“Anonymous Blogging and Defamation: Balancing Interests of the Internet.” Law Professor Betsy Malloy has posted this paper (abstract with link for download) online at SSRN (via “Legal Theory Blog“).

Available online from law.com: Tony Mauro reports that “Supreme Court Declines Review of NSA Wiretapping Program.”

In other news, “N.Y. High Court Approves Consequential Damages Claims Against Insurers.” Today’s rulings of the New York State Court of Appeals can be accessed here and here.

And an article reports that “Amicus Briefs Pile Up in Bid to Sway N.Y. High Court on Judge’s Removal Over Cell Phone Incident; Briefs cite Restaino’s judicial record and community standing, as well as the isolated nature of the 2005 courtroom incident.”

“Court: ‘I Plead the Fifth’ Is Not an Ambiguous Assertion of Rights.” Metropolitan News-Enterprise provides this report.

My earlier coverage of last week’s Ninth Circuit en banc ruling appears at this link.

Seven million site visits: According to this blog’s Site Meter hit counter, earlier today the number of visitors to “How Appealing” passed the seven million mark. And that same hit counter also shows that soon this blog will pass the thirteen million page view threshold.

“Supreme Court refuses to hear wiretapping case”: The Detroit Free Press provides this news update.

James Vicini of Reuters reports that “Top court won’t review Bush domestic spying case.”

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Bush Spying Program.”

Financial Times provides a news update headlined “Supreme Court rejects eavesdropping case.”

BBC News reports that “Top US court rejects spying case; The US Supreme Court has dismissed a legal challenge to a domestic anti-terrorism eavesdropping programme.”

And Bill Mears of CNN.com reports that “High court stays out of NSA surveillance row.”

“Age Discrimination Hits Supreme Court”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) featuring Dahlia Lithwick appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Day to Day.”

“U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Katrina insurance lawsuits”: The Times-Picayune of New Orleans provides this news update.

“Nebraska attorney general asks court to reconsider ban on electric chair”: The Omaha World-Herald provides this news update.

“Kansas Supreme Court stalls subpoena of Tiller abortion records”: The Wichita Eagle provides this news update.

“Supreme Court Likely To Uphold Energy Crisis Power Contracts”: Mark H. Anderson of Dow Jones Newswires provides this report.

And The Associated Press reports that “Court Voices Support for Power Producers.”

“Grumpy Young Men: The Supreme Court squints at America’s elderly federal employees.” Dahlia Lithwick has this Supreme Court dispatch online at Slate.

“Supreme Court Weighs Reach of Age Discrimination Law”: Robert Barnes of The Washington Post provides this news update.

“Web Site That Posts Leaked Material Ordered Shut”: Adam Liptak and Brad Stone of The New York Times provide this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Web Site ‘Wikileaks’ Shuttered Over Post.”

My earlier coverage appeared in this post from last night.

“FCC Must Study Bird-Tower Collisions”: The Associated Press provides this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued today.

“[W]e conclude that, where the victim is less than 13 years of age, evidence of the victim’s consent to sexual contact, like in criminal proceedings, is not an available defense in determining a defendant’s civil liability.” So rules the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania today by a 4-2 vote. Today’s ruling consists of a majority opinion and an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part.

Update: The Associated Press reports that “Justices reject consent defense.”

“Mumia Abu-Jamal Loses Bid for Hearing”: The Associated Press provides this report on a ruling that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued today.

Access online the transcripts of today’s U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments: The two cases argued today were Gomez-Perez v. Potter, No. 06-1321, and Morgan Stanley Capital Group v. Public Utility Dist. 1, No. 06-1457.

“Supreme Court rejects wiretap suit; The domestic spying case ends quietly as the justices issue a one-line order dismissing the ACLU challenge of the Bush program”: David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times provides this news update.

The Associated Press is reporting: Now available online is an article headlined “Court Will Hear Labor Union Fee Dispute.”

And an article headlined “Judge Gives Eatery Victory Over Yale” begins, “Yale University produces presidents and Supreme Court justices, but it’s no match for a restaurant that produces lobster cassoulette.”

“Supreme Court Declines to Hear School District Appeal Over Student’s ‘Immigration’ Essay”: Mark Walsh has this post at “The School Law Blog” of Education Week.

“Sunstein to join Harvard Law School faculty”: Harvard Law School issued this news release today (via “The Volokh Conspiracy“).

“Judge May Hold Reporter in Contempt”: Hope Yen of The Associated Press provides a report that begins, “A federal judge says he will hold a former USA Today reporter in contempt if she continues refusing to identify sources for stories about a former Army scientist under scrutiny in the 2001 anthrax attacks. At a hearing Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said that reporter Toni Locy must cooperate with Steven J. Hatfill in his lawsuit against the government.”

“White Shoe, Black Hat: Michael Clayton‘s devastating critique of the legal profession.” Patrick Radden Keefe has this essay online at Slate.

“House Democrats Let Spy Law Lapse”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

“Court to hear four cases”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.” You can access today’s Order List of the U.S. Supreme Court at this link.

In early news coverage from The Associated Press, “Court Rejects ACLU Challenge to Wiretaps“; “Court to Consider Suppression Case“; “Court Allows Montana Suit Vs. Wyoming“; “Court Won’t Hear Ex-Ala. Coaches’ Appeal“; and “Justices Turn Aside Flood Insurance Plea.”

“Candidates debate judicial climate”: The Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette today contains an article that begins, “Candidates for the West Virginia Supreme Court debated the state’s previous label as a ‘judicial hellhole’ during a Monday forum at the Charleston Marriott.”

“Judge’s bathroom to cost $30,000”: This article appears in Wednesday’s issue of The Courier-Mail of Queensland, Australia.

“Supreme Court Dared to Uphold Handgun Ban by Man Who Has None”: Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News has a report that begins, “Robert Levy, the man paying for a U.S. Supreme Court challenge to the District of Columbia’s handgun ban, has built his own financial-data business and enrolled in law school as a 50-year-old. The one thing he has never done is own a gun.”

“The Appellate Judge Has an Opinion, but He’s Not Sharing It”: You can access this week’s installment of my “On Appeal” column for law.com at this link. A quite recent manifestation of the phenomenon that is the subject of my column this week can be seen on page 17 of this ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued on Friday of last week.

“Pelosi’s Wiretap Offensive”: The Wall Street Journal contains this editorial today.

“State educators to decide evolution standards Tuesday”: This article appears today in The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In addition, columnist Michael Mayo has an essay entitled “You say you want some evolution? Say your prayers.”

“Shame, Sen. McCain: His vote against a ban on ‘enhanced’ interrogation methods belies his opposition to torture.” The Los Angeles Times contains this editorial today.

“Extremes emerge in fetal rights arguments”: This article appears today in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Justice at Guantanamo: Once again the Bush administration is trying to curtail it.” The Washington Post contains this editorial today.

“1976 Law Is Just One in D.C.’s Maze Of Gun Rules”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.