“The Supreme Court just backed away from one of its cruelest death penalty decisions; After a two-year struggle, the Court allows death row inmates to have a spiritual adviser present at their execution”: Ian Millhiser has this essay online at Vox.

“Vote to remove Maine statue of Supreme Court justice who upheld segregation laws comes next week”: Nick Schroeder of The Bangor Daily News has this report.

“Supreme Court of Virginia agrees to hear appeals aimed at keeping Robert E. Lee statue in place”: Eric Kolenich of The Richmond Times-Dispatch has this report.

“Biden Gets Two Vacancies To Fill On Influential D.C. Circuit Court”: Nina Totenberg of NPR has this report.

“Colorado Attorney General’s Office lawyers knew about judicial misconduct memo; Whether they could, should or did tell Attorney General, other authorities is unclear”: David Migoya has this front page article in today’s edition of The Denver Post.

In addition, the newspaper has published an editorial titled “Hire a special prosecutor to root out the bad apples in the Judicial Department.”

“Biden Has Chance to Boost Leftward Tilt on D.C. Circuit”: Ellen M. Gilmer of Bloomberg Law has this report.

“Trump’s lawyers offered an attack on everything but the evidence”: George T. Conway III has this essay online at The Washington Post.

“Cat Lawyers and Salad Bowl Drummers: the Enduring Case for Internet Joy; Amid a deluge of serious headlines and toxic provocation, happiness still can reign.” Columnist Jason Gay will have this essay in Saturday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal.

“Ninth Circuit Considers Privacy Settlement Over Google Street View; The Ninth Circuit will likely uphold an award of $13 million against Google over data collected by Street View cars, while a federal judge ruled Thursday that cellphone users can pursue privacy claims related to location tracking through mobile apps”: Maria Dinzeo of Courthouse News Service has this report on an oral argument (YouTube video link) that occurred yesterday before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“Biden to get another judicial appointment to a key federal appeals court; Biden will get another opportunity to make a key judicial appointment”: Shannon Bream and Bill Mears of Fox News have this report.

“Trump Appointees Make Up 28% of Active Judiciary, but Not for Long; The last few weeks have focused largely on the incoming Cabinet, but supporters of the new president are eager for him to tackle the dozens of court vacancies that stretch across the country”: Kaila Philo of Courthouse News Service has this report.

“Supreme Court Rebuffs Alabama’s Effort to Bar Pastor From Execution Chamber; The case was the latest in a series of disputes over the presence of spiritual advisers in execution chambers that have bitterly divided the justices”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this report.

Robert Barnes of The Washington Post reports that “Supreme Court says Alabama cannot execute inmate without his pastor present.”

Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal reports that “Supreme Court Blocks Alabama Execution Over Clergy Access; State must allow inmate to have his pastor present, high court rules.”

Melissa Brown of The Montgomery Advertiser reports that “Alabama ‘reviewing its options’ after Supreme Court upholds death row inmate’s claim.”

Tandra Smith of Alabama Media Group reports that “Alabama inmate gets stay of execution, U.S. Supreme Court requires spiritual advisor to be present.”

Kim Chandler of The Associated Press reports that “Alabama cancels execution after court requires pastor.”

Greg Stohr and Jordan Rubin of Bloomberg News report that “Barrett Flashes Independence as Supreme Court Backs Religious Rights.”

Ariane de Vogue of CNN reports that “Supreme Court rules Alabama may not execute inmate without his pastor present in the chamber.”

John Kruzel of The Hill reports that “Supreme Court grants Alabama death row inmate’s request for pastor.”

And in commentary, online at Slate, Mark Joseph Stern has a jurisprudence essay titled “Amy Coney Barrett Joins Liberals and a Mystery Justice to Block Execution.”

You can access last night’s order of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the opinions concurring therein and dissenting therefrom, at this link.

“The Supreme Court in a Polarized America — Professors Leah Litman, Julian Mortenson and Richard Primus”: Michigan Law has posted the video of this recent event on YouTube.

“The most influential Democrat you never hear from: Kyrsten Sinema’s defense of the Senate’s age-old rules is likely to frustrate progressives eager to use every tool at their disposal to advance their priorities.” Burgess Everett of Politico has this report.

“The Federalist Society Stood by the Law, Not Trump”: Jonathan D. Urick has this post at RealClearPolitics.

“Former 2nd Circuit Judge Droney has ‘a lot of things to say'”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Thomson Reuters News & Insight has this post.

“Biden aides launch review into closing Guantanamo prison, long a source of discord”: Matt Spetalnick, Trevor Hunnicutt, Phil Stewart of Reuters have this report.

“NCAA v. Alston: A Long Time Coming, Both for its Antitrust Implications and Beyond.” Sam Ehrlich has this post at The Juris Lab.

“John Marshall: Judge or Statesman? Marshall’s greatness is the product of his belief in the now-unfashionable presupposition that there are right answers to legal questions.” Matthew J. Franck has this post at the “Law & Liberty” blog.

“The government has abandoned Trump’s effort to repeal Obamacare by judicial decree; A frivolous lawsuit seeking to repeal Obamacare is still before the Supreme Court”: Ian Millhiser has this essay online at Vox.

And at Justia’s Verdict, law professor Vikram David Amar has an essay titled “Why the Biden Administration Was Right Earlier This Week to Change Course in the Obamacare Challenge Pending Before the Court.”

“Lawyers Enabled Trump’s Worst Abuses; The legal profession must reckon with its complicity in Trump’s attack on democracy”: Sherrilyn A. Ifill has this essay online at The New York Times.

“Biden Pulled Left in Quest to Seek Judges Outside Corporate Law”: Greg Stohr and Jordan Fabian of Bloomberg News have this report.

“Biden can nominate two judges to serve on the influential D.C. Circuit”: Ann E. Marimow of The Washington Post has an article that begins, “President Biden will have two openings to fill on the influential federal appeals court in Washington after Judge David S. Tatel announced plans to step back from active service.”