* Scott Moss wants to know: What's the weakest legal argument you've ever heard? [PrawfsBlawg]

* William Birdthistle wants to know: What financial and legal regimes are most conducive to the development of French-fry-selling Thai restaurants? [Conglomerate]

* NBS wants to know: Is Hillary Clinton channeling Eva Peron? Bonus observation: "Dolly Madison had a decent rack, and now there's a whole line of cookies names after her." [Nasty, Brutish & Short]

* The WSJ Law Blog wants to know: Why are there so many darn lawyers in Roseland, New Jersey? [WSJ Law Blog]

If you're a sucker for soccer -- which is one of the world's most popular sports, and which may soon take off on these shores, thanks to the arrival of David Beckham -- then you should definitely check out the Volokh Conspiracy guest-blogging of our good friend and former co-clerk, Professor William Birdthistle.

Here's a teaser, from Birdthistle's first post:

I attempt to discern the cause of the deterioration of World Cup soccer into [such a] deplorable state. My conclusion, which I'll explore further in coming posts, is that the rewards and punishments that referees have in their arsenal are too crude and too capable of determining the outcome of the game. The power of referees to work a game's bouleversement with one blow of the whistle — either by sending off a star player or awarding a penalty — places officials at the center of the game.

Players then have a strong incentive to attempt to influence referees, often by bearing false witness to the facts with dives and operatic petitions. This phenomenon appears to be exacerbated at the quadrennial World Cup, where teams play relatively few games for enormous stakes and where caution and calculation often trump free-flowing football....

My proposals for addressing the situation, which I will also discuss further in future posts, focus primarily on ways of diluting and refining referees' power.

For more thoughts, including details of his reform proposals, check out the links collected below.

Football Most Foul [Volokh Conspiracy]
The Universal Game [Volokh Conspiracy]
William Birdthistle, Guest Blogging [Volokh Conspiracy]

Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain, Mrs. Maura O'Scannlain, and two decades' worth of law clerks and judicial assistants. (We apologize for the less-than-stellar quality of this pic. If you live in the D.C. area and would like to give us a tutorial in digital photography, email us.)

Our photo essay about the historic Pioneer Courthouse, in Portland, Oregon, is complete . But our coverage of "DFOpalooza" -- the delightful weekend of events celebrating Ninth Circuit Judge Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain's 20th judicial anniversary -- isn't quite done.

After the jump, more fun photographs. We traveled across the country to be there, so we intend to milk it for all it's worth. And, of course, it's good publicity for our awesome former boss.

If you're a federal judge who's wondering, "Why isn't my law clerk reunion being covered this lavishly?", there's a solution: Invite us to your next one! (Hey Frank -- we hear your house in Alaska is pretty sweet.)

Yes, ladies, he really is this handsome. Sorry, he's taken.

From left to right: Professor William Birdthistle; Mark Schneider, an AUSA in Chicago; Ninth Circuit Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain; Brian Murray (OT 2002/Scalia); Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Cohn (OT 2000/Thomas); Carol Murray (we think); Cindy Zmijewski Demers (in profile); Ryan W. Bounds, of the Office of Legal Policy (and the Office of Sartorial Counsel).

For those of you who don't like eye candy (of the admittedly blurry kind), you'll be happy to know that this is the last in our series of photo essay posts about the historic Pioneer Courthouse, in Portland, Oregon. The prior installments can be accessed here (scroll down).

The latest batch of pictures, showing former O'Scannlain law clerks on a judge-led tour of the renovated Pioneer Courthouse, appear after the jump.

* We were taught growing up that when someone pays you a compliment, the appropriate response is gratitude. So thank you, QuizLaw!

Unlike those grumpy feminists -- e.g., Jessica Valenti, adversary of Ann Althouse -- we soak up compliments graciously. And we enjoy being objectified. Toward that end, here's a shirtless photo of us. [QuizLaw]

* Call us un-American and terrible human beings, but we really don't like dogs -- not even to eat. So we support the idea of subjecting them to criminal punishment. [PrawfsBlawg]

* Oh, and we don't like cats, either. [ABC 7 News]

* Chicago-Kent law students: When Professor William Birdthistle isn't teaching you the finer points of securities regulation, he's getting drunk off his ass enjoying -- or at least writing about -- the world's most expensive cocktails.** [Forbes]

* This video is really more weird (borderline creepy) than it is funny. But the production values are excellent -- especially for a law student council campaign video. [Concurring Opinions]

* Howard K. Stern, lawyer-cum-paramour of Anna Nicole Smith, may actually be a pretty shrewd attorney. He certainly knows his Bahamian family law. [PerezHilton]

* SCOTUS spouse we'd most like to grab drinks with: Martin Ginsburg. Close second: Martha Alito.*** [TaxProf Blog (2nd paragraph)]

* Apparently we're not the only ones who are intrigued by Brian Leiter. [PrawfsBlawg]

** Please don't misinterpret our good-natured ribbing of Professor Birdthistle, a former co-clerk and one of our closest friends.

*** We're serious about this. Sources tell us that the nation got a very erroneous picture of Martha Alito from her husband's confirmation hearings, when she fled the hearing room in tears. Apparently she's a blast to hang out with and has a great sense of humor.

* "Bless him Father, for he has sinned": Msgr. John Woolsey made some unauthorized withdrawals from his church's collection plate, which he blew on golf vacations and Rolex watches. (Monsignor: A Rolex is so unoriginal. Why not, say, a nice Patek Philippe?) [Judicial Reports]

* Newly confirmed Tenth Circuit judge Neil M. Gorsuch -- a member of the Elect, former partner at the super-elite Kellogg Huber firm, and former Principal Deputy to the Associate Attorney General -- has a new book out. It's entitled The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia. We have no idea what it says; but it was probably smart of him to get confirmed before it was published. [How Appealing]

* Planning a trip to Ireland? Law professor William Birdthistle has some recommendations for you. [Forbes]

* Gov. Jon Corzine's picks for the New Jersey Supreme Court have cool names: James Zazzali, nominated to be the next Chief Justice, and Helen Hoens, nominated to fill Zazzali's vacated seat. We support Judge Hoens's nomination, 'cause we're suckers for alliteration. And assonance, too. [New York Times]

* This is a long and juicy article; we'll probably blog more about it later. For now, some key terms to whet your appetite: insider trading, ballroom dancing, trips to Cuba, BMWs, strippers. Oh, and a forklift operator. Don't forget the forklift operator. [Fortune via WSJ Law Blog]