Appellate

  • October 23, 2025

    Split DC Circ. Won't Lift Block On FTC's Media Matters Probe

    A divided D.C. Circuit panel refused Thursday to let the Federal Trade Commission subpoena Media Matters for America while the agency appeals an order blocking that probe, crediting district courts' findings of "seemingly unusual and unprecedented" facts suggesting the investigation is retaliation for reporting about Nazi content on X.

  • October 23, 2025

    Mugging Suspect Shouldn't Have Been Frisked, NY Court Says

    A man convicted of a mugging in New York City in 2019 who then led police on a high-speed car chase shouldn't have been frisked after cops discovered the victim's wallet in his pocket, a New York appeals court panel said Thursday, reversing his robbery convictions.

  • October 23, 2025

    Man Who Pled Guilty To Killing Parents Wins Chance At Retrial

    A New York appeals court ruled Thursday that a man who pled guilty to murdering his parents in 1996 can argue that ineffective counsel led him to that plea choice, having been advised that his life-without-parole sentence would be reduced if the death penalty were struck down in the state.

  • October 23, 2025

    9th Circ. Calls For Evidence Hearing Over ICE Facility Access

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday partially remanded the Washington State Department of Health's lawsuit accusing GEO Group of illegally blocking access to an immigration facility for safety inspections, calling for an evidentiary hearing into how the refusal for access played out.

  • October 23, 2025

    5th Circ. Vacates Lewis Brisbois' $1.5M Trademark Award

    The Fifth Circuit vacated a $1.5 million damages award Thursday that Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP won against three attorneys who registered a business with the same name, saying the Texas federal judge who granted the award had not explained his reasoning under the relevant statutes.

  • October 23, 2025

    Colo. Court Backs 96-Year Sentence For Repeat Offender

    The Colorado Appellate Court Thursday upheld a 96-year sentence for a man convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault, applying for the first time the state's recent high court decision that allows more severe penalties for repeat offenders provided a jury, not a judge, examines the defendant's criminal history.

  • October 23, 2025

    6th Circ. Panel Torn On Mich. 'Conversion Therapy' Ban

    A Sixth Circuit panel appeared divided Thursday about whether to block enforcement of Michigan's ban on conversion therapy for minors as the U.S. Supreme Court grapples with a nearly identical Colorado law.

  • October 23, 2025

    Ex-NY Atty Gets Sentence Reduced In Grand Larceny Case

    A New York appeals court on Thursday ruled that a prