Despite increasing his pace of U.S.

Just shy of a three-month milepost, it’s still early to forecast what impact the California Supreme Court’s newest member will have — but Justice Goodwin Liu’s presence has already shaken up the pace and style of oral argument in some of the court’s biggest cases, most notably in the fight over gay marriage.

Legal service providers and housing counselors are urging the state of New York to replace federal stimulus funds for foreclosure prevention services when the money runs out in a few months — just as court officials say that the pace of foreclosures is likely to pick up.

A report by law firm consultancy Altman Weil finds that, although there were fewer law firm mergers last year than in prior years, the pace of such unions increased at the end of 2010.

If appellate briefs are wars of words, it would seem the lawyers for an imprisoned former state senator are asking for some arms control. Prosecutors recently filed a 281-page opening brief in an appeal challenging a 55-month sentence — but defense lawyers are urging the 3rd Circuit to reject the brief, arguing it is simply too long, and saying “if briefing were to continue at this pace ..