“Race & Gender of Judges Make Enormous Differences in Rulings, Studies Find”: Edward A. Adams has this post this evening at the ABA Journal’s “Law News Now” blog.

“Why (and When) Judges Dissent: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis.” Law professors Lee Epstein and William M. Landes and Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner have posted this paper online at SSRN (via “Legal Theory Blog“).

“The Trial: Eric Holder and the battle over Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.” Jane Mayer will have this article in the February 15, 2010 issue of The New Yorker.

And the February 15, 2010 issue of The Weekly Standard contains an article by Jennifer Rubin headlined “Obama’s Attorney General (for now): Eric Holder botches the war on terror.”

“SJC says lewd IMs to minors not illegal; Patrick, legislators aim to close loophole”: Today’s edition of The Boston Globe contains a front page article that begins, “A Beverly man who sent a series of sexually explicit instant messages to someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl had his convictions overturned yesterday by the state’s highest court, which declared that state law does not bar people from sending lewd computer messages to minors.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts ruling appears at this link.

“A move to strike ‘all men’ from N.H. constitution; Some say it’s time to make document gender-neutral”: This article appears today in The Boston Globe.

“D.C. Lawyer Will Defend Chicago’s Gun Law Before Supreme Court”: Tony Mauro of The National Law Journal has this report.

And yesterday’s edition of The Daily Northwestern reported that “Possible changes to firearm ban will not affect Northwestern’s private rules.”

“In Restraint of Liberty: Citizens United and the problem with conservative judicial restraint.” Damon W. Root has this essay online at Reason.

“3rd Circuit to Mull Privacy of Cell Phone Data; Case offers rare glimpse into the mechanics of federal criminal investigations where nearly all documents are filed ex parte and stay under seal until indictments are handed up”: Shannon P. Duffy will have this article Monday in The Legal Intelligencer.

“Alito objected to Obama’s history claim”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.