“Corporations Are People, Too: Jeffrey Toobin plays fast and loose in his assault on Citizens United.” Law professor Richard A. Epstein has this essay online today at the “Defining Ideas” site of the Hoover Institution.

“Supreme Court rules twins conceived posthumously can’t get Social Security benefits”: Robert Barnes has this article today in The Washington Post.

In today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times, David G. Savage has an article headlined “Supreme Court rejects widow’s claim in Social Security case; Children conceived in vitro from her late husband’s sperm are not automatically entitled to survivors benefits, justices agree; The court also rules in an immigration case.”

And Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal reports that “Justices Deny Benefits to In-Vitro Twins.”

“Bush Era Surveillance Program Headed to Supreme Court”: This audio segment featuring Adam Liptak appeared on today’s broadcast of “The Takaway.”

In today’s edition of The Washington Post, Robert Barnes reports that “Supreme Court agrees to hear case on electronic surveillance.”

And Warren Richey of The Christian Science Monitor has an article headlined “Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide; The US Supreme Court agreed to examine whether a group of US-based lawyers, activists, and journalists can challenge a Bush-era law authorizing broad surveillance overseas.”

“Court upholds $3.4 billion Native American deal”: James Vicini of Reuters has this report.

My earlier coverage of today’s D.C. Circuit ruling appears at this link.

“Chuck Grassley grilled over court criticism”: Politico.com has this report.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports today that “GOP senators question court conference in isles; Despite the APEC session, Hawaii’s image as a resort destination remains a problem” (subscription required).

Hawaii News Now reports that “Judges conference in Maui scrutinized.”

And Honolulu Civil Beat reports that “Ninth Circuit Maui Trip Draws Criticism.”

“Former Solicitor General, a ‘Modest Superstar,’ Given Rex Lee Advocacy Award”: Todd Ruger has this post at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

And at her “Appellate Daily” blog, Michelle Olsen has a post titled “Garre Receives Rex Lee Award, Thanks Two Chief Justices.”

Unanimous three-judge D.C. Circuit panel rejects challenge to federal district court’s approval of Cobell Indian Trust class action settlement: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit at this link.

In early news coverage, Mike Scarcella has a post titled “D.C. Circuit Upholds $3.4B Native American Class Settlement” at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

“Taser Pain May Be Considered by Supreme Court as Excessive Force”: Ariane de Vogue of ABC News has this report.

“Supreme Court refuses to hear music downloading appeal”: This article appears today in The Boston Globe.

And The Harvard Crimson reports today that “Court Rejects Downloads Case.”

“Do We Still Need the Voting Rights Act?” Jeffrey Toobin has this blog post online today at The New Yorker.

“Could vacant 11th Circuit seat allow compromise? Edmondson’s taking senior status could let Obama, Ga. senators pick Jill Pryor and Mark Cohen; lawyer is doubtful deal would happen.” Alyson M. Palmer has this article today in The Fulton County Daily Report.

“Senate OKs Paul Watford for federal appeals court”: Bob Egelko has this article today in The San Francisco Chronicle.

And Scott Graham of The Recorder reports that “Senate Confirms Watford for 9th Circuit Seat.”

“Joan Orie Melvin claims a political vendetta”: Today’s edition of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contains an article that begins, “In the weeks leading up to Friday’s indictment of state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, an attorney for the justice sought to have a member of the state Judicial Conduct Board recuse himself, claiming he had a connection to Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.”

You can access at this link the formal charges that the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board issued last Friday against Pa. Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin.

And in other coverage, yesterday Jeff Blumenthal of the Philadelphia Business Journal had a blog post titled “Pa. bar chief doesn’t call for Melvin resignation.”

“Republicans challenge appeals court meeting in Maui”: Thomas Ferraro of Reuters has this report.

“Appeals court refuses to delay surrender of Jason Pleau to federal authorities”: The Providence (R.I.) Journal has this news update.

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

“Senate Confirms Paul J. Watford to Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals”: The Public Information Office of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has issued this news release.

“Accused 9/11 planners might get separate Guantanamo trials; The judge in the legal proceeding against five men accused of having roles in the 9/11 terror attacks is considering whether to separate the trials”: Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald has this news update.

“Senators target U.S. judges’ tropical get-together”: Howard Mintz of The San Jose Mercury News has this update.

Breitbart News has reports headlined “Exclusive: 9th Circuit Takes Plush Maui Vacation At Taxpayer Expense, As Others Cut Back” and “Breitbart News Expose of Plush Ninth Circuit Trip Forces Court Response.”

Today’s edition of The New York Post contains an article headlined “Judges’ alo-ha! at taxpayers.”

Roll Call has a news update headlined “Grassley, Sessions Question Judicial Conference in Hawaii.”

“The Note” blog from ABC News has a post titled “GOP Blasts Million Dollar Judicial Conference in Hawaii.”

Politico has a blog post titled “Judges’ Maui conference: Shades of Vegas?”

The Hill has a blog post titled “GOP blasts $1 million Hawaii conference for judges in wake of GSA scandal.”

