Monday status conference: The cruel and unusual edition
It was a long weekend for lawmakers in the House, which passed its version of the health care reform bill. But as the measure heads to the Senate, the issue of abortion is once again at the forefront of the debate.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments this week, beginning with a pair of cases which consider whether sentencing juveniles to life without parole for crimes other than murder violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. (Graham v. Florida and Sullivan v. Florida).
In other news:
Recalculating health costs: The House health care reform bill may not be as bad for business as many in the health care industry might have feared at the beginning of the debate. (New York Times)
More unemployed lawyers: Last month 5,800 legal jobs were eliminated, indicating that layoffs have increased again after leveling off this summer. This comes as the general unemployment rate hit its highest mark in more than 25 years. (ABA Journal)
‘Mad Men’ madness: Even former acting Solicitor General Walter Dellinger is a fan of the ’60-based AMC show. He laments about traveling to China, missing last night’s finale. (DC Dicta note: It was really, really good!) (WSJ’s Law Blog)
The discovery channel: As defense attorneys and some judges push for a change in federal criminal trial discovery rules in the wake of the botched prosecution of former Sen. Ted Stevens, the Justice Department is not ready to take that step, focusing on training programs instead. (The BLT Blog).
