Starting your week with the Post-Gazette Business/law package today begins with a report by the Legal Intelligencer's Amaris Elliott-Engel on Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin's musings on the high court's potential authority to appoint a replacement to suspended Justice Joan Orie Melvin.

The LI's Zack Needles reports on Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott's continued expansion into the New Jersey legal market.

And from the weekend, the Panic Street Lawyer's Jay Hornack reflects on on March Madness, beer, ancient law and Pennsylvania regulation  to the sounds of They Might Be Giants.

Second-year law students Sarah Molinero and Aleksandra Kocelko will advance to the finals of the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) after being named champions at the regional competition in Washington, D.C., March 7-9.
 
This marks the first time that a team from Duquesne Law School has earned a spot in the prestigious NAAC Championship, which will be held from April 4-6 in Chicago and will feature 27 teams.
 
Andrew Griffin and Bethany WillardMolinero and Kocelko argued both on and off brief a total of five times over three days before being declared regional champions. In addition, the Duquesne Law School team of Andrew Griffin and Bethany Willard finished as semi-finalists in the regional competition.
 
The NAAC, which is the largest moot court competition in the country, focuses on the development of oral advocacy skills through a realistic appellate advocacy experience. Competitors participate in a hypothetical appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, including writing a brief as either a respondent or petitioner and arguing the case before a mock court.

(Top image: NAAC regional champions Sarah Molinero (L) and Aleksandra Kocelko)

Matt Mangino, who authors The Cautionary Instruction here on Fridays, has launched a new column on criminal justice topics, Crime and Punishment, distributed by Gatehouse News Service.

In his debut column Matt talks about the challenges facing the system and the common criticisms of its shortcomings and complications:

"Rather than continuing the unbridled and sometimes spurious attacks on the criminal justice system, society would do well to demand an honest dialogue that focuses on fairness, justice and accountability. I hope to contribute to that dialogue each week through this column."

Starting your week with the Post-Gazette Business/law package today begins with a report by the Legal Intelligencer's Gina Passarella about the changing office footprints of  law firms that are downsizing or adapting to changing business conditions and opportunities in the legal sector.

The LI's Amaris Elliott-Engel details proposed Pennsylvania legislation that would make inadmissible in medical malpractice lawsuits any admissions of liability that doctors and other health care providers make to patients while apologizing or extending "benevolent" gestures of compassion

And from the weekend, the Panic Street Lawyer's Jay Hornack offers some legal notes on three of last night's Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards, including Argo.

Starting your week with the Post-Gazette Business/law package today begins with a report by the PG's Joyce Gannon on theimapct of uncertainjob prospects on law school enrollment and how the Duquesne and University of Pittsburgh programs are responding.

The Legal Intelligencer's Zack Needles updates K&L Gates' continued expansion in the Lone Star State.

And from the weekend, the Panic Street Lawyer's Jay Hornack has closing notes on this year's Grammy Awards and a look at the upcoming Academy Awards' category for best documentary feature.

Vivian Chen in her Careerist column over at Lawjobs.com takes a closer look at a new employment survey by the NALP — The Association for Legal Career Professionals and spotlights some notable trends in the characteristics of lawyers reported to be working parttime -- a number that, overall, reportedly dipped slight from 2010 to last year:

"But here's the curiosity: Despite that downward trend, a steady stream of partners is opting for part-time. 'The growth rate of part-time work among partners has been greater, rising from 1.2 percent in 1994 to 3.6 percent in 2010 and 3.5 percent in 2011,' reports NALP."

Today's Post-Gazette has a special report, EarthDay 2011, which starts with a report by Don Hopey about the long history of women as leaders in the region's environmental movement: Earth Mothers.

And don't miss these additional reports:

Kevin Kirkland: 'Green' Bamboo not ideal for Pittsburgh area

David Templeton & Don Hopey: Post-Gazette series sparks debate about air pollution

Erich Schwartzel: Keep up, speak out and share on Marcellus Shale news with Pipeline

Sara Bauknecht: Amid World Environment and Earth days, a bevy of events

Events listing: Green Happenings