“Creating the Courts Americans Want: The public is dissatisfied with our courts; What the judicial system needs is a culture of performance-based innovation.” Babak Armajani and Judge Kevin S. Burke of the Hennepin County (Minn.) District Court have this essay online today at the web site of Governing magazine.

“Courts to hear birth control mandate lawsuits”: Politico.com has a report that begins, “Obamacare’s birth control mandate will go before four different appeals courts over the next three weeks as private businesses that object to the policy on religious liberty grounds bring a barrage of lawsuits that opponents hope to get before the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as this fall.”

“Supreme Court Notebook: Sotomayor at Yale.” Mark Sherman of The Associated Press has this report.

“Prop C Wins: LA Voters Send Strong Message Against Supreme Court’s Citizens United Ruling.” The Huffington Post has this report.

“Judge Rubenstein fights state Supreme Court’s takeover of mandatory retirement suit”: This article appears today in The Bucks County (Pa.) Courier Times.

“Lawyers look to Alabama Supreme Court on juvenile killer sentences after legislature fails to act”: The Birmingham News has this report.

“Christie calls Justice Albin a ‘grandstander,’ chastises state Supreme Court”: The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger has this report.

“Activists seek to keep PA chief justice Castille from another 10-year term; They lay out their case for ousting chief justice in the November election; He defends his record”: This article appeared yesterday in The Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The Associated Press reports that “Activist group launches campaign to derail state Supreme Court chief justice’s retention effort.”

And at Philly.com, columnist John Baer has an essay titled “Grassroots group wants Castille gone.”

The report that the organization Rock the Capital has issued can be accessed at this link.

“Legal fraternity ‘shattered’ by sudden death of senior judge”: The New Zealand Herald has this report from APNZ.

“9th Circuit strikes down Arizona abortion law”: Today’s edition of The Arizona Republic contains this front page article.

In today’s edition of The San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko reports that “Court rejects Arizona abortion law.”

And today’s edition of The New York Times reports that “Arizona Law on Abortions Struck Down as Restrictive.”

My earlier coverage of yesterday’s Ninth Circuit ruling can be accessed here and here.

“Lesbian couple in Allen says morality clause in divorce equals discrimination”: Yesterday’s edition of The Dallas Morning News contained an article that begins, “A lesbian couple in Allen say they are targets of discrimination after a Collin County judge ruled they could no longer live together because of a morality clause in the 2011 divorce papers one of the women signed.”

“Letter to D.C. Circuit Re: Audio Access Policy.” Michelle Olsen has this post today at her “Appellate Daily” blog.

As noted here, the D.C. Circuit has previously been receptive to suggestions for online improvements received from appellate law bloggers.

“Cloture filed on Srinivasan (DC Circuit Court)”: This post has appeared this evening at the blog of the United States Senate Democrats.

“Court Clears the Way for College Star’s Lawsuit”: Joe Palazzolo has this post (free access) at WSJ.com’s “Law Blog” reporting on the ruling a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued today in an appeal involving a college football video game.

Update: In other coverage, Jonathan Stempel of Reuters reports that “Court revives lawsuit vs Electronic Arts over video game image.”

And at the “Hollywood, Esq.” blog of The Hollywood Reporter, Eriq Gardner has a post titled “Appeals Court Revives Ex-QB’s Lawsuit Over ‘NCAA Football’ Game; In an important appeal that divided Hollywood, the Third Circuit sides with the likeness rights of celebrities over protections afforded by the First Amendment. (SAG 1, MPAA 0).”

“U.S. court studies wiretaps in ex-Goldman director’s insider case”: Nate Raymond of Reuters has this report.

At the “DealBook” blog of The New York Times, Peter Lattman has a post titled “Court Hears Appeal of Ex-Director of Goldman.”

And Bloomberg News reports that “Gupta Challenges U.S. Use of Wiretaps in Insider Appeal.”

“UBS, powerful amici urge 2nd Circuit not to meddle with Morrison”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this report.

“Supreme Court won’t take up Alaskan tribe’s suit against Exxon Mobil”: Jeremy P. Jacobs of Greenwire has this report.

“Sale Has to Mean Sale”: At her “Trial Insider” blog, Pamela A. MacLean has a post that begins, “Bargain-hunting consumers scored a big victory Tuesday. A company that overstates original prices to falsely claim a ‘sale’ discount may be sued by consumers for false advertising, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled.”

Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“Appeals court: Arizona abortion restriction unconstitutional.” Howard Fischer of The Arizona Daily Star has this news update.

