“The High Court Takes Center Stage: The biggest year in the Supreme Court’s modern history will shape the 2016 election.” Doug Kendall has this jurisprudence essay online today at Slate.

Greetings from Dallas! Where right now, it’s a balmy 36 degrees outside.

Tomorrow afternoon, following my planned early lunch at the Pecan Lodge, the AJEI summit conference begins.

Programming note: I will be traveling to Dallas this afternoon, where starting tomorrow I will be attending the 2014 Appellate Judges Education Institute summit. Additional posts will appear here tonight.

“Loretta Lynch hearings likely to wait”: Politico.com has a report that begins, “Senate Democrats appear increasingly likely to punt confirmation proceedings for attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch into next year, a move that would appease Republicans who want the fight to wait until they hold the majority.”

“Immigrant lawyer hopes his effort inspires others”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Midwife abortion objection case heard at Supreme Court; The UK’s highest court will hear legal arguments on whether midwives have a right to refuse to take any part in abortion procedures on moral grounds”: BBC News has this report.

“Undo Citizens United? We’d Only Scratch the Surface; The problem runs far deeper, to an absurdly narrow legal definition of ‘corruption’ that throws democracy on the trash heap.” Law professor Jedediah Purdy has this essay online today at The Daily Beast.

“Hawaii Supreme Court to hear same sex marriage case”: Hawaii Reporter has this article.

“U.S. Supreme Court hearing today could be pivotal for Maryland tax issue”: The Washington Post has this report.

“Scorecard for Supreme Court hearing: Did Alabama make it too easy for blacks to get elected?” AL.com has this report.

Greg Stohr of Bloomberg News reports that “Landmark Voting Law Creates Role Reversal in Court Clash.”

On today’s edition of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Nina Totenberg had a audio segment titled “Supreme Court Case Seeks Source Of Alabama Gerrymandering.”

And Governing.com reports that “U.S. Supreme Court to Decide Limits on Race in Gerrymandering; On Wednesday, the justices will hear arguments in two cases challenging Alabama’s legislative maps; Their ruling could have an impact on congressional and legislative maps across the country.”

“At Supreme Court, secretiveness attracts snoops”: Richard Wolf of USA Today has this report.

“Appeals court refuses to weigh in on 1st Amendment rights of anonymous online commenters”: Andy Grimm of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans has this news update reporting on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued yesterday.

“Fish-pedicure business may head to Supreme Court”: In today’s edition of The Arizona Daily Star, Howard Fischer has an article that begins, “A Gilbert spa owner wants the U.S. Supreme Court to rule she has a constitutional right to have fish nibble on her customers’ toes and charge them for that.”

“Justice Ridgely announces retirement”: Sean O’Sullivan of The News Journal of Wilmington, Delaware has this news update.

“Copyrighting Software? Google v. Oracle.” Dennis Crouch had this post yesterday at “Patently-O.”

“Roberts at 10 — Campaign Finance and Voting Rights: Easier to Donate, Harder to Vote.” The Constitutional Accountability Center has posted online the latest installment in its year-long project, “Roberts at 10.” written by David H. Gans.

“Racial Gerrymandering Switcheroo: The Supreme Court is asked to decide when districts drawn to protect black officeholders have too many black voters.” Edward Blum will have this op-ed in Wednesday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal. You can freely access the full text of the op-ed via Google.

“An army of one: Ted Cruz is leading the charge against Obamacare. But no one’s following.” David Nather of Politico.com has this report.

“U.S. Supreme Court mulls Kansas same-sex marriage ban”: Brad Cooper of The Kansas City Star has this news update.

And The Wichita Eagle has a news update headlined “ACLU files brief with Supreme Court in Kansas same-sex marriage case.”

“Banks try, try again at SCOTUS for time limits on regulators’ suits”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this report today.

“Grassley to Oversee Obama Judgeships”: Iowa Public Radio has this report.

“Supreme Court to consider political segregation”: Richard Wolf of USA Today has this report.

“Supreme Court Weighs Case Over Cuts to Retirees’ Health Benefits”: Adam Liptak has this article in today’s edition of The New York Times.

ou can access at this link the transcript of yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in M&G Polymers USA, LLC v. Tackett, No. 13-1010.

“Irony alert: Justices miffed by rulings without reasons.” Richard Wolf of USA Today has this report.

And online at Bloomberg View, law professor Noah Feldman has an essay titled “T-Mobile Takes on a Georgia Town.”

You can access at this link the transcript of yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court oral argument in T-Mobile South, LLC v. City of Roswell, No. 13-975.

“Nevada finally establishes a court of appeals”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “Justice hasn’t always been swift in Nevada, which until last week’s election was one of 10 states in the nation without an intermediate court of appeals.”

“Justices review racial makeup of Alabama districts”: Mark Sherman and Kim Chandler of The Associated Press have this report.

“Obamacare May Die So Gay Marriage Survives”: Law professor Noah Feldman has this essay online today at Bloomberg View.

“The Supreme Court’s Gerrymandering Conundrum: Did Alabama legislators redraw district lines to hurt Democrats or to disenfranchise black voters?” Law professor Richard L. Hasen — author of the “Election Law Blog” — has this jurisprudence essay online today at Slate.

“Supreme Court Denies Insider-Trading Appeal; Doug Whitman’s 2012 Conviction Tied to Trades in Google, Other Tech Stocks”: Brent Kendall of The Wall Street Journal has this report. Today’s edition of the newspaper also contains a related editorial titled “Scalia’s Insider-Trading Invitation: The Justice says he’s looking for a good case for the Court to accept.” You can freely access full text of the editorial via Google.

Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “U.S. Supreme Court rejects Whitman Capital founder’s appeal.”

And The Associated Press reports that “Court lets stand conviction of hedge fund founder.”

You can access yesterday’s order of the U.S. Supreme Court denying certiorari in Whitman v. United States, No. 14-29, and the statement respecting the denial of certiorari that Justice Antonin Scalia issued, in which Justice Clarence Thomas joined, at this link.

“John Roberts’s Legacy May Be Decided in the Next Few Months”: Law professor Jeffrey Rosen has this essay online at The New Republic.

“11th Circuit Rejects Cruise Lines’ Immunity Defense to Medical Malpractice Claims”: At the “Cruise Law News” blog, Jim Walker has this post about a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued today.

“Sirius XM cannot force vehicle owners to arbitrate — U.S. court”: Jonathan Stempel of Reuters has this report.

And at her “Trial Insider” blog, Pamela A. MacLean has a post titled “Sirius Loses Mandatory Arbitration Demand.”

You can access today’s ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit at this link.

“Obamacare is Doomed! Everybody Panic! Not so fast, progressives; It’s far from a sure thing that the Supreme Court will destroy the Affordable Care Act.” Law professor Barry Friedman and Dahlia Lithwick have this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Democrats’ hopes to confirm Obama nominees limited”: The Associated Press has a report that begins, “The push by President Barack Obama and his allies to fill judicial and agency vacancies is about to run head-on into limitations imposed by the calendar and the nation’s voters.”

“Breyer Reflects on Judaism and Justice”: Jess Bravin has this post today at WSJ.com’s “Law Blog.”

And Politico.com reports that “Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer signals gay marriage case not closed.”