➤➤ Want to get this daily news briefing by email? Here's the sign-up. 


|

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

|

MORE JUDGES - President Trump is poised to gain his fifth and sixth judicial appointments to the Ninth Circuit. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled today to vote on the confirmations of Daniel Collins, a partner at Munger Tolles, and Kenneth Lee, a partner at Jenner & Block. California's Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris have declined to return blue slips that indicate their sign-off. If confirmed by the full Senate, Collins and Lee will join four other Trump appointees to the Ninth Circuit, which has 29 judicial slots. The court currently has four vacancies.

BACK TO REALITY - Where will Mueller and his team land now that their report into Russian election tampering is wrapped up? Ryan Lovelace reports that including Mueller, 74, the special counsel team had four former Wilmer partners. The legendary tight lips of the group are not revealing their next move, but odds are that Wilmer could get at least some of them back. Other team members are expected to return to their previous government posts.

FOR REALS - Gonzaga takes on Florida State University this evening to earn a spot in the Elite Eight, but the Spokane, Washington, university's law school has already emerged as a big winner in this year's NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. Karen Sloan reports on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance that Gonzaga law dean Jacob Rooksby and about 50 of its law students made this week to help prove that the university actually exists. Kimmel has been joking on air about the fact that he doesn't believe Gonzaga University actually exists and that it's an imaginary campus intended only to win basketball games.


|

EDITOR'S PICKS

|

Monsanto Hit With $80M Verdict in First Federal Roundup Trial

Another Ex-Partner Sues Milberg, Successor Firm Over Stopped Payments


|

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

|

NEW BENEFIT - Two Magic Circle firms are offering gender reassignment surgery for transgender staff under their private medical insurance plans. Hannah Roberts reports that Linklaters said the move was aimed at supporting staff with gender dysphoria, a medical condition where a person experiences discomfort and distress from a mismatch between their biological sex assigned at birth and their gender identity. Clifford Chance also has agreed to update its medical insurance policy to cover gender reassignment surgery.


|

WHAT YOU SAID

“I didn't mean to say that we don't care about the outcome of this case, because we deeply care about the rights of our veterans and we do care about the outcome of all of these types of cases.”

— NOEL FRANCISCO, U.S. SOLICITOR GENERAL, AFTER SAYING DURING SCOTUS ORAL ARGUMENTS THAT HE WAS LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPECIFIC RESULT IN KISOR V. WILKIE AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT OVERTURNING PRECEDENT THAT DIRECT COURTS TO DEFER TO AN AGENCY'S INTERPRETATION OF ITS OWN AMBIGUOUS REGULATIONS.


 ➤➤ Sign up here to receive the Morning Minute straight to your inbox.