Bloomberg News reports that “Arizona Law Criminalizing Abortion After 20 Weeks Blocked.”

The Associated Press reports that “Court strikes down Arizona 20-week abortion ban.”

And at her “Trial Insider” blog, Pamela A. MacLean has a post titled “Arizona Abortion Ban Unconstitutional.”

“It is beyond the ken of courts to measure the rationality of religious beliefs — what will happen to us after we pass through the dark curtain of death is the ultimate non-justiciable question.” Circuit Judge Ed Carnes is the author of a very interesting ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued today.

The opinion begins, “The Supreme Court has decided that a convicted murderer cannot be executed unless he has a rational understanding of the fact that he is going to be put to death and of the reason for his execution.”

Update: In other coverage, David Ovalle of The Miami Herald has a news update headlined “Federal court rejects appeal by Miami mass killer John Ferguson.”

“Our question is whether the Constitution permits the Arizona legislature to prohibit abortion beginning at twenty weeks gestation, before the fetus is viable. We hold that it does not.” So begins an opinion that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.

“WATCH the YLS commencement ceremonies, w/ remarks from Justice Sotomayor ’79”: Yale Law School has posted the video online at this link.

“Prenda lawyer gets kicked off 9th Circuit case; Paul Hansmeier’s motion to delay an $81,000 sanctions order was also denied”: Joe Mullin of Ars Technica has this report.

“Gupta Challenges U.S. Use of Wiretaps in Insider Appeal”: Bloomberg News has this preview of an oral argument occurring today at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

“Judge ‘Buzz’ Arnold, polymath, legal historian and former federal district judge”: Senior U.S. District Judge Richard G. Kopf has this post today at his blog, “Hercules and the Umpire.”

Law geek nirvana — Spend Memorial Day weekend watching Tom Goldstein of “SCOTUSblog” on C-SPAN’s “Q&A”: Details here. In addition to viewing the interview at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. eastern time Sunday, true “SCOTUSblog” devotees can tune in at 6 a.m. eastern time on Monday, May 27th for another replay.

According to C-SPAN’s email yesterday alerting me to the broadcast, the interview was taped on May 2, 2013.

“Appeals court won’t release Osama Bin Laden photos”: Josh Gerstein of Politico.com has this blog post.

The Associated Press has a report headlined “Court: US can keep bin Laden photos under wraps.”

Bloomberg News reports that “Bin Laden Corpse Photos Can Be Kept Secret, Court Rules.”

David Ingram of Reuters reports that “Court rules bin Laden death photos can stay secret.”

And at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times,” Mike Scarcella has a post titled “D.C. Circuit: Bin Laden Death Images Can Remain Secret.”

You can access today’s per curiam opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit at this link.

“Bin Laden’s Son-in-Law Seeks a New Lawyer, but There’s a Snag”: This article appears today in The New York Times.

“Reid Mulls Nuclear-Style Filibuster Reform For Nominations”: Sahil Kapur of TPM DC has this report today.

“2 SCOTUS Judges in 1971: Espionage Act Doesn’t Apply to the Press; Justices Hugo Black and William O. Douglas specifically addressed a section of the law at issue today.” Conor Friedersdorf has this essay online today at The Atlantic.

“Hathaway lawyer pleads case to keep her out of prison; feds want her to serve 12-18 months”: Today’s edition of The Detroit News contains an article that begins, “Former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway shouldn’t spend a day in federal prison, her lawyer said Monday, despite admitting she orchestrated an elaborate two-year scheme to defraud her bank of $600,000 owed on a Grosse Pointe Park home.”

“Budget ax falls, and ball is in his court”: In yesterday’s edition of The Omaha World-Herald, columnist Erin Grace had this essay reporting on Senior U.S. District Judge Richard G. Kopf‘s blog, “Hercules and the Umpire.”

“A Ruling Could Support F.C.C.’s Net Neutrality Defense”: Today’s edition of The New York Times contains an article that begins, “The Federal Communications Commission’s attempt to defend its net neutrality rules against a court challenge got major support on Monday from the Supreme Court, which ruled in a separate case that regulatory agencies should usually be granted deference in interpreting their own jurisdictions.”

“Which Supreme Court Justice Are You? A Noncuratlex.com Personality Quiz.” Law professor Kyle Graham has this post today at his blog.

“Constitution Check: When can prayers and government activity coexist?” Lyle Denniston has this post today at the “Constitution Daily” blog of the National Constitution Center.