Viewpoint: Latest Reports from The Wall Street Journals ‘Law Blog’

Sanders and Trump Embrace the Supreme Court Litmus Test
During Thursday’s Democratic debate in Brooklyn, Sen. Bernie Sanders raised eyebrows among some listeners with his unapologetic embrace of a Supreme Court litmus test. His comments came in response to a question about whether he would withdraw the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court […]

Net Neutrality Verdict Could Be Near
A verdict is near on the future of net neutrality.

AM Roundup: A Win for Teachers Unions
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

Microsoft’s Privacy Lawsuit Bears Echoes of Facebook Case
Microsoft Corp.’s privacy battle with the government over secret search warrants echoes a court fight in New York waged by fellow tech giant Facebook Inc.

Key Passages from Microsoft’s Privacy Lawsuit
Silicon Valley’s privacy revolt against government surveillance entered a new phase Thursday when Microsoft filed suit challenging a federal law it claims has given authorities unconstitutional access to personal documents stored on the cloud.

Judge Rules Sandy Hook Lawsuit Can Move Forward
A Connecticut judge on Thursday rejected a bid by gun companies to squelch a lawsuit filed by families of those killed in the Sandy Hook massacre.

SEC Alleges ‘Ponzi-Like’ Scheme in Vermont Involving EB-5 Visa Program
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil lawsuit alleging a “massive eight-year fraudulent scheme” involving a series of real-estate developments by Jay Peak ski resort in Vermont and a federal program that offers green cards to foreign investors.

Long Legal Fight Over Access to California Bar Admissions Data Headed for Trial
It was a decade ago when a UCLA law professor known for his critique of affirmative action first asked the State Bar of California to give him a trove of data on people who applied to practice law in the state. Richard Sander still hasn’t gotten the records, but his long legal effort in pursuit of the data may have reached a turning point.

AM Roundup: Exxon Fires Back
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

No Warrant Required for Phone Location Records, Court Rules
Federal agents can obtain cellphone records that reveal a caller’s location without seeking a warrant, a federal appeals court ruled.

Law Schools Are ‘Indoctrinating Students with a Social Justice Morality,’ Says Professor
A new paper faults law schools for encouraging students to engage in social justice.

‘We Shall Overcome’ Should be Free, Lawsuit Contends
The lawyers who successfully brought “Happy Birthday to You” into the public domain are waging a similar legal campaign to unshackle “We Shall Overcome” from copyright protections.

AM Roundup: Immigration Case Could Turn on Drivers License Fees
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

FBI Director Likens Apple Encryption Clash to Gun-Control Debate
What does the debate over gun control have to do with the legal showdown between Apple Inc. and the FBI?

Are California’s New Data Security Standards a Recipe for Liability?
An effective shield against cyber-attacks or a recipe for lawsuits? Those are two ways of looking at new data security standards endorsed by the California attorney general’s office.

Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Heads to Copyright Trial
The trial is set for May 10 in Los Angeles.

AM Roundup: Roberts Ducks Garland Controversy
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

Garland and Grassley Break Bread, Little Ground
Judge Merrick Garland on Tuesday broke bread with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley. It doesn’t appear that the stalled Supreme Court nominee broke any ground.

Appeals Court Dismisses Challenge to Utah’s Polygamy Ban
A federal appeals court has dismissed a legal challenge to Utah’s polygamy ban brought by stars of the reality television show “Sister Wives.”

An ‘Important Win’ for Campus Dissidents
A recent federal appeals court ruling out of California may prove to be an important win for speech rights on college campuss, according to a Harvard constitutional scholar.

Appeals Court: Mississippi AG’s Investigation of Google Can Resume
A federal appeals court has dealt a setback to Google’s legal battle with Hollywood and state law-enforcement officials over its content-screening policies, ruling that the Mississippi attorney general’s office can resume a probe of the company’s internal operations.

AM Roundup: Feds Probe Nonprofit Tied to New York Mayor
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

Sotomayor Regales Law School Students in Brooklyn
As Justice Sonia Sotomayor regaled a young audience inside a red-brick church, one could almost forget that a political standoff grips the nation’s highest court.

Think Tank Skeptical of Global Warming Calls Subpoena an ‘Affront to First Amendment Rights’
The climate change fraud investigations of Exxon Mobil Corp.has expanded into the Washington, D.C. think-tank world.

How Supreme Court Legitimacy is Shaped
While clashing over the Supreme Court vacancy, President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans both agree to some extent that the legitimacy of the nation’s highest court is at stake. To the president, it’s political infighting over the next nominee that’s wounding the institution. “The courts will […]

AM Roundup: A Final Flurry of Regulations
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

Bankruptcy Judge Scolds 50 Cent for Courthouse Photo
Rapper 50 Cent got slapped on the wrist from his bankruptcy judge for bringing his phone into the courthouse, where it appeared he had taken a photo of himself with stacks of fake cash tucked into his belt and posted it to Instagram.

Obama Says Garland Fight Putting Federal Court System’s Legitimacy at Risk
Appearing in Chicago on Thursday to make the case for his Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama said that the political infighting over the next nominee threatened the legitimacy of federal court system.

Cross on L.A. County Seal is Unconstitutional, Federal Judge Rules
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors violated the U.S. Constitution when it inserted an image of a tiny Latin cross to the county’s official seal, a federal judge ruled Thursday.

Why MetLife Beat the Government
Underpinning last week’s court ruling curbing federal oversight of MetLife Inc. was a recent Supreme Court decision striking down limits on power plant mercury emissions.

Sonia Sotomayor: The Job of a Justice Has Gotten Much More Complicated
The job of being a Supreme Court justice has gotten more complex and requires a firmer command of legal skills than in earlier times, according to Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Vast Data Leak a Teachable Moment for Founders of ‘Panama Papers’ Firm
“At this point in time I would say there shouldn’t be repercussions,” says Jürgen Mossack, one of the founders of the law firm at the center of the “Panama Papers” leak. “But I wouldn’t say that there won’t be any.”

AM Roundup: Fonseca Defends Law Firm
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

New York Judge Dismisses Pop Singer Kesha’s Abuse Claims Against Producer
A New York judge has delivered a setback to pop singer Kesha’s contract battle with a Sony-affiliated music producer whom she alleges abused her.

Marijuana Seizure Didn’t Violate Religious Rights, Federal Appeals Court Rules
A federal appeals court in California has ruled against a Native American religious group that claimed its religious rights were violated when the federal government seized marijuana that its members consume as a sacrament. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling handed down […]

AM Roundup: Mississippi Law Opens New Front in Gay Rights Debate
Law Blog rounds up the morning’s legal news.

Patriots Fans Sue Over ‘Deflategate’ Punishment
There’s fan fiction. So why not fan litigation? A group of New England Patriots fans have filed a federal lawsuit against the National Football League for docking the team a first-round pick in the 2016 draft as punishment for the “Deflategate” scandal.

‘Jackie’ from Rolling Stone’s Retracted UVA Rape Story Must Testify in Defamation Case
The young woman at the center of Rolling Stone’s explosive and later discredited story about a fraternity gang rape has been ordered by a federal judge to give deposition in a defamation lawsuit against the magazine.

Sen. Collins Urges Republican Colleagues to Meet With Supreme Court Nominee Garland
Centrist Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine urged Republican colleagues to meet with Supreme Court nominee Judge Merrick Garland after he visited her office Tuesday.

George Mason Tinkers With Name of Scalia Law School to Avoid Awkward Acronym
Days after George Mason University’s law school announced that it was renaming itself after Justice Antonin Scalia, the school is slightly adjusting what it’s calling itself — thanks to […]