“Conservative friends rise in support of Kagan”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.

And in related news, “Justice questions way court nominees are grilled.”

“Castagana’s convictions arose from his sending threatening letters to various celebrities and political figures accompanied by a white powdery substance.” The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued this ruling today.

“Senators test Kagan questions during Matheson confirmation hearing”: Today’s edition of The Deseret News contains an article that begins, “The confirmation hearing of 10th Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Scott Matheson Jr. morphed Thursday into a pre-battle test of weapons that senators may use in upcoming hearings on new Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan.”

And The Salt Lake Tribune reports today that “Senate judiciary panel heaps praise on Matheson nomination; Arizona’s Jon Kyl lobs the only tough questions at committee hearing.”

“High Notes at the High Court”: Tony Mauro has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“Tivo win vacated by appeals court; rehearing ordered; Federal Circuit vacates Tivo win in Echostar case”: Reuters has this report on an order that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued today.

Update: In other coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Appeals court grants Dish review of TiVo case.”

Divided three-judge Sixth Circuit panel denies panel rehearing in Grayson County, Kentucky Ten Commandments case: You can access today’s order denying rehearing, and the dissent therefrom, at this link.

“Softballs allowed in this Supreme Court debate”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Kagan opposed military stance on gays; It is one of the few times the Supreme Court nominee has expressed a deeply held view on a controversial legal matter”: David G. Savage and James Oliphant have this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

The New York Times reports today that “Nominee Scrutinized for Hiring on Race.”

The Washington Post contains articles headlined “Kagan’s firsthand White House experience is rare on Supreme Court” and “Is sexual identity our business, or are we a nation of busybodies?” In addition, columnist Ruth Marcus has an op-ed entitled “Elena Kagan: A smart woman with fewer choices?”

The Boston Globe reports that “Kagan makes rounds on Capitol Hill; Explains to Brown her position on military recruiters.”

And yesterday evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Kagan On Senators’ Minds As Judiciary Panel Meets.”

“Nominee to federal bench in R.I. gains ground at hearing”: The Providence Journal contains this article today.

“In Robert Wone case, Lynn Leibovitz is judge and jury”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“UC Berkeley’s Goodwin Liu wins panel approval”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

In today’s edition of The New York Times, Charlie Savage reports that “Disputed Judicial Nominee Advances on Party-Line Vote.”

And The Washington Post reports that “Goodwin Liu appeals court nomination advances.”

“Pawlenty names Lorie Gildea new chief justice; Gov. Tim Pawlenty continued his reshaping of the Minnesota Supreme Court Thursday, elevating Lorie Skjerven Gildea from associate justice to chief justice; He also named David Stras, a U of M Law School professor, to the court”: The Minneapolis Star Tribune has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Pawlenty elevates Gildea to lead Supreme Court, names her successor.”

“What Does He See in Her? What Obama’s choice of Kagan tells us about his own judicial philosophy.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

And at The Root, law professor Charles Ogletree Jr. has an essay entitled “Why Elena Kagan is a Good Choice for the Supreme Court.”

“Kagan backers cite intellect, foes her slim written record”: This article appears today in The Boston Globe.

And columnist Joshua Green has an op-ed entitled “Nightmare for the left: Getting ‘soutered’ by Kagan.”

“Nomination of Goodwin Liu Heads to Full Senate”: David Ingram has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“Specter, a former foe, calls Kagan ‘forthcoming'”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Kagan Was ‘Not Sympathetic’ as Law Clerk to Gun-Rights Argument”: Greg Stohr and Kristin Jensen of Bloomberg News have this report.

“3 housemates waive jury trial in Robert Wone case”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“Kagan’s Link to Marshall Cuts 2 Ways”: Charlie Savage has this article today in The New York Times. The newspaper also contains an article headlined “On Capitol Hill, Kagan Gets to Know Her Voters.”

In today’s edition of The Washington Post, Robert Barnes has an article headlined “In Elena Kagan’s work as solicitor general, few clues to her views.” And columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. has an op-ed entitled “The Elena Kagan you won’t see.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that “Supreme Court nominee Kagan’s experience questioned; She’s never been a judge and has little trial experience; Republicans and Democrats debate whether that should matter.”

Joan Biskupic of USA Today reports that “Kagan’s credentials take hits on Hill; Historically, being a judge wasn’t vital.”

The Wall Street Journal contains articles headlined “Kagan Opens Campaign for Court” and “Memos to Clinton Hewed to Center.”

David Lightman of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Kagan starts her meet-and-greets with senators.”

Karen Sloan of The National Law Journal has an article headlined “Want a Supreme Court Seat? Going to Harvard or Yale Helps.”

The Associated Press reports that “Kagan heads back to the Hill for whirlwind visits.”

And yesterday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered” contained an audio segment entitled “Kagan Courts Support On The Hill.”

“State high court justice steps away from abortion lawsuit; Organization suggested possible conflict of interest”: The Anchorage Daily News contains this article today.

“Miami Herald asks Pentagon to restore reporter access; News agencies whose reporters were banned from covering military commissions have asked the Pentagon to reconsider”: This article appears today in The Miami Herald.

“Jockeying Begins for Solicitor General Job”: Tony Mauro of The National Law Journal has this report.

“Defendants in Wone Death Opt for Bench Trial”: David Ingram has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“US wants high court to stay out of rendition case”: The Associated Press has this report.

