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Wednesday round-up

Yesterday’s coverage focuses on cases scheduled for argument later this Term.  At this blog, Lyle Denniston previews Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, scheduled for argument next Monday, in which the Court is considering whether human genes are patentable.  Dan Munro of Forbes also discusses the “big losses and high stakes” at issue in the case.  And Lawrence Hurley of Reuters (via Yahoo! News) previews Agency for International Development v. Alliance for Open Society International, Inc., set for argument on April 22, in which the Court will consider whether a U.S. law that requires an organization to have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking to receive federal funding to provide HIV and AIDS programs overseas violates the First Amendment.

Elsewhere, Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker discusses the upcoming confirmation hearing for Sri Srinivasan, a candidate for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and, according to Toobin, a likely nominee for the Supreme Court as well.  Coverage of Toobin’s prediction comes from the Huffington Post and Erin Fuchs of Business Insider.  Additional coverage of Srinivasan’s nomination comes from Jeremy W. Peters of The New York Times, who notes that the Obama administration is pushing for the confirmation “[w]ith the coordination and energy that echo a Supreme Court nomination fight.”

Several of the Justices also made headlines yesterday.  Fred Zwicky of the (Peoria, Ill.) Journal Star reports that retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor recently received an honorary doctor of laws degree from Eureka College, while Kevin Begos of the Associated Press (via the San Francisco Chronicle) reports on a recent appearance by Justice Thomas at Duquesne Law School, in which the Justice “said he is heartbroken over the persistent poverty and social troubles among many black communities but has no answers on how to solve these problems.”

Briefly:

  • At the Wall Street Journal Law Blog (subscription required) Jacob Gershman reports on a recent article by Judge Pierre N. Leval of the Second Circuit in Foreign Affairs Magazine  (which Sarah covered in yesterday’s round-up) discussing the Alien Tort Statute, the scope of which the Court is currently considering in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum.
  • And at this blog, Mary Dwyer lists the “Petitions to watch” for the Court’s April 12 Conference.

Recommended Citation: Conor McEvily, Wednesday round-up, SCOTUSblog (Apr. 10, 2013, 12:28 PM), https://www.scotusblog.com/2013/04/wednesday-round-up-179/