“‘Nuclear option’ advances nomination of Metro East figure to powerful court”: Bill Lambrecht of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has an article that begins, “Patricia Millett’s confirmation to the court that ranks behind only the Supreme Court in influence appeared certain after Senate Democrats’ extraordinary tactics Thursday to curb filibusters of White House appointments.”

“The Filibuster’s Demise Is Great News for Judicial Confirmation Hearings; Knowing obstruction was an option, senators have long had pillow fights with nominees; That’s almost certainly going to change”: Andrew Cohen has this essay online at The Atlantic.

“HIV-disclosure law sparks unique legal battle in Florida”: David Ovalle of The Miami Herald has this report.

“Wash. court says gun limits OK before conviction”: The Associated Press has this report.

My earlier coverage of today’s 5-to-4 Washington State Supreme Court ruling appears at this link.

“Boies-Olson Legal Pair Proud Allies on Same-Sex Marriage”: Andrew Harris of Bloomberg News has this report today.

“Rules Change Could Have Far-Reaching Impact on Judiciary”: John Gramlich of CQ Roll Call has this news analysis.

And Carl Hulse of The New York Times has a news analysis headlined “A Move Years in the Making, With Lasting Ramifications.”

Under newly adopted bare majority requirement, the U.S. Senate has invoked cloture on the nomination of Patricia Ann Millett to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit: The cloture vote was 55-to-43. You can view the official roll call vote tally at this link.

“Appeals court at center of Senate fight is key to agenda; Democrats change Senate rules to get Obama’s judges confirmed to nation’s second most powerful court”: Richard Wolf of USA Today has this report.

“Landmark Senate Vote Limits Filibusters”: Jeremy W. Peters of The New York Times has this news update.

The Washington Post has a news update headlined “Reid, Democrats trigger ‘nuclear’ option; eliminate most filibusters on nominees.”

The Los Angeles Times has a news update headlined “Senate Democrats invoke ‘nuclear option’ on filibuster.”

Susan Davis and Richard Wolf of USA Today have a news update headlined “U.S. Senate goes ‘nuclear’ on filibuster rules; Senate Democrats pushed through a controversial rules change known as the ‘nuclear option.’”

The Wall Street Journal has a news update headlined “Senate Adopts New Rules on Filibusters; Proposal Reduces Vote Total to 51 From 60 on Most Presidential Nominees.”

The Washington Times has a news update headlined “Democrats trigger ‘nuclear option’ to eliminate many filibusters.”

Politico.com reports that “Senate goes for ‘nuclear option.’”

The Hill reports that “Senate votes to limit filibuster after Reid goes nuclear.”

TPM DC has reports headlined “Dems Make Historic Change To Filibuster Rules” and “GOP On Filibuster Change: This Is Really All About Obamacare.”

And Roll Call has a blog post titled “Democrats Go ‘Nuclear,’ Eliminate Filibusters on Most Nominees.”

You can access at this link the official roll call vote tally from earlier today to change the U.S. Senate‘s cloture rule.

“U.S. Supreme Court calls on SLS’ Barton Thompson to help settle longstanding water law dispute”: Stanford Law School has issued this news release.

By a vote of 5-to-4, the Supreme Court of Washington State rejects constitutional challenge to state law prohibiting firearms possession by someone released on bond after a judge has found probable cause to believe the person committed a serious offense: You can access today’s ruling of Washington State’s highest court at this link.

“Boston Lawyer Named New Supreme Court Legal Counsel”: Tony Mauro has this post today at “The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times.”

As the U.S. Supreme Court‘s own news release announcing the hiring yesterday explains, the new counsel’s name is Ethan V. Torrey. Because that sounds suspiciously similar to a case name, it only took four votes to accept his application to be hired.

“Judge Kozinski’s Personal Objection to Class-Action Settlement”: Ed Whelan has this post today at National Review Online’s “Bench Memos” blog.

“Udall, Wyden, Heinrich Urge Solicitor General to Set Record Straight on Misrepresentations to U.S. Supreme Court in Clapper v. Amnesty”: You can view the news release at this link, and the Senators’ letter to the Solicitor General can be accessed here.

“Appeals court in NY sides with Starbucks over tips”: The Associated Press has this report on a summary order that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued today.

“SCOTUSblog on camera: J. Harvie Wilkinson, III — Part one.” “SCOTUSblog” has today posted online this video, part one of an eight-part interview.

“Reid Sets in Motion Steps to Limit Use of Filibuster”: Jeremy W. Peters of The New York Times has this news update.

Reuters has a report headlined “Reid expected to have votes to lift Senate blocks to Obama nominees: aide.”

The Associated Press reports that “Senate debates Dems’ plan to curb filibusters.”

Politico.com reports that “Harry Reid barrels toward ‘nuclear option.’”

Sahil Kapur of TPM DC has a report headlined “McConnell To Reid: If You Go Nuclear On Nominations, I’ll Go Nuclear On Everything When I’m Majority Leader.”

Alexander Bolton of The Hill reports that “Reid readies for nuclear option.”

And WSJ.com’s “Washington Wire” blog answers the question “What Is the Nuclear Option?”

“Reid Blocks First G.O.P. Offer on Filibuster Reform, Leaves Nuclear Option on Table; Sen. John McCain’s proposal doesn’t go far enough for Majority Leader Harry Reid”: Alex Rogers has this post at Time magazine’s “Swampland” blog.

Politico.com reports that “Harry Reid may go ‘nuclear’ Thursday.”

Alexander Bolton of The Hill has a report headlined “Dems: Reid may go nuclear Thursday.”

And Sahil Kapur of TPM DC has a report headlined “Harry Reid May Nuke The Filibuster This Week: Dem Sources.”

“Boston mobster ‘Whitey’ Bulger to appeal conviction”: Reuters has this report.

“Law Dork To The Rescue”: Ozymandias.com has posted online today this profile of Chris Geidner.

“Minnesota high court: Business not subject to open-records laws; The Minnesota Supreme Court ruling reversed a Court of Appeals decision in case involving an Ely newspaper.” This article appears today in The Minneapolis Star Tribune.

And The Timberjay has a report headlined “Supreme Court: JCI can keep contract secret.”

You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Minnesota at this link.

“R.I. Supreme Court takes its proceedings to Central Falls High School for a day”: Katie Mulvaney has this article today in The Providence Journal.

“Arizona again asks Supreme Court to look at abortion law”: The Arizona Republic has this report.

Update: In other coverage, Howard Fischer of The Arizona Daily Star reports that “Horne asks Supreme Court to reinstate voided abortion funding law.”

“China Supreme Court rules out confession through torture”: Reuters has this report.

“Senate Democrats threaten to change filibuster rules on a party-line vote”: The Washington Post has this report.

Bloomberg News reports that “Reid Seen Moving on Nominee-Rule Change as Soon as Today.”

The Associated Press reports that “Senate nears possible vote on curbing filibusters.”

Reuters reports that “Senate leader may seek rule change to reduce Republican power.”

Roll Call reports that “Black Caucus Sees Race as Factor in Filibusters, Eyes Rules Change.”

At the “Constitution Daily” blog of the National Constitution Center, Scott Bomboy has a post titled “Looking at Harry Reid’s statement about filibusters and the Constitution.”

And online at Politico Magazine, law professor William Yeomans has an essay titled “Nuke ‘Em, Harry: Why Democrats Should Kill the Filibuster.”

More commentary on class action settlement objector and Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski: Senior U.S. District Judge Richard G. Kopf has a post today at his “Hercules and the Umpire” blog titled “On being a young federal district judge between a rock and hard place.”