gives Ryan hope; Court lets him stay free on bail during appeal; pension denied.” In addition, columnist John Kass has an op-ed entitled “Judges can wipe smirks off corrupt pols.”

“Mayfield settles for $2 million; A Portland-area man, who sued the U.S. over his treatment in a bombing case, tells of ordeal”: The Oregonian contains this article today.

The New York Times reports today that “U.S. Will Pay $2 Million to Lawyer Wrongly Jailed.”

The Washington Post reports that “U.S. Settles Suit Filed by Ore. Lawyer; $2 Million Will Be Paid For Wrongful Arrest After Madrid Attack.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “$2 million, apology settle FBI fingerprint error case.”

And USA Today reports that “Ore. lawyer settles suit over Madrid bombings; Gets $2 million, apology from U.S. government.”

“Treasury ordered to redesign money for the blind”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times.

The Washington Times reports today that “Vendors protest mandated currency changes for blind.”

And USA Today contains an article headlined “Shut your eyes: Can you tell a $1 from a $5? Maybe soon; Bills may change shape, size to help the blind.”

My earlier coverage appears at this link.

“It’s hardball time in software case; Spotlight will hit Polk court as suit against Microsoft goes to trial today”: The Des Moines Register today contains an article that begins, “A jury will hear two widely differing views of defendant Microsoft Corp. in a long-awaited civil trial that begins today in Polk County District Court. One view will paint Microsoft as a corporate bully that routinely intimidated and used illegal tactics to drive competitors out of business and keep software prices artificially high. The other will portray the world’s largest software maker as a visionary company that made smart decisions and took risks others wouldn’t in an effort to make personal computers affordable and accessible to everyone. By the time it’s over, the case is expected to be one of the longest-running legal squabbles in Iowa history and one of the most watched.”

“Feds: Ruling hurts oversight of Indian casinos; Audits blocked; some see threat to integrity.” Today’s issue of USA Today contains an article that begins, “Federal auditors say a court ruling last month has crippled their ability to examine operations at Indian casinos, raising concerns that the $22 billion Indian gaming industry could be increasingly vulnerable to corruption. The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), a regulatory panel within the Department of Interior, says its auditors have been prohibited from conducting reviews of personnel and finances at Indian casinos across the nation since the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Oct. 20 that the commission’s regulatory authority does not extend much beyond its oversight of bingo games.”

“Panel: Race Still Relevant; Five decades after landmark Brown decision, integration still contested in schools.” The Harvard Crimson today contains an article that begins, “Legal analysts and civil rights activists emphasized the need to protect the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision in a panel at Harvard Law School (HLS) yesterday.”

“Off-the-job smoker sues over firing; Says company policy is a slippery slope”: The Boston Globe today contains an article that begins, “A Buzzards Bay man has sued The Scotts Co. , the lawn care giant, for firing him after a drug test showed nicotine in his urine, indicating that he had violated a company policy forbidding employees to smoke on or off the job. The suit, filed yesterday in Suffolk Superior Court, is highly unusual because it involves an employee who was terminated for engaging in legal activities away from the workplace. The lawyer who filed the complaint said he believes it is the first of its kind in the state.”

And The Boston Herald today contains an article headlined “Great Scott! Fired for smoking on his own time.”

“Justice for a Parent and Child: Virginia’s Court of Appeals does the right thing for common sense and custody laws.” The Washington Post contains this editorial today.

“Court Hears Global Warming Case; Justices to Decide Challenge on Greenhouse Gas Emissions”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

Today in The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports that “Justices hear climate debate; The court seems split on whether a group of states can challenge the U.S. refusal to regulate greenhouse gases.”

The Boston Globe reports that “High court hears global warming case; Ponders whether states’ case vs. EPA is legally justified.”

The Boston Herald reports that “AG’s office before high court in bid to curb global warming.”

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that “High court divided on warming; Justices comment on arguments in case against EPA.”

And The Washington Times reports that “Global warming goes to high court.”

“Justices’ First Brush With Global Warming”: Linda Greenhouse will have this article Thursday in The New York Times.

“Federal Oversight of Banks Risks Abuse, States Argue”: The Washington Post on Thursday will contain an article that begins, “All 50 states and the District of Columbia yesterday urged the Supreme Court to overturn lower court rulings that they said would give federal authorities the ability to block states from prosecuting financial institutions for predatory lending practices.”

“Court considers role of U.S. in regulating emissions; Vote may turn on issue of ‘imminent’ harm”: Joan Biskupic will have this article Thursday in USA Today.

And Bill Mears of CNN.com reports that “Global warming debate hits Supreme Court.”

“Judge limits Gates’ Iowa visits as trial begins”: The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates must travel to Iowa only once to defend his company in a class-action antitrust case beginning Thursday that accuses him of running a monopoly that overcharged Iowans millions of dollars.”

“Supreme Court tackles global warming”: The San Francisco Chronicle provides this news update.

“Court considers if the EPA can regulate greenhouse gas emissions”: Stephen Henderson of McClatchy Newspapers provides this report.

And James Rosen of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Supreme Court referees dispute between Wachovia, state regulators.”

“The Wronged Man: Unjustly Imprisoned and Mistreated, Khaled al-Masri Wants Answers the U.S. Government Doesn’t Want to Give.” This lengthy article appears today in The Washington Post.

“Financier Armstrong’s Contempt Term Upheld; New Judge, Hearing Ordered; Case is second in a year that 2nd Circuit has reassigned from New York judge”: law.com provides this report. My earlier coverage is at this link.

“Supreme Court Takes up Global Warming Case”: This segment (transcript with link to audio) appeared on this evening’s broadcast of the PBS program “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.”