“Court to hear mental competency of accused Atwater inmate”: Michael Doyle of McClatchy Newspapers has this report.

“Did the Founders’ Constitution Permit Federal Tort Reform?” Randy Barnett has this post today at “The Volokh Conspiracy,” linking to two contrasting views on the subject that you can access here and here.

Ninth Circuit grants rehearing en banc in case challenging ban that prohibits public television and radio stations from broadcasting paid political advertisements: Late Wednesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued this order granting rehearing en banc.

My earlier coverage of the original three-judge panel’s ruling in the case, which the order granting rehearing en banc has vacated, can be accessed here and here.

“Justice Diane Hathaway’s legal troubles tarnish Michigan Supreme Court”: Columnist Tim Skubick has this essay today at MLive.com.

“Court to decide if illegal act bars lawsuit”: Chuck Lindell has this article today in The Austin American-Statesman.

“Supreme Court nears gay marriage decision over Doma-related cases; Justices will decide next week whether to consider the constitutionality of same-sex marriage”: The Guardian (UK) has this report today.

And at the “She The People” blog of The Washington Post, Andrea Stone has a post titled “Soldier’s last wish: Let DOMA die before I do.”

“Top court to consider workplace harassment rules”: Terry Baynes of Reuters has this report.

“Supreme Court case wouldn’t affect Kansas admissions requirements; Standard university entry based on tests and high school record”: This article appears today in The Topeka Capital-Journal.

“Voting Rights Act and the South on trial”: Jeffrey Toobin has this essay today at CNN.com.

“Argentina willing to go to U.S. Supreme Court in bond row”: Reuters has a report that begins, “Argentina will appeal a U.S federal court ruling ordering it to pay $1.33 billion to holdout bond investors, the government said on Thursday, vowing to fight ‘judicial colonialism’ all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.”