“N.J. bars can’t be liable for drunk drivers if they didn’t serve them alcohol, top court rules”: The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger has a news update that begins, “New Jersey bar owners can’t be sued for allowing customers to drive away drunk — if they weren’t the ones who served them alcohol — the state Supreme Court unanimously ruled today.”

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

“N.J. Supreme Court invalidates restrictions on where sex offenders can live”: The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger has a news update that begins, “Towns can’t make their own laws to decide where sex offenders can live within their borders because Megan’s Law already makes that call, the state Supreme Court said today.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a news update headlined “N.J. high court strikes down sex offender residency restrictions.”

And The Associated Press reports that “NJ court strikes down sex offender residency limit.”

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

“Judge takes step to air his views; UNLV fellow, Bush memo author seeks to meet Titus”: Today’s edition of The Las Vegas Sun contains an article that begins, “As criticism of federal appellate court Judge Jay Bybee mounts for authorizing harsh interrogation techniques as a Bush administration lawyer, the Nevada jurist has reached out to members of the state’s congressional delegation, apparently to tell his side of the story.”

The Washington Post today contains an article headlined “Experts Say Authors Of Memos May Avoid Professional Sanctions.”

The Associated Press reports that “Bush attorneys who wrote terror memo face backlash.”

The Daily Universe of Brigham Young University reports that “BYU alum ensnared in torture controversy.”

The New York Times contains an editorial entitled “The Torture Debate: The Lawyers.”

The New York Daily News contains an editorial entitled “Case closed: Justice Department should bar prosecutions over Bush torture memos.”

And at her “Legalities” blog, ABC News correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg has a post titled “Tortured Timing.”

“A Deep Bench”: Today in The New York Times, Senior U.S. District Judge Ann Aldrich (N.D. Ohio), along with her judicial law clerks, Alex Frondorf and Richard J. Hawkins, have an op-ed that begins, “To succeed Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court, President Obama should select a nominee with experience that no other sitting justice has — service as a trial judge on a federal district court.”

“Supreme Court vetting moving quickly”: Bill Mears of CNN.com has this report. That web site also has an essay by law professor Timothy P. O’Neill entitled “Enough Ivy League judges on top court.”

Bloomberg News reports that “Obama Court Decision Shaped by Years, Wife’s Advice.”

The Pioneer Press of St. Paul, Minnesota contains an article headlined “Klobuchar for Supreme Court? Thanks, but …; ‘Minnesota deserves at least one senator,’ she says of the speculation.”

The Des Moines Register reports today that “Grassley says Obama’s high court pick could face rough road.”

The Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register today contains an editorial entitled “Sessions will probe Obama’s nominees.”

Online at The Guardian (UK), law professor Jack Balkin has an essay entitled “Supreme court justices have it too good: Life on the US supreme court has become too comfortable; Judges should hear more cases and be replaced regularly.”

At “The Daily Beast,” law professor Paul Campos has an essay entitled “Fat Judges Need Not Apply” (via “Too Fat for the Supreme Court?” at “Latina”).

“Patrick to appeal ruling on police, firefighter exams; Fights suit saying tests are biased”: Today in The Boston Globe, Jonathan Saltzman has an article that begins, “Governor Deval Patrick, who once headed the Civil Rights Division of the US Justice Department, plans to appeal a federal court ruling that allows minority police officers to pursue a civil rights lawsuit challenging the state’s promotional exam.”

“Is Guantanamo Republicans’ winning issue?” Alex Isenstadt has this article online at Politico.com.

In the April 2009 issue of the Stanford Law Review: Rachel C. Lee has an interesting note titled “Ex Parte Blogging: The Legal Ethics of Supreme Court Advocacy in the Internet Era.”

“Supreme Court watchers eye Sonia Sotomayor; The court will gain another woman and its first Latino if she’s appointed; But Obama has yet to suggest that the choice must be a specific gender or minority”: James Oliphant and David G. Savage will have this article Thursday in The Los Angeles Times. Today in that newspaper, columnist Tim Rutten has an op-ed entitled “Obama should look far and wide for his Supreme Court nominee; Some of the best jurists of the last century weren’t veterans of the federal judiciary — a couple weren’t even sitting judges.”

This evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “For Sen. Jeff Sessions, Appointment Is Vindication” (RealPlayer required).

Thursday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal will contain an op-ed by Karl Rove entitled “Republicans and Obama’s Court Nominees: Senators can use the hearings to talk about judicial restraint.”

Today in The Washington Post, columnist Ruth Marcus has an op-ed entitled “Behind Justice’s Blindfold.”

And in Thursday’s edition of The Providence (R.I.) Journal, columnist Edward Fitzpatrick will have an op-ed entitled “As always, Souter makes his own path.”

“Guantanamo Bay Shows Little Sign Of Closing”: This audio segment (RealPlayer required) appeared on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”

“N.Y. Federal Judge Likely on Shortlist; Backers Say She Meets Obama Requisites”: Thursday’s edition of The Washington Post will contain an article that begins, “George M. Pavia remembers being instantly impressed with the young woman he hired for his law firm in 1984. Sonia Sotomayor had graduated summa cum laude at Princeton, edited the Yale Law Journal in law school and had courtroom experience in the Manhattan prosecutor’s office.”

“Dismissal of Guilty Pleas Is Sought for Immigrants”: The New York Times today contains an article that begins, “The immigration lawyers’ national bar association called on the Justice Department on Tuesday to consider dismissing the guilty pleas of nearly 300 illegal immigrant workers arrested in a meatpacking plant raid in Iowa last year, one day after the Supreme Court rejected a statute that prosecutors used to pressure them.”

