A surprisingly unanimous Supreme Court on Wednesday endorsed a “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination laws, asserting that, under the First Amendment, government must keep its nose out of the hiring and firing of clergy. All 12 federal appeals courts have long recognized some form of ministerial exception, but the Supreme Court had not given its imprimatur until now.

A surprisingly unanimous Supreme Court on Wednesday endorsed a “ministerial exception” to employment discrimination laws, asserting that, under the First Amendment, government must keep its nose out of the hiring and firing of clergy. All 12 federal appeals courts have long recognized some form of ministerial exception, but the Supreme Court had not given its imprimatur until now.

“Birthers” who argue that President Obama wasn’t born in the U.S.

A New York City law that greatly restricts campaign contributions from lobbyists and others doing business with the city does not violate the free speech or due process clauses of the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals panel has held in a matter that could be destined for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Edward DuMont, an appellate litigation partner at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, has sent a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to withdraw his nomination to the Federal Circuit. DuMont, who would have been the first openly gay federal appeals judge, was nominated in April 2010.