[JURIST] White House counsel Alberto Gonzales personally sought a legal ruling on the extent of the president's authority to permit extreme interrogation practices in the name of national security in 2002, current and former administration officials said Tuesday, a revelation that could have serious repercussions in Gonzales confirmation hearings for the post of Attorney General slated for Thursday. Until now, Gonzales's role in the production of the Justice Department's resulting memo was not clear, and Gonzales responded to questions without revealing that the answers given in the memo were answers to his own inquiries. Gonzales's request, the officials said, is unusual in that he bypassed the office of the deputy attorney general, which is usually notified of politically delicate requests for legal opinions by executive branch agencies. The New York Times has more. Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase:

• No White House torture memos for Gonzales confirmation hearing
• New Justice Department memo expands "torture" definition
• Reporters group faults Gonzales for limiting access to government information
• Gonzales nomination met with mixed reaction