“Homer Plessy, namesake of key Supreme Court decision, is pardoned by Gov. John Bel Edwards”: Matt Sledge of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans has this report.

“The Supreme Court has allowed state COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Biden’s policies face a steeper climb.” John Fritze of USA Today has this report.

Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “Pandemic-wary U.S. Supreme Court to weigh Biden vaccine mandates.”

And today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition” contained an audio segment titled “The Supreme Court to hold a hearing on Biden’s vaccine and testing mandate.”

“Two differing views of the Covid pandemic on display at Supreme Court”: Joan Biskupic of CNN has this report.

“‘Markel’ grandparent visitation efforts see renewed hope through House, Senate bills; Speaker-backed legislation could help some grandparents reunite with their grandchildren”: Peter Schorsch of Florida Politics has this report.

“U.S. court revives lawsuit against Pfizer, others on Iraq terrorism funding claims”: Mike Scarcella of Reuters has this report on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued today.

“Attorneys spar over United Airlines vaccine mandate at Fifth Circuit; In a hearing before the New Orleans-based appeals court, an attorney for workers who have refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19 for religious reasons said they are opposed to stem cell research that helped develop the shots”: Sabrina Canfield of Courthouse News Service has this report.

You can access via this link the audio of yesterday’s oral argument before a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

“#Metoo movement cast as threat to judicial independence in Roberts report; While the chief justice wants to focus on self-policing, advocates say internal reforms are not enough when it comes to workplace misconduct”: Kelsey Reichmann of Courthouse News Service has this report.

“Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gives an incomplete history lesson on judicial ethics; In his end of the year report, Roberts’ argument for the court’s independence from oversight omitted a key part of its history”: Law professor Steven Lubet has this essay online at NBC News.

“Why Free Exercise on Steroids Won’t Benefit Progressive Religious People”: Sherry F. Colb has this blog post at “Dorf on Law.”

“High court confirms justices have received COVID-19 booster”: Jessica Gresko and Mark Sherman of The Associated Press have this report.

“Laboratories of Autocracy”: Adam Serwer is the guest on this week’s installment of the “Strict Scrutiny” podcast, hosted by law professors Leah Litman, Melissa Murray, and Kate Shaw.

“NCLA Asks Supreme Court to Reconsider Chevron Deference in Veterans Benefits Suit”: The New Civil Liberties Alliance issued this news release yesterday about a petition for writ of certiorari the organization has filed on behalf of a client at the U.S. Supreme Court.

“There Is Nothing ‘Moderate’ About the Supreme Court’s Conservatives: Commentators speculating about whether the Court will strike a middle ground on issues important to the GOP misunderstand five decades of conservative activism that led to this point.” Peter Shamshiri has this post at Balls and Strikes.

“Crunch time for workplace vaccine mandates: U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in; The vaccine mandate, which could affect 1.8 million Philly-area workers, is headed for a big court test at the U.S. Supreme Court this week; OSHA fines could start landing on Jan. 10.” Bob Fernandez has this article in today’s edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Brett Samuels of The Hill reports that “Pence group files SCOTUS brief opposing Biden vaccine mandate.”

And in commentary, online at Washington Monthly, law professor by Peter M. Shane has an essay titled “The Supreme Court Takes COVID Legal Disputes Out of the ‘Shadows’; The justices will hear arguments on mandatory public health measures on January 7; Their rulings could have profound implications for federal regulatory authority beyond the pandemic.”

“Last Stand Of The Court Packers: The nation’s political centralizers find themselves distressed in an age in which there is increasing demand for decentralization.” George Liebmann has this essay online at The American Conservative.

“Affirmative Action: Past, Present, and Future”: At the “Law & Liberty” blog, Amy L. Wax (see here and here for details on her most recent controversy) has this review of the book “A Dubious Expediency: How Race Preferences Damage Higher Education,” edited by Gail Heriot and Maimon Schwarzchild.

“Goldman Sachs and pals bait 2nd Circuit with yet another theory in securities fraud case”: Alison Frankel’s “On the Case” from Reuters has this post.

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Private Library Is Coming to Auction; Over 1,000 books will be sold online at Bonhams, including tomes signed to her by Gloria Steinem, Toni Morrison, and Antonin Scalia”: James Tarmy of Bloomberg News has this report.

“The Vigilante Next Door: As distrust in the government and its elected officials rises, a growing number of Americans are taking the law into their own hands.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online at Slate.

“Judge P. Kevin Brobson Sworn in as newest Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania”: The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued this news release yesterday.

“Murphy may have to re-nominate N.J. Supreme Court pick or make another choice”: Brent Johnson of The Newark Star-Ledger has this report.

“Washington Top Court Asked to Weigh in on Birth Defect Damages”: Julie Steinberg of Bloomberg Law has this report (subscription required for full access) on an order certifying a question to the Supreme Court of Washington that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued today.

In earlier news coverage of the case, in November 2020, Mike Carter of The Seattle Times reported that “Seattle nurse gave flu shot instead of birth control; now judge has awarded $10M for severely disabled child’s care.”

“The Office of the Chief Circuit Judge”: Law professor Marin K. Levy and Senior Second Circuit Judge Jon O. Newman have posted this article at SSRN.

“Covid Shot-or-Test Rule Opponents Press Supreme Court for Stay”: Robert Iafolla of Bloomberg Law has this report.

“Berdote Byrne emerges as top contender for state Supreme Court seat; Justice Faustino Fernandez-Vina reaches mandatory retirement age on February 15”: Joey Fox and David Wildstein of the New Jersey Globe have this report.

“Supreme Workhorses”: Adam Feldman has this post at his “Empirical SCOTUS” blog.

“Abortion providers go back to Supreme Court in long-shot bid to challenge Texas abortion law”: Ariane de Vogue of CNN has this report.

And Pete Williams of NBC News reports that “Opponents of Texas abortion law ask Supreme Court to expedite their challenge; Abortion providers argue that Texas officials and a federal appeals court are stalling.”

Adam Liptak of The New York Times has posted today’s U.S. Supreme Court filings here and here.

“The Supreme Court Confronts the Administrative State; Two cases confront the Supreme Court this term that could threaten the essential legal underpinnings of the federal administrative state”: Peter J. Wallison has this post at the “Law & Liberty” blog.

“Litigants seeking Indiana Supreme Court review decline amid COVID-19”: Dan Carden of The Times of Munster, Indiana has this report.

“Fuentes will serve as 7th N.J. Supreme Court Justice until LaVecchia replacement is confirmed”: David Wildstein of the New Jersey Globe has this report.

“Future of claims involving confiscated properties in Cuba may lie with U.S. Supreme Court”: Nora Gámez Torres of The Miami Herald has this report.

“Employers can mandate COVID vaccines. Will the Supreme Court back them up?” Law professor Erwin Chemerinsky has this op-ed in today’s edition of The Los Angeles Times.

“LaVecchia ends 21-year stint on N.J. Supreme Court”: David Wildstein of the New Jersey Globe has this report.

“Language Mistake in Georgia Death Penalty Law Creates a Daunting Hurdle; The Supreme Court will decide whether to hear a challenge to the law, which requires that defendants in capital cases who are intellectually disabled prove it ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ — a phrase that was inserted in error”: Adam Liptak will have this new installment of his “Sidebar” column in Tuesday’s edition of The New York Times.

“Court is adjourned: Pa. Justice Tom Saylor reflects on 28-year judicial career, leaves with no regrets.” Jan Murphy of The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has this report.