“UW-Madison must fund prayer activities, court says”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s ruling that the University of Wisconsin-Madison must pay for student activities involving prayer, worship and proselytizing. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision Wednesday that the university’s policy of turning down funding requests from student groups for such activities violates their First Amendment right to free speech.”
And The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that “U. of Wisconsin Cannot Exclude Religious Group From Student Fees, Court Says.”
You can access today’s ruling of a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit at this link. Chief Judge Frank H. Easterbrook wrote the majority opinion.
“Court denies Scrushy’s request for release on bond”: The Associated Press has this report.
“John Walker Lindh seeks Ind. prison prayer ruling”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “American-born Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh and another Muslim inmate have asked a judge to order a federal prison to allow them and other Muslims in their highly restricted cell block to pray as a group, in accordance with their beliefs.”
In a ruling that’s bound to make Kool & The Gang proud, Second Circuit affirms the rejection of a lawsuit alleging that Ladies’ Nights run afoul of federal anti-discrimination laws: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link (via Stephen Bergstein at the blog “Wait A Second!“).
Gratuitous YouTube link to relevant Kool & The Gang video is here.
“Judge again puts state efforts to resume executions on hold”: Howard Mintz has this article today in The San Jose Mercury News.
ABA Litigation podcast: Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner shares his thoughts on effective appellate brief writing. You can download the audio via this link (8.53MB mp3 audio file).
Update: Can anyone identify the person whose voice conveys Judge Posner’s advice on this podcast?
“Kinser chosen to be next chief justice of Virginia Supreme Court”: Frank Green has this article today in The Richmond Times-Dispatch.
And The Roanoke Times reports today that “Female justice picked to lead; Justice Cynthia Kinser is the first female chief justice of the Virginia Supreme Court.”
“Don Siegelman and Richard Scrushy ask court to dismiss honest services fraud charges against them”: This article appears today in The Birmingham News, which has posted the relevant court filings here and here.
In other coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Siegelman asks appeals court to dismiss charges.”
And in a related development, Bloomberg News reports that “Ex-Illinois Governor Ryan Challenges Corruption Conviction, Cites Skilling.”
“This is crazy. It turns out that one of the greatest legal bloggers on the interweb, Howard Bashman the author of How Appealing, is married to the co-author of a new book on vampire slayers.” So begins this post published today at the blog “Siouxsie Law.”
“New Breed of Patent Claim Bedevils Product Makers”: Dionne Searcey has this front page article today in The Wall Street Journal.
Reuters reports that “Expired bow tie patent has Brooks Brothers in knots; Bow tie patent suit to go forward; False marking lawsuits against big companies affected.”
And Bloomberg News reports that “Brooks Brothers loses appeal in bow-tie patent marking case.”
My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Federal Circuit ruling appears at this link.
“State Support Courted in High Court Video Game Case”: Tony Mauro and Carrie Levine of The National Law Journal have this report.
