“Justices closely question both sides during appeals of Virginia Tech shootings case; The court will likely take several weeks to render its written rulings on the two appeals linked to a wrongful death case brought after the April 16, 2007, shootings”: The Roanoke Times has this news update.

“Consent to search a phone doesn’t mean listening in”: Bob Egelko has this blog post online at The San Francisco Chronicle.

And at her “Trial Insider” blog, Pamela A. MacLean has a post titled “Border Agent Call Screening Suppressed.”

Circuit Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote today’s ruling on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“An audio example for the Supreme Court”: Michael McGough has this essay online today at The Los Angeles Times.

“Chief Justice Roberts holds key in campaign-finance case; Supreme Court’s first major case in upcoming term represents conservatives’ latest effort to remove government restrictions on political speech”: Richard Wolf will have this article Friday in USA Today.

“Looking Ahead: October Term 2013.” I had the pleasure of being asked to write the “Looking Ahead” piece that will appear in the 2012-2013 issue of the Cato Supreme Court Review, whose formal publication date is Tuesday, September 17, 2013.

In recent years, the authors of that essay have included star journalist Jan Crawford and attorneys Erik S. Jaffe, Gregory G. Garre, and Kannon K. Shanmugam. My humble contribution to that canon (earlier examples can be accessed via this link) can be accessed here.

That’s why, on Tuesday of next week, I will be in Washington, DC to participate as a panelist at The Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies symposium titled “The Supreme Court: Past and Prologue: A Look at the October 2012 and 2013 Terms.” My co-panelists will be Tom Goldstein (who founded “SCOTUSblog” after “How Appealing” inspired him to do so) and Marcia Coyle, who covers the U.S. Supreme Court for The National Law Journal.

“Next round in Fisher case”: Lyle Denniston has this post at “SCOTUSblog.”

“Senate panel Oks measure defining a journalist”: The Associated Press has this report.

In posts of interest today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.” Alex Zank has a post titled “House Committee Votes to Extend Supreme Court Police Authority.”

Matthew Huisman has a post titled “George Mason Law Adds D.C. Circuit Judge to Faculty.”

And Zoe Tillman has a post titled “Court Delays Arguments in Dispute Over Anonymous Wikipedia Editor.”

“Judiciary sends Obama budget plea”: Tal Kopan of Politico.com has this blog post. You can view the letter, dated September 10, 2013, at this link.

“Pennsylvania court orders county court clerk to stop issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples”: The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has this update.

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a news update headlined “PA Court orders Montco to halt licenses for gay marriages.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Pa. judge orders end to same-sex marriage licenses.”

You can access today’s ruling of the President Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania at this link.

“William Lamb: A tough prosecutor up against gay marriage proponents.” The Patriot-News of Harrisburgh, Pennsylvania has this report.

“Illinois Supreme Court: Second Amendment Protects Carrying Outside the Home.” At “The Volokh Conspiracy,” Eugene Volokh has this post on a unanimous ruling that the Supreme Court of Illinois issued today.

Putting SCOTUS engagements up for bid: On Tuesday, law professor Josh Blackman had a guest post at “Above the Law” titled “The Supreme Court ‘Beauty Contest’: A Behind-the-Scenes Look.” Having a potential client who is looking for the best possible lawyer for an appellate engagement can be a very good thing, especially for those lawyers who have the qualities necessary to secure the engagement.

Recently, the State of Georgia issued an RFP (request for proposal) seeking lawyers to serve as outside appellate counsel in an original jurisdiction action that the State of Florida intended to file against Georgia in the U.S. Supreme Court. Today, in The Daily Report of Fulton County, Georgia, Kathleen Baydala Joyner has an article headlined “Lawyers Flood AG With Queries To Defend Georgia In Water Wars; Water case draws 29 applications by lawyers and firms wishing to defend Georgia against Florida’s bid for more access to the Chattahoochee River” (free registration may be required for access) that begins, “Lawyers who want to defend Georgia from Florida’s impending lawsuit over water rights range from a former U.S. solicitor general who regularly charges more than $1,100 per hour to a recent law school graduate who offered to work for free.”

“Delaware Supreme Court weigh power of sheriffs to make arrests; Sussex sheriff Jeff Christopher claims 2012 law violates Constitution”: This article appears in today’s edition of The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware.

“Hecht chosen as new chief of Texas Supreme Court”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Mich. chief justice won’t comment on judge’s donations but jokes, ‘I want to marry his wife'”: The Associated Press has this report.

“When bloggers irritate judges”: Senior U.S. District Judge Richard G. Kopf has this post today at his blog, “Hercules and the Umpire.”

“Solicitor General Previews Supreme Court Term”: C-SPAN is intending to provide live online coverage of this event, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. eastern time today. More information on the event can be accessed here.

And on Tuesday of next week, I will be in Washington, DC to participate as a panelist at The Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies symposium titled “The Supreme Court: Past and Prologue: A Look at the October 2012 and 2013 Terms.”