Blog Round-Up – Friday, January 6th

In nomination news:

ACSBlog has this post on two events they recently hosted on the Alito nomination. Yesterday, ACS co-hosted a speech by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) in which he discussed several concerns about the nominee. The day before, ACS hosted a panel discussion about the Alito nomination featuring advocates and scholars discussing particular bases for concern regarding the nomination’s implications for the Court’s jurisprudence going forward.

As discussed by Marty Lederman below, the newest edition of The Pocket Part, with a focus on law and politics in the judicial confirmation process is now available. The Volokh Conspiracy comments here.

On Balkinization, here is Sandy Levinson with a post on a potential connection between Judge Alito’s nomination and the president’s exercise of executive power.

Here is a list of the Democratic witnesses for the Alito hearings.

In non-nomination news:

Criminal Appeal has this post on Coleman v. Thompson, a seminal case on federal habeas review of claims defaulted in state court.

The Southern District of Florida Blog has this eyewitness account of Padilla’s first day in the Court.