Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News is reporting: He has articles headlined “Drugmaker Sales Force Overtime Clash Gets Top U.S. Court Review“; “Southern Union Gets U.S. High Court Hearing on $6 Million Fine“; and “Tessera Wins Round in Patent Case as Top Court Rebuffs Qualcomm.”

“Death row inmates’ desire to die renews debate; Legal experts are divided on whether a condemned prisoner who drops resistance to execution should be allowed a dignified end”: Carol J. Williams had this article Saturday in The Los Angeles Times.

Access online today’s Order List of the U.S. Supreme Court: The Court has posted today’s Order List at this link. The Court today granted review in five cases, two of which will be consolidated for a single hour of oral argument.

In early news coverage, The Associated Press reports that “Court will decide question on crack sentencing“; “Court to look at overtime pay for drug sales reps“; “High court to review fine for mercury storage“; and “Supreme Court won’t hear skycaps’ appeal on tips.”

“Analysis: Health care and recusal politics.” Lyle Denniston has this post today at “SCOTUSblog.”

In the December 5, 2011 issue of New York magazine, Dahlia Lithwick has an essay entitled “Her Honor: People who think Justice Elena Kagan should recuse herself from the looming ‘Obamacare’ case might want to take a closer look at her first term.”

And today in The Toronto Globe and Mail, columnist Neil Reynolds has an op-ed entitled “Can government make you buy health insurance?”

“Skilling’s fall was nothing short of epic; As Enron’s ex-CEO remains behind bars, his case still sparks debate”: This article appears today in The Houston Chronicle.

“Lewis and Clark and Roberts and Alito: Montana case asks court to interpret 1805 expedition.” Robert Barnes has this article today in The Washington Post.

“For Better Government, Don’t Kill All the Lawyers”: Law professor Noah Feldman has this essay online at Bloomberg News.

“Bay Area couple at center of federal gay rights showdown”: In Monday’s edition of The San Jose Mercury News, Howard Mintz will have an article that begins, “In late August 2008, Karen Golinski and her partner of 18 years, Amy Cunninghis, gathered with family and friends in the rotunda of San Francisco’s city hall and exchanged wedding vows, their young son serving as ring-bearer.”

“Health-care case brings fight over which Supreme Court justices should decide it”: Robert Barnes will have this article Monday in The Washington Post.

“Critics Say Budget Cuts for Courts Risk Rights”: John Schwartz has this article today in The New York Times.

“US Supreme Court to hear appeal of man accused in toddler’s death who seeks to avoid retrial”: This article appeared yesterday in The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

“Legal Education Reform”: The New York Times contains this editorial today.

“End the ban on cameras in the Supreme Court”: This editorial appears today in The Washington Post.

“Thomas, Kagan asked to sit out health care case”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.

“How the Justices Get What They Want”: Law professor Robert W. Gordon will have this book review in the December 8, 2011 issue of The New York Review of Books.

“Holding Center rape case aims for highest court; County disputes liability over policy on prevention”: Today’s edition of The Buffalo News contains an article that begins, “Erie County wants the nation’s highest court to hear a case in which the county was found liable for the 2002 rape of a female inmate by a deputy in the Erie County Holding Center.”

“Supreme Court to decide whether lawsuits require harm”: James Vicini of Reuters has a report that begins, “In a dispute pitting big business against consumer groups, the Supreme Court hears arguments Monday on whether a person has to suffer legal harm to sue a company over an alleged kickback it got.”

“The Supreme Court’s unlikely friend to criminals; Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia has led the charge in reversing convictions, citing the 6th Amendment and the right to challenge witnesses; For him there are no shades of gray”: David G. Savage will have this article Friday in The Los Angeles Times.

“Legal Battle Ignites Over Jesus Statue in Montana”: This article will appear Friday in The New York Times.

“9 Reasons Wired Readers Should Wear Tinfoil Hats”: David Kravets has this post at Wired.com’s “Threat Level” blog.

The fallout from the impeachment of former U.S. District Judge Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. continues: A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued this ruling yesterday.

“Attorney misconduct thwarts junk-fax class action”: Terry Baynes of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued yesterday.

“The ostrich is a noble animal, but not a proper model for an appellate advocate.” So writes Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner in an opinion that he issued today on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The opinion is noteworthy, among other reasons, because it contains two full-color photographs included apparently for illustration and emphasis.

Update: Carlyn Kolker of Reuters reports that “The ostrich is a poor example for litigators, says Posner.”

“Senate should confirm Caitlin Halligan to the D.C. Circuit Court”: This editorial appears today in The Washington Post.

And in somewhat related news, The West Virginia Record reported yesterday that “Senate Judiciary plans to slow nomination hearings.”

“Komisarjevsky Breaks With Defense Team, Objects To Video Of Daughter Being Shown In Court”: The Hartford Courant has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Conn. killer objects to daughter’s testimony.”

Weekend at City of Boerne‘s: At “The Volokh Conspiracy,” Eugene Volokh has a post titled “A Pronouncing Dictionary of the Supreme Court of the United States.”

“Va. appeals court overturns SC murder conviction”: The Associated Press has this report on the ruling that a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued today.

“Court ruling keeps Yellowstone grizzlies on ‘threatened’ list”: Carol Williams and Julie Cart of The Los Angeles Times have this blog post.

The Associated Press reports that “Court says Yellowstone grizzlies still threatened.”

And Reuters has reports headlined “Court upholds protections for Yellowstone grizzlies” and “Court restores protection for Yellowstone grizzly bears.”

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

“Court upholds tough standard of proof for death-row inmates”: Bill Rankin of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a news update that begins, “A divided federal appeals court on Tuesday let stand Georgia’s tough burden of proof required of death-penalty defendants seeking to prove they are mentally disabled and thus ineligible for execution.”

And The Associated Press reports that “11th Circuit upholds strict Ga. execution standard.”

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

“Panel Rejects Many Obama Prospects for Judgeships”: In Wednesday’s edition of The New York Times, Charlie Savage will have an article that begins, “The American Bar Association has secretly declared a significant number of President Obama’s potential judicial nominees ‘not qualified,’ slowing White House efforts to fill vacant judgeships — and nearly all of the prospects given poor ratings were women or members of a minority group, according to interviews.”

“‘Ten Commandments judge’ seeks top Ala. post again”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “The former top Alabama judge known for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse said Tuesday that he’s seeking to regain his old job as chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.”

In an attorney disciplinary matter, a three-judge panel of the Second Circuit addresses the issue of attorney “ghostwriting” of pro se court submissions: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued this decision today.

Update: Reuters has a report headlined “Attorneys can lend a hand in pro se briefs – NY appeals court.”

“Analysis: Health care’s ‘sleeper issue.'” Lyle Denniston has this post today at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Measuring Justice Sotomayor’s Liberal Bona Fides”: Kedar Bhatia has this post today at his “Daily Writ” blog.

“Circuit Rejects AOL Privacy Settlement, Citing Random Beneficiaries”: Ginny LaRoe of The Recorder has this report.

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Ninth Circuit ruling appears at this link.