“Two House GOPers join Dems urging high court to uphold Voting Rights Act”: Sam Baker of The Hill has this blog post today.

“What Did the Word ‘The’ Mean in 1755? And Why Does the Court Care? A decision on Obama’s recess appointment power shows why judicial originalism is an exciting game without any rules.” Law professor Garrett Epps has this essay online at The Atlantic.

“Making Mischief in the Blogosphere”: This interview with David Lat of the blog “Above the Law” appears in the February 2013 issue of California Lawyer magazine. That magazine has also posted online video of the full interview.

“Another judicial vacancy to open up on 11th Circuit”: Bill Rankin of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a news update that begins, “A third vacancy will be opening up this summer on the busy federal appeals court in Atlanta.”

“Birth Control Rule Altered to Allay Religious Objections”: The New York Times has a news update that begins, “The Obama administration proposed yet another compromise on Friday in an effort to address the concerns of religious organizations that object to its policy requiring health insurance plans to cover contraceptives for women at no charge.”

The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Obama administration proposes contraception compromise.”

The Associated Press reports that “Obama offers faith groups new birth control rule.”

Reuters reports that “White House offers compromise on birth control coverage.”

Bloomberg News reports that “Religious Nonprofits Won’t Pay for Birth Control, U.S. Says.”

And at “SCOTUSblog,” Lyle Denniston has a post titled “New contraceptive mandate rules.”

“Journalist has no right to AIG documents — court”: David Ingram of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued today.

And Tom Schoenberg of Bloomberg News reports that “AIG Examiner Records Can Be Kept From Public, Court Says.”

“Legal writing, save for the prose of a precious few lawyers and judges, has rarely contributed to the literary enterprise.” Ian Crouch has this blog post online today at The New Yorker about a class-action lawsuit recently filed against Lance Armstrong and the publishers of his two memoirs.

“Former chief law clerk testifies in Orie Melvin trial”: Paula Reed Ward of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has this news update.

And today’s midday trial update from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review can be accessed at this link.

“Socrates convicted again in modern mock trial; In benefit for Hellenic museum, philosopher is fined for corrupting youths, disrespecting Greek gods”: This article appears today in The Chicago Tribune.

And The Chicago Sun-Times reports today that “Socrates convicted — again, 2,400 years later.”

“SCOTUSblog on camera — Adam Liptak interview, Part Four”: Today, “SCOTUSblog” has posted at this link part four of its interview with New York Times U.S. Supreme Court correspondent Adam Liptak.

“Phreaks and Geeks: Before Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak invented Apple, they hacked phones.” Online at Slate, Geeta Dayal has this review of the book “Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws Who Hacked Ma Bell,” by Philip Lapsley.

The review begins, “One of the most heartfelt — and unexpected — remembrances of Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide last month at the age of 26, came from Yale professor Edward Tufte. During a speech at a recent memorial service for Swartz in New York City, Tufte reflected on his secret past as a hacker — 50 years ago.”

“New Subcommittee to Focus on Federal Courts and Bankruptcy System”: At “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Todd Ruger has a post that begins, “The Senate Judiciary Committee has created a new subcommittee this year to specifically oversee the federal courts and the nation’s bankruptcy system, including administration and management, judicial rules, the creation of new judgeships.”

“Mainer’s nomination to be federal judge delayed again; William Kayatta of Cape Elizabeth, who was nominated more than a year ago, now has to wait another week to learn his fate”: The Portland Press Herald has this report.

The State Bar of Georgia presents video titled “Midyear 2013 Appellate Practice Section luncheon with Hon. Billy Ray and Hon. Lisa Branch”: You can access the video via this link (h/t @JudgeDillard).

“Lord Neuberger’s Judicial Assistant Lifts The Lid On Supreme Court Life”: The blog “Legal Cheek” has a post (featuring video) that begins, “Amid the glow of the UK Supreme Court’s psychedelic carpets (the work of Sgt Pepper’s album cover designer Peter Blake), former Linklaters trainee Cameron Sim tells me what it has been like to spend the last year working as the judicial assistant to Supreme Court president Lord Neuberger.”

“Opt out option expected for religious insurers who oppose contraceptives”: CNN.com has a report that begins, “Religiously affiliated organizations will be able to opt out of providing their employees with insurance coverage for contraceptives under updates to an Obama administration mandate that the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to unveil on Friday, according to two sources.”

Update: The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has today issued a news release headlined “Administration issues Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on recommended preventive services policy.”

Go shorty, it’s your birthday: The Associated Press has a report headlined “Memphis man’s restitution reduced 50 cents.”

The 50-cent reduction occurred as the result of a non-precedential ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued yesterday.

“Exclusive: Hospital chain defies NLRB rulings after court decision.” Terry Baynes of Reuters has this report.

Sixth Circuit rejects challenges to Obamacare based on “freedom of expressive and intimate association,” “right to liberty,” and “right to privacy”: You can access today’s ruling of a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit at this link.

Sixth Circuit issues decision involving “nude dancing” and “grandfathering”: You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, in a case involving an adult entertainment establishment located in Memphis, at this link.

“Former Senate staffer says she devoted 25 percent of day to judge’s campaign”: This article appears today in The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

And in today’s edition of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Paula Reed Ward has an article headlined “Former intern: Spent 25% of workday campaigning for Orie Melvin.”

“John Cornyn appears to move to the right, pulled by new Senate partner Ted Cruz”: Todd J. Gillman has this article today in The Dallas Morning News.

“Crop of New Law Schools Opens Amid a Lawyer Glut”: Jennifer Smith has this article today in The Wall Street Journal.

“Patrick Fitzgerald takes on Socrates at mock trial”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Megachurch’s lawsuit against Montgomery Co. revived by appeals court”: The Baltimore Business Journal has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued yesterday.

“Court orders new trial in Shawn Drumgold lawsuit”: Today’s edition of The Boston Globe contains an article that begins, “Nearly four years after a Boston man won a high-profile, $14 million judgment against the city for his wrongful murder conviction, a federal Appeals Court has ordered a new trial in the lawsuit, citing a legal technicality that will require a jury to decide whether a police detective and the city were at fault in the man’s original conviction.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of a partially divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit at this link.