That newspaper also contains a related editorial entitled “Making the Punishment Fit the Crime.”

“Scalia: Judges’ decisions should set general rules.” This article appears today in The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.

“Document: Judge sets May 27 war court hearing.” Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has a news update that begins, “The chief judge for the Pentagon’s military commissions has scheduled the next war court hearing at Guantánamo Bay for late May, according to a document obtained by The Miami Herald.”

“For Specter and the Democrats, it was a brief honeymoon; The Pennsylvania senator has been stripped of his seniority, at least until 2011, and he hasn’t exactly voted in lock step with Democrats”: Gail Russell Chaddock of The Christian Science Monitor has this report.

And CNN.com has a report headlined “Specter: Democratic leader promised me seniority.”

“Specter plays down loss of committee seniority”: The Associated Press has this report.

Politico.com has a report headlined “Meltdown: Specter stands alone.”

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” David Ingram has a post titled “Leahy Says He Didn’t Know About Specter Demotion.”

“Demjanjuk asks deportation delay”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

And The Associated Press has a report headlined “Demjanjuk asks high court: Stop German deportation.”

“Justice O’Connor’s Salute to Souter”: Tony Mauro has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“Morning Joe airs Letterman skit ridiculing Sotomayor, Latinos”: Click here to view the video clip, via Media Matters for America.

“Top Republican inclined against Scotus filibuster”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says he’s inclined against using a filibuster to block President Barack Obama’s nominee to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter.”

The Associated Press is reporting: Now available online are articles headlined “Berlin court rejects Demjanjuk appeal” and “Demjanjuk to ask Supreme Court to stop deportation.”

“Prison Awaiting Hostile Bloggers”: At Wired.com’s “Threat Level” blog, David Kravets has a post that begins, “Proposed congressional legislation would demand up to two years in prison for those whose electronic speech is meant to ‘coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person.'”

“Ginsburg: The court needs another woman; Panel’s lack of diversity wears on female justice.” Joan Biskupic has this front page article today in USA Today.

“Small, Seasoned Group Helps Obama Manage Supreme Court Selection”: The Washington Post contains this article today. In addition, columnist Ruth Marcus has an op-ed entitled “Behind Justice’s Blindfold.”

Today in The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage reports that “Justice Souter reflects on service; Days after news of his pending retirement from the Supreme Court is leaked, he speaks with emotion as he likens his work as a judge to craftsmanship.”

Joan Biskupic of USA Today has an article headlined “Souter emotional, wry in ‘a sort of farewell.’”

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “Justice Souter says goodbye to colleagues.”

And today in The New York Daily News, columnist Dolores Prida has an essay entitled “Here comes ‘La Jueza.’”

“National Mock Trial Competition Encounters a Real Legal Challenge”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

“U. law professor resigns from federal appeals court; He is leaving to teach at Stanford Law School”: Today in The Salt Lake Tribune, Pamela Manson has an article that begins, “Judge Michael W. McConnell’s resignation from the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday was a surprise to many, but his love of teaching is not.”

The Deseret News reports today that “Utah judge leaving for Stanford post.”

And The Tulsa World reports that “McConnell to resign from Tenth Circuit court.”

Additional coverage appears in this post from last night.

Available online from law.com: Marcia Coyle has an article headlined “A Not-So-Quiet Legacy for the ‘Stealth Justice’: Souter made his mark in 1992 as one of three Republican appointees who upheld abortion rights.”

And Shannon P. Duffy has an article headlined “Amid Some Tears, Souter Bids Adieu to 3rd Circuit; Throughout his high court tenure, Souter has served as the ‘circuit justice’ for the 3rd Circuit, handling emergency motions from the appeals court.”

“Justices Limit Liability Over Toxic Spill Cases”: Adam Liptak has this article today in The New York Times.

And Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Supreme Court lets Shell off the hook in pollution cleanup.”

“Justices Limit Use of Identity Theft Law in Immigration Cases”: Adam Liptak and Julia Preston have this article today in The New York Times.

And on yesterday evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Nina Totenberg had an audio segment entitled “High Court Rules For Immigrant In ID Theft Case” (RealPlayer required).

“An Unnatural Woman: The secret life of a Supreme Court short-lister.” Dahlia Lithwick and Hanna Rosin have this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Justices Agree to Take Up Sentencing for Young Offenders”: Adam Liptak has this article today in The New York Times.

Today in The Washington Post, Robert Barnes reports that “High Court to Look at Life Sentences for Juveniles.”

Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor has an article headlined “Life in prison for criminal teens? Supreme Court to decide; Two Florida teens were given life sentences without parole for nonlethal crimes; The top court will consider if the punishments are constitutional.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Why two juvenile sentence cases?”

McClatchy Newspapers are reporting: Michael Doyle has an article headlined “Obama’s challenge: Selecting a truly diverse justice.”

And David Lightman reports that “Sessions, once spurned for bench, to grill Obama’s pick.”

“On the Brilliance of People like Judge Sonia Sotomayor and Barack Obama”: Rob Kar has this post at “PrawfsBlawg.”

“Begich recommends Alaska judge get consideration for U.S. Supreme Court”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “U.S. Sen. Mark Begich has recommended the chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court be considered to succeed Justice David Souter on the nation’s highest court.”

“Senate Democrats Deny Specter Committee Seniority”: Paul Kane of The Washington Post has this blog post.

And The New York Times has a blog post titled “The Keystone State’s Most Junior-Senior Senator.”