Federal Judiciary

Monday round-up

By James Bickford

With the first arguments of the October Term taking place this morning, the weekend?s coverage of the Court included many previews of the Term to come.  The Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Reuters, New York Times (and Linda Greenhouse on the Opinionator blog of the New York Times), Associated Press (via NPR), National Law Journal, CNN, Wisconsin Law Journal, and Wall Street Journal all feature broad overviews of the Court?s docket.  The Washington Post also has a piece on the business cases this Term; the New York Times editorial board characterizes the Roberts Court as overly sympathetic to corporate interests.  In Slate, Barry Friedman and Dahlia Lithwick argue that the Court, ?has taken the law for a sharp turn to the ideological right, while at the same time masterfully concealing it.?  Jeffrey Rosen appears on Marketplace to offer his take on the Term, and the Federalist Society recently hosted a forum on the same subject.

Previews of individual cases also abounded.  In addition to this blog?s own coverage, National Aeronautics and Space Administration v. Nelson is featured by the Associated Press (via MSNBC); Mayo Foundation v. United States by United Press International; and Snyder v. Phelps by the Topeka Capital Journal, Christian Science Monitor, McClatchy, Bloomberg, and the Los Angeles Times.

Of course, the most notable news of the young Term is Justice Elena Kagan?s participation in it.  A formal investiture ceremony was held on Friday; NPR, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and its Law Blog, the Associated Press (via the Fresno Bee), Lyle Denniston of this blog, and the Blog of Legal Times (pictures here) all covered the event.  The Washington Post, McClatchy, and Fox News feature pieces on Justice Kagan?s recusals; Tom Goldstein of this blog also addressed the topic.

Finally, Nina Totenberg of NPR has a lengthy interview with retired Justice John Paul Stevens.  Joan Biskupic also has a piece on Justice Stevens in USA Today.

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on October 04, 2010 (boomark / email).