“A Worthy Nominee: Maryland senators threaten to block a qualified candidate from a federal appeals court.” This editorial appears today in The Washington Post.

“Aharon Barak: Israel tops US at protecting human rights.” Sunday’s edition of The Jerusalem Post contains an article that begins, “Former Supreme Court Justice Aharon Barak said on Saturday that thanks to the development and application of judicial tools such as ‘proportionality’ and ‘reasonability’ by the High Court of Justice, Israel has been far more successful in protecting human rights while fighting terrorism than the United States.”

“Former federal judge is striving for balance; He still questions laws as a teacher, advocate”: Geoffrey Fattah had this article yesterday in The Deseret Morning News.

The article begins, “When Utah’s youngest federal judge announced he was stepping down from the bench last September, many in the legal community wondered why someone would leave behind a lifetime appointment by the U.S. president. Paul G. Cassell was 42 when he was appointed to the bench, but 5 1/2 years later the former federal prosecutor and University of Utah law professor announced he would return to teaching and take up a new career in legal advocacy.”

“Legal Warrior: Can the lawyer who won Bush v. Gore win over social conservatives for Rudy Giuliani?” James Taranto has this interview op-ed today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Guns and the Constitution: Is the Second Amendment an individual, or collective, right?” This hot topic essay appears today in The Wall Street Journal.

Greetings from Washington, DC: Where, since early yesterday afternoon, my family and a family with whom we are friends have been seeing the sights. Yesterday, among other things, we made it to the International Spy Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum–National Portrait Gallery.

Among the things to do on today’s agenda, giant pandas and the changing of the guard.