“A mechanic in a black robe: Legal experts disappointed by Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation performance say her workmanlike answers gave no indication of the philosophy that would guide her on the Supreme Court.” David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times. And James Oliphant has an article headlined “Firefighters say the law matters, not empathy; New Haven, Conn., plaintiffs in the lawsuit that Sonia Sotomayor ruled on testify at her Supreme Court confirmation hearing.”

Today in USA Today, Kathy Kiely and Joan Biskupic have an article headlined “Sessions expects vote on Sotomayor in August; Past statements still trouble Republicans.”

In The Washington Post, Robert Barnes and Paul Kane have an article headlined “Graham Exchanges Among Most Watched; S.C. Conservative Is Considered Pivotal Character in Sotomayor Hearings.”

The New Haven Register contains an article headlined “Firefighters: Denounce Sotomayor’s appeal ruling, don’t oppose confirmation.” And Dana Milbank has a “Washington Sketch” column headlined “Firefighters but No Brimstone.”

Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor reports that “Sotomayor on track to easy Supreme Court confirmation; At her confirmation hearings this week, any ideological slugfest was avoided as the nominee stayed low-key and judicial.”

From McClatchy Newspapers, David Lightman and Michael Doyle have an article headlined “Sotomayor hearings offer lessons for future nominees“; David Lightman reports that “3 Republican senators say they’ll vote for Sotomayor“; and Halimah Abdullah has an article headlined “McConnell, Bunning agree: They’ll vote no on Sotomayor.”

And Saturday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal will contain an editorial entitled “Second Amendment Confidential: Sotomayor takes the Fifth on gun rights.”

“Justice Ginsburg In Context”: Columnist Michael Gerson has this op-ed today in The Washington Post.

“High Court Ruling Voids DWI Case In Fairfax County”: Satuday’s edition of The Washington Post will contain an article that begins, “A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge threw out a breathalyzer certificate in a drunken driving case yesterday, ruling under a new Supreme Court precedent that prosecutors had to make the officer who performed the breath test available for cross-examination.”

“Ruling: Court failed its duty to Muslim scholar.” The Associated Press has a report that begins, “U.S. officials should have given a Muslim scholar a chance to show he was no supporter of terrorism before barring him from the country, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.”

And law.com reports that “2nd Circuit Revives Muslim Scholar’s Challenge to Ban on U.S. Travel.”

You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link.

“Appeals court dismisses lawsuit over Bush protest”: The Associated Press has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued yesterday.

“GOP senators weigh options in Sotomayor’s wake”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press has this report. The AP also reports that “Senate saw carbon copy of courthouse Sotomayor.”

Greg Stohr and Christopher Stern of Bloomberg News report that “Sotomayor Moves Toward Approval as Republicans Soften Criticism.”

Reuters reports that “Sotomayor on track for quick vote.”

And law.com’s Tony Mauro reports that “Cordial End to Senate Hearing Paves Way for Sotomayor Confirmation.”