“Sotomayor’s secrets of success: Work hard, dare to dream.” The San Diego Union-Tribune has this news update.

Available online from National Public Radio: This evening’s broadcast of “All Things Considered” contained audio segments titled “The Senate And Its Finicky Filibuster Relationship” and “‘Manifest Injustice’: A 40-Year Fight For Freedom.”

And yesterday’s broadcast of “Weekend Edition Saturday” contained an audio segment titled “Prosecuting Socrates All Over Again.”

“Can the President Appoint Principal Executive Officers Without a Senate Confirmation Vote?” Law professor Matthew C. Stephenson has this essay in the January 2013 issue of The Yale Law Journal.

The essay begins, “A widespread, seemingly unquestioned assumption regarding the process for appointing federal officers is that the Constitution requires the Senate to vote to confirm the President’s nominee before the appointee may take office on a permanent basis. This Essay challenges that assumption by arguing that as a matter of constitutional text, structure, and history, it is not at all clear that the Senate must affirmatively vote in favor of a nominee in order to provide the required advice and consent.”

“How Newegg crushed the ‘shopping cart’ patent and saved online retail; It’s game over for a patent troll that sued nearly 50 big retailers”: At Ars Technica, Joe Mullin has this interesting article reporting on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued last Tuesday.

“Permitting Legislative Repeal by Blocking Nominations: The DC Circuit Recess Appointment Disaster.” Law professor Peter M. Shane has this blog entry at The Huffington Post.

“John Roberts bankrupts law students; The Supreme Court justice is paid thousands to ‘teach’ in Europe — and his law students are footing the bill”: Law professor Paul Campos has this essay at Salon.com.

“Fed computers hijacked in Swartz tribute”: This article appears today in The Boston Herald.

The Washington Times reports today that “Hackers take over federal website, threatens ‘war’ on U.S. government.”

The New York Post reports that “Hacking is ‘Reddit revenge.’”

The Independent (UK) reports that “Anonymous hacks US government agency website after Aaron Swartz suicide.”

Edward Moyer of c|net has a report headlined “In Swartz protest, Anon hacks U.S. site, threatens leaks; Saying ‘a line was crossed’ with the treatment of tech activist Aaron Swartz, the group hacks a government site related to the justice system and distributes encrypted files it says it will decrypt unless demands are met.”

At the “Bits” blog of The New York Times, Nick Bilton has a post titled “Disruptions: A Fuzzy and Shifting Line Between Hacker and Criminal.”

And Friday online at The Telegraph (UK), Brendan O’Neill had a blog post titled “Only one person is responsible for Aaron Swartz’s death, and that is Aaron Swartz.”

“Yet More G.O.P. Obstruction”: Friday at the “Taking Note” blog of The New York Times, Lincoln Caplan had a post that begins, “In his first term, President Obama tried to fill two vacancies on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.”

“Retrial begins in D.C. case that prompted Supreme Court GPS ruling”: Yesterday’s edition of The Washington Times contained this article.

And yesterday’s edition of The Washington Post contained an article headlined “Accused drug dealer, representing himself, hears prosecutors open their case.”

“Judicial elections lead to distrust of the courts”: This editorial appeared yesterday in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“GOP Senator Says Labor, Consumer Finance Rulings May Be Invalid”: Tom Schoenberg of Bloomberg News has a report that begins, “Senator Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican, said hundreds of U.S. labor rulings may be invalid due to a court decision that found President Barack Obama’s appointments to the National Labor Relations Board are unconstitutional.”

“Under the U.S. Supreme Court: Nation marks 40th anniversary of Roe.” Michael Kirkland of UPI has this report.

“Lawyers in gay marriage cases aim pitches at Obama”: Joan Biskupic of Reuters has this report.