'No' on Sotomayor: Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) plans to vote against the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Sessions, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced his opposition in an op-ed in USA Today. "I don't believe that Judge Sotomayor has the deep-rooted convictions necessary to resist the siren call of judicial activism," Sessions wrote. The committee is set to vote on the nomination Tuesday.
Going Public: John Yoo is not taking criticism quietly, The Washington Post reports. The former official in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel has been traveling the country, giving speeches in an attempt to counter critics of opinions he wrote on interrogation and other topics. "This is not a person who goes around raging or screaming at people — quite the opposite," said one colleague.
Varney's Close-Up: The New York Times on Sunday reported on the mountain of work — and opposition — that faces Christine Varney, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division. White House chief economic adviser Lawrence Summers stepped in to mediate one dispute between Varney's office and the Transportation Department, as her work threatens Democratic efforts to woo the political support of businesses.
Speaking of Antitrust Cases: Microsoft is hoping to end an antitrust dispute in Europe by offering customers there a choice of Web browsers with its Windows operating system. The Recorder reports via Law.com that the concession was something the Justice Department sought — and failed to win — in its historic case against the company. European officials say they welcome Microsoft's plan and are reviewing it.
Terrorist or Refugee?: More than 7,000 people have seen their requests for refugee status, asylum or green cards go unprocessed because they've been ensnared by anti-terrorism laws, McClatchy Newspapers reports. The Patriot Act and other laws bar refugees and asylum seeks if they supported an armed group in their homelands — even if they helped the U.S. government. Holland & Knight is among the firms pitching in.
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