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “U.S. opposes ‘rendition’ review; SG Kagan stays on sidelines.”

“Don’t Stand So Close: If Elena Kagan is too close to the president, what was Harriet Miers?” John Dickerson has this essay online at Slate.

“Kagan makes rounds on Capitol Hill, staying mum”: The Associated Press has this report.

Available online at Politico.com: Josh Gerstein, at his “Under the Radar” blog, has a post titled “Kagan sparred with Clinton race panel.”

Ben Smith has an article headlined “Elena Kagan’s friends: She’s not gay.”

And Carol E. Lee reports that “Gay rights central to Elena Kagan fight.”

“Adelphia’s Rigases win ruling on double jeopardy; May be unconstitutional to try Rigases on conspiracy”: Reuters has this report on a ruling that the en banc U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued today.

Update: In other coverage, The Associated Press has a report headlined “US court: 2nd Rigas trial may be double jeopardy.”

Lawrence Hurley of The Daily Journal of California is reporting: In today’s newspaper, he has an article headlined “Cross Case In Supreme Court Was Kagan’s First-Ever Win.”

And in yesterday’s newspaper, he had an article headlined “Supreme Court Nominee Braces For Deja Vu.”

“Don’t Bork Kagan: Sex, religion, and a nominee’s right to privacy.” William Saletan has this essay online at Slate.

“Memos reveal Elena Kagan’s centrist side”: Josh Gerstein has this article at Politico.com.

“Senators to query Kagan, but don’t expect answers”: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press has this report. The AP also has an article headlined “GOP senators’ shifting standards.”

“3 men convicted in Orange County sexual assault take case to California Supreme Court; Gregory Haidl, the son of a former assistant sheriff, and two others who videotaped their attack on a 16-year-old girl want their convictions overturned and do not want to register as sex offenders”: The Los Angeles Times contains this article today.

And The Orange County Register reported last week that “Greg Haidl takes case to state Supreme Court.”

“Conspiracy trial in Robert Wone killing set to start”: This article appears today in The Washington Post.

“’95 Article Reveals Kagan’s Views on Confirmation”: Adam Liptak has this article today in The New York Times. The newspaper also contains articles headlined “A New York Bloc on the Supreme Court“; “As Clinton Aide, Kagan Recommended Tactical Support for an Abortion Ban“; and “Court Nominee Figures in Midterm Campaigns.”

Today’s edition of The Washington Post contains articles headlined “The justice league: Elena Kagan’s nomination shows that Ivy roots run deep” and “White House seeks to defend Kagan’s diversity record.” And in commentary, columnist Ruth Marcus has an op-ed entitled “Advise and wimp out“; columnist Michael Gerson has an op-ed entitled “The mystery of Elena Kagan“; and columnist Kathleen Parker has an op-ed entitled “Elena Kagan is miles away from mainstream America.”

The Los Angeles Times contains an article headlined “Kagan would be high court’s third — New Yorker? Both female justices on the Supreme Court hail from New York; What is it about the city? ‘The New York woman, she’s a striver,’ says one expert.” And in commentary, law professor Jonathan Turley has an op-ed entitled “Evidence of a Supreme Court bias: Almost all the Supreme Court justices attended law school at either Harvard or Yale, as did President Obama’s latest nominee.” Turley also has an op-ed entitled “Senate’s way is no way to confirm a judicial MVP; Other models: The Vatican, pro baseball and the Academy” in USA Today.

The Boston Globe contains an article headlined “In Kagan stance on military, a complex history.”

In The Wall Street Journal, Laura Meckler has an article headlined “Mixed Grades at Harvard Law; Kagan Built Bridges on Divided Campus but Other Factors Helped Her Along.” Jess Bravin has an article headlined “Kagan and Key Case: The Jury Is Out.” You can freely access the full text of this article via Google News.

Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers reports that “Judicial experience a fairly new expectation for Supreme Court.” And William Douglas reports that “Kagan nomination could influence November elections.”

Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor has an article headlined “Supreme Court confirmations, as Elena Kagan saw them: Elena Kagan once urged aggressive questioning of and candid responses from Supreme Court nominees, but has lately backed off those views; Senate Democrats hail her ‘diversity of experience’; Republicans question her qualifications.”

Tony Mauro of The National Law Journal reports that “Law Review Article Could Spell Trouble for Kagan at Confirmation Hearing; Senators who will be trying to pry Kagan’s closely held views out of her at the upcoming confirmation hearing will almost certainly confront Kagan with her own words from long ago.”

From NPR, today’s broadcast of “Morning Edition” contained an audio segment entitled “Should Kagan’s Lack Of Judicial Experience Matter?” featuring Nina Totenberg. Yesterday evening’s broadcast of “All Things Considered” contained audio segments entitled “Kagan’s Years At Harvard Scrutinized” and “Some On Left Also Oppose Kagan Nomination.” NPR also has a written report headlined “Can Kagan Bridge Divided Court? Consensus Is No.”

Columnist Konrad Yakabuski of The Toronto Globe and Mail has an op-ed entitled “Kagan nomination reflects Obama’s centrist vision; President counting on appointment of proven pragmatist as surest way to correct court’s tilt to the right.”

And columnist Mike Littwin of The Denver Post has an op-ed entitled “Kagan’s not left enough, which makes her just right.”