And the “Main Justice” blog has a post titled “Senators Question Price Tag for Maui Judicial Conference.”

By a vote of 61-to-34, the U.S. Senate has confirmed Paul J. Watford to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit: You can access the official roll call vote tally at this link.

Earlier today, McClatchy Newspapers published an essay by law professor Carl Tobias entitled “Time to fill Ninth Circuit vacancies.”

“Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens spoke at the American Law Institute annual meeting.” C-SPAN has posted at this link the video of the retired Justice’s remarks earlier today.

“Supreme Court Decides On Deportation, Takes Up Wiretapping”: Mike Sacks of The Huffington Post has this report.

“2nd Circuit shields CIA interrogation documents”: Terry Baynes of Reuters has a report that begins, “The Central Intelligence Agency does not have to disclose records of interrogation techniques used against terrorism suspects in 2002, a federal appeals court ruled on Monday.”

And Bill Mears of CNN.com reports that “Court blocks release of CIA interrogation methods.”

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

“Disabled rights not violated when pot shops closed, court rules”: Maura Dolan of The Los Angeles Times has this blog post reporting on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.

“Professor Makes the Case That Google Is a Publisher”: Law professor Eugene Volokh — a founder of “The Volokh Conspiracy” blog — is the focus of this article published today in The New York Times.

Demonstrating the broad swath of “The Volokh Conspiracy,” the article concludes with several paragraphs offering law professor Stuart M. Benjamin‘s take on Volokh’s paper, without bothering to note that Benjamin is himself listed as a contributor to “The Volokh Conspiracy” blog.

“Senators Question Ninth Circuit over Hawaii Conference”: At WSJ.com’s “Law Blog,” Joe Palazzolo has this post reporting on a letter that the Ranking Members of the U.S. Senate’s Budget and Judiciary Committees sent last Friday to Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski.

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Todd Ruger has a post titled “GOP Senators Compare Planned Ninth Circuit Conference in Hawaii to ‘Vacation.’”

The Ninth Circuit’s initial response to the letter issued today in the form of a “Statement from Circuit and Court of Appeals Executive Cathy A. Catterson Regarding the Inquiry from Senators Grassley and Sessions.”

“Children Not Entitled to Dead Father’s Benefits, Justices Rule”: Adam Liptak will have this article Tuesday in The New York Times.

David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Supreme Court: In vitro children might not be due benefits.”

Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press reports that “Twins conceived after dad died won’t get benefits.”

James Vicini of Reuters reports that “Supreme Court decides in vitro fertilization benefits.”

And Bill Mears of CNN.com reports that “Justices deny benefits for child conceived after death of a parent.”

“Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Case on Surveillance”: Adam Liptak will have this article Tuesday in The New York Times.

Mark Sherman of The Associated Press reports that “High court will take up wiretaps lawsuit.”

James Vicini of Reuters reports that “Supreme Court to hear U.S. govt. eavesdropping appeal.”

Bloomberg News reports that “Supreme Court To Consider Suit Challenging Wiretap Law.”

At Wired.com’s “Threat Level” blog, David Kravets has a post titled “High Court to Hear Warrantless Eavesdropping Challenge.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “Narrow review of global wiretaps.”

My earlier coverage of the Second Circuit’s 6-to-6 denial of rehearing en banc in this case can be accessed here.

“Supreme Court Lets Stand $675,000 File-Sharing Verdict”: David Kravets has this post at Wired.com’s “Threat Level” blog.

The Associated Press reports that “Court won’t reduce student’s music download fine.”

And Bloomberg News reports that “Music Downloading Damages Left Intact By U.S. High Court.”

Programming note: Today, I will be traveling back and forth to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to meet with trial counsel in an appeal on which I am working.

At 10 a.m. eastern time today, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to issue an Order List and one or more opinions in argued cases. Once the Court posts the Order List online, you should be able to access it via this link. And the Court posts links to its newest opinions at this page once they are announced. As always, “SCOTUSblog” plans to provide timely coverage of this morning’s activities at the Court.

Additional posts will appear here later today.

Readers of this blog can now use Twitter to be notified of new posts: Last Thursday, the “How Appealing” blog finally acquired a Twitter feed, @howappealing.

New posts published here will automatically appear as tweets, so if you prefer to be notified of new posts using Twitter, you can now do so by following this blog at twitter.com/howappealing.

“Retired Supreme Court Justice Stevens Addresses Law Conference”: C-SPAN plans to broadcast the address live starting at 2 p.m. eastern time today.

“Why the Law Will Eventually ‘Evolve’ on Gay Marriage Just Like Obama Did”: Law professor Jeffrey Rosen has this essay online at The New Republic.

“Retired federal judge blasts direction of U.S. Supreme Court”: The Birmingham News has this update.

“Planned Parenthood Urges Court To Keep Texas Funding In Place”: Bloomberg News has a report that begins, “Planned Parenthood-affiliated groups in Texas asked a federal appeals court to uphold a ruling requiring the state to keep subsidizing the clinics.”

“Feds Prevail in Spat with Former Acting Solicitor General”: Brent Kendall has this post today at WSJ.com’s “Law Blog.”