“Business in front of the Supreme Court”: This audio segment (transcript with link to audio) featuring Dahlia Lithwick appeared on today’s broadcast of American Public Media’s “Marketplace.”

Fifth Circuit grants rehearing en banc in same-sex adoption case involving the State of Louisiana and the legal doctrine of full faith and credit: In February 2010, The Times-Picayune of New Orleans published an article that begins, “A federal appeals court Thursday ordered the state to issue a birth certificate to two men who adopted a Louisiana-born baby boy in 2006 only to have the registrar of vital statistics refuse to give them the document because they were unmarried.” You can access the unanimous ruling of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from February 2010 at this link.

Thereafter, The Times-Picayune published articles headlined “State to appeal gay adoption ruling” and “Attorney general presses appeal over birth record; Judges ordered new one listing 2 fathers.”

By means of an order dated last Friday but filed as of record today, the Fifth Circuit granted Louisiana’s petition for rehearing en banc in the case.

“Justice Stevens: Life On The High Court.” This audio segment featuring Nina Totenberg appeared on this evening’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered.”

“Federal judge charged with buying drugs from stripper”: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has this news update. The newspaper has posted the criminal complaint at this link.

And The Associated Press reports that “Ga. federal judge arrested on drug, gun charges.”

“New high court era: Kagan makes 3 women on bench.” Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.

“US views sought in Iraqi contractor torture case; Lawsuit filed in 2004 over Abu Ghraib jail mistreatment; At issue is whether military contractors have immunity”: James Vicini of Reuters has this report.

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “Abu Ghraib Case Involving Private Contractors Draws Top Court’s Interest.”

The Associated Press reports that “High court wants Justice brief on Abu Ghraib suit.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Exploring a torture case, and others.”

“Brennan’s Biographer Took His Time”: Adam Liptak will have this new installment of his “Sidebar” column in Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times.

And on a somewhat related theme, in the October 11, 2010 issue of The New Yorker, James Surowiecki has an interesting essay entitled “Later: What does procrastination tell us about ourselves?”

“In USC vs. USC, Supreme Court action favors West Coast; A 13-year trademark battle ends as the high court lets stand a ruling that the ‘SC’ logo belongs to the University of Southern California, not the University of South Carolina”: David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has this news update.

“Kagan asks questions at first high court argument”: The Associated Press has this report.

Access online today’s Order List of the U.S. Supreme Court: It is available at this link. The Court has requested the views of the Acting Solicitor General on seven cases.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press has reports headlined “High court won’t hear appeal from 9/11 families“; “Court refuses to hear appeal from reputed Klansman“; “Court won’t hear appeal from Adelphia founders“; “US Supreme Court rejects Miss. corruption case“; “Court won’t hear appeal of religious song ban“; “Court: NSA doesn’t have to say if it has records“; “Court won’t get into battle between 2 USCs“; “Court won’t hear appeal from condemned soldier“; “Court won’t hear appeal on 9/11 prosecution“; “High court won’t review Georgia capital case“; “High court turns down online tobacco seller“; “Court won’t let prosecutors use dad’s statements“; “Court turns down church appeal in genocide lawsuit“; “Court won’t hear UN sex harassment case“; and “Court won’t spare Apex from oil spill clean up.”

“Judge David Nelson a ‘truly good man'”: The Cincinnati Enquirer has an obituary that begins, ” Judge David Nelson, who retired from the U.S. Court of Appeals in 2006, was the gold standard for the Sixth Circuit, his successor said. And in his personal life, his family called him a great father, loving husband and an inspiration. Judge Nelson died Friday night at his home in Indian Hill. He was 78.”

“New Supreme Court term opens with new justice”: The Associated Press has this report.

“William J. Brennan: Children, This Is What a Progressive Justice Looked Like.” Law professor Garrett Epps has this essay online at The Atlantic.

Today is the official publication date of the book “Justice Brennan: Liberal Champion” by Seth Stern and Stephen Wermiel.

“Funeral protests could upend common view of free speech; As the Supreme Court starts a new term, justices will decided whether hurtful words aimed at the grieving families of dead U.S. troops are protected by the 1st Amendment”: David G. Savage has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

Yesterday’s edition of The York (Pa.) Sunday News contained articles headlined “What the Supreme Court sees in Snyder v. Phelps: The Court’s eventual ruling about protestors at a military funeral could have broad consequences” and “Westboro prepares for its biggest stage; Declining membership aside, church spreads its message of doom.”

And Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “‘Pope in Hell’ Funeral Protest Sparks U.S. Supreme Court Free-Speech Clash.”

“New Supreme Court term begins; Kagan to recuse from dozens of cases”: Bill Mears of CNN.com has this report.

And at National Review Online, law professor Jonathan H. Adler has an essay entitled “Kagan’s Court Debut: Will the new justice have much effect on what could be a sleeper term?”

“Iowa Poll: Retention of justices a tossup.” This article appears today in The Des Moines Register.

“Watch as We Make This Law Disappear: How the Roberts Court disguises its conservatism.” Law professor Barry Friedman and Dahlia Lithwick have this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Justice Stevens: An Open Mind On A Changed Court.” Nina Totenberg had this audio segment on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition.”