“Brenda Hale to become supreme court’s first female president — reports; Lady Hale, who has long campaigned for greater diversity in the judiciary, is said to be taking up the role as three other supreme court posts are filled”: Nicola Slawson of The Guardian (UK) has this report.

“Louisville attorney John Bush confirmed 51-47 for seat on federal court of appeals”: Andrew Wolfson of The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky has this report.

“A Prisoner’s Only Writing Machine”: Daniel A. Gross has this post online at The New Yorker.

“The Dark History of Defining ‘Family'”: Mae Ngai has this essay online at The New York Times.

“A judiciary transformed at blazing speed”: In today’s edition of The Washington Post, columnist Ronald A. Klain has an op-ed that begins, “Progressives breathed a sigh of relief recently when Justice Anthony M. Kennedy decided to remain on the Supreme Court for presumably at least one more year. But no matter how long Kennedy stays, a massive transformation is underway in how our fundamental rights are defined by the federal judiciary.”

“Protesters plan to show abortion on Jumbotron in downtown Louisville”: Deborah Yetter and Tessa Weinberg of The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Kentucky have this report, along with a related article headlined “Buffer zone sought at Louisville abortion clinic ahead of Operation Save America protests.”

“Senate confirms judge who equated abortion with slavery”: The Associated Press has this report.

And Alex Swoyer of The Washington Times reports that “Senate confirms John Bush, Trump’s 6th Circuit Court pick.”

You can view the official roll call vote tally approving the nominee by a vote of 51-to-47 at this link.

“Supreme Court’s Junior Justice Has to Run the Cafeteria; Don’t Eat There; Court tradition requires newcomers to serve on the cantina committee, field complaints about liberally salted oatmeal, conservative mayonnaise levels; Alito’s pudding parfait predicament”: Jess Bravin will have this front page article in Friday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal.

“Sessions Vows to Stay on as Attorney General ‘as Long as That Is Appropriate'”: Eileen Sullivan and Rebecca R. Ruiz of The New York Times have this report.

“Chief Justice Roberts says criticism won’t stop judges”: The Associated Press has this report.

“Jones Day’s Review of Business-Related Cases in the Supreme Court’s October Term 2016”: As noted in this news release, the Jones Day law firm has issued this white paper.

“The Senate Is About To Confirm A Federal Judge Who Compared Abortion To Slavery; NARAL is pressuring five GOP senators to help sink John Bush’s nomination”: Jennifer Bendery of The Huffington Post has this report.

Todd Ruger of Roll Call reports that “John Bush Nomination Exposes Partisan Divide; Kentucky jurist’s anonymous blog posts brings up questions of temperament.”

John Riley of Washington, DC’s Metro Weekly reports that “Senate paves way for confirmation of anti-LGBTQ judge to 6th Circuit; LGBTQ groups alarmed at John K. Bush’s stances on marriage equality and privacy, and his use of anti-gay slurs.”

And Ian Millhiser of ThinkProgress has an essay titled “Senate set to confirm unhinged right-wing blogger to powerful court: The Donald Trump of judges.”

“Will East Texas be able to keep patent cases, despite the Supreme Court? A single work-at-home salesman may be enough to push ahead with a patent trial.” Joe Mullin of Ars Technica has this report.

“Supreme Court building to get $1B rehab in 2023, well after systems risk failure; Building elements at risk of collapse before rehabilitation project can begin”: Dean Beeby of CBC News has this report.

“We disrupted the U.S. Supreme Court to protest money in politics.” Matt Kresling has this post at Medium.com.

“The Supreme Court and the Law of Motion”: Linda Greenhouse has this essay online at The New York Times.