Justice Sonia Sotomayor appeared on a new episode of “Sesame Street” last week: Reporter Jonathan Ringel has this blog post, while Brandon Kraft offers an even more humorous take.

You can access Justice Sotomayor’s “Muppet Wiki” page at this link.

“Female veteran sues U.S. over denial of full benefits; The Pasadena woman, a 12-year Army veteran who served in Iraq, says she was denied full benefits because she is married to a woman; The suit targets the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act”: Carol J. Williams has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

And in today’s edition of The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “Same-sex couple sues military over benefits.”

“‘Defending Unpopular Positions Is What Lawyers Do’; In an era of ideological fencing, Paul Clement ’92 won’t be fenced in”: Natalie Singer has this article in the Winter 2012 issue of the Harvard Law Bulletin.

“Ruling due on release of gay marriage trial videos”: The Associated Press has this report.

Second Circuit denies rehearing en banc of decision striking down a provision of a federal statute denying federal monetary assistance in the fight against AIDS to any organization “that does not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking”: You can access today’s order of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit denying rehearing en banc, and the related concurrence and dissent, at this link.

Although the judges’ opinions correctly use the term “en banc,” the Clerk’s Office’s order appears wedded to the now-abandoned “in banc.”

My earlier coverage of the divided three-judge panel’s ruling in the case can be accessed here. As I explained in that earlier post, “this case may present a strong candidate for U.S. Supreme Court review.”

Second Circuit issues what could be that court’s final sanctions-related decision relating to appeal from dismissal of lawsuit against high-ranking federal officials alleging “a fantastical alternative history” of 9/11 attacks: You can access today’s decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit at this link.

My earlier coverage of the Second Circuit’s ruling on the appeal and that court’s previous sanctions-related decision in the case can be accessed here and here.

“Court finds AmEx arbitration clause unenforceable”: Terry Baynes of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued yesterday.

“Justice Ginsburg visits mark Arab Spring uprisings”: Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.

And Mike Sacks of The Huffington Post reports that “Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Talks Constitution, Women And Liberty On Egyptian TV.”

“Don Siegelman asks U.S. Supreme Court to review bribery conviction”: The Montgomery Advertiser has this news update.

And The Birmingham News has an update headlined “Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman asks Supreme Court to review conviction.”

“After high court ruling, advocates question rules on police searches using GPS”: FOXNews.com has this report.

“Prop. 8: Video ruling due.” Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Live, From the Supreme Court”: This editorial will appear Thursday in The New York Times.

“Mississippi Supreme Court takes Barbour pardons case”: The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Mississippi has this news update.

And The Associated Press reports that “Miss. high court takes ex-gov pardons case.”

“Court: Man with HIV denied Atlanta police job must get hearing.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a news update that begins, “A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a man with HIV is entitled to a hearing on whether he can legally be denied a spot on the Atlanta police force because of his medical condition.”

And The Associated Press reports that “HIV-positive man who sued Atlanta gets new hearing.”

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

“Can a Shoe Color Really Be Trademarked? With a Federal Court Case underway many are asking can the color of the soles of shoes be protected as a trademark; The answer may surprise you.” Matthew Swyers has this article online at Inc.

“Gay Ca. veteran sues over denial of benefits”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A gay Army veteran and her wife sued the federal government on Wednesday after they were denied military benefits granted to straight spouses.”

“The Tort Heard Round the World: A decade ago, Texaco told Ecuadorean plaintiffs in a U.S. court to file their pollution claim at home; They did, and now the company’s successor — Chevron — is fighting an $18 billion foreign judgment.” Lawrence Hurley has this cover story in the February 2012 issue of California Lawyer magazine.

“Don’t judge me harshly just because justice wasn’t served”: Columnist Frank Cerabino has this essay today in The Palm Beach Post (via Jess Bravin).

“7th Cir. to wage-and-hour defendants: No Dukes for you!” Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit issued last Friday.

“Advance Notice of Opinion Filing”: The Public Information office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued this announcement today. According to the announcement, tomorrow the Ninth Circuit will issue its decision concerning the public release of videotapes made of the civil bench trial in Perry v. Hollingsworth.

“The Incredible Ordinariness of Federal Penalties for Inactivity”: Law professor Corey Rayburn Yung has posted this essay online at SSRN.

“Jesus statue saved — for now; Group vows to file suit over permit renewal”: This article appears today in The Daily Inter Lake of Kalispell, Montana.

“Appeals court set to hear Alabama trademark suit”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “A federal appeals court is set to hear arguments in the trademark infringement case between sports artist Daniel Moore and the University of Alabama, whose football program is portrayed in a number of his works.”

And last week, columnist Jon Solomon of The Birmingham News had an essay entitled “Alabama’s embarrassing lawsuit against artist Daniel Moore continues.”

“Electing judges still works for N.C.” Law professor Scott W. Gaylord has this op-ed today in The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Sotomayor’s visit inspires students, judges, lawyers”: This article appeared yesterday in The Saipan Tribune.

“Orie wants jurors sequestered in trial”: Today’s edition of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review contains an article that begins, “State Sen. Jane Orie asked an Allegheny County judge to sequester the jury in her upcoming retrial, fearing jurors may hear about a grand jury investigation of her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.”

“Consumer agency chief’s appointment is invalid, GOP senators say; New rules adopted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau would be challenged in court because President Obama appointed Richard Cordray as its director while the Senate was in recess, Republicans say”: Jim Puzzanghera has this article today in The Los Angeles Times.

And Politico.com reports that “Rand Paul to challenge appointments.”

“UCLA Law professor lends expertise”: In today’s edition of The Daily O’Collegian, law professor Eugene Volokh of “The Volokh Conspiracy” has a letter to the editor that begins, “I’m afraid there is a major error in [the article headlined] ‘Bill would end recognition of Supreme Court authority.'” The letter to the editor appears on page four of today’s print edition.

Update: The newspaper’s own correction of this error appears on page five of today’s print edition.