Supreme Court's new session to be devoted to business

By Michael Doyle | McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON — A business-friendly Supreme Court will start another season Monday on familiar turf. With a closely watched case involving cigarette advertising, Chief Justice John G. Roberts is resuming the corporate focus that's marked his three-year tenure. The cases may not sound sexy, but they can be crucial for companies and consumers alike. "The question," noted Robin Conrad, the executive vice president of the National Chamber Litigation Center, "comes down to who gets to regulate business." So far, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear some 41 cases for the 2008-09 term, which begins on the traditional first Monday morning in October. The National Chamber Litigation Center, the increasingly active litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, has identified at least 16 of these... [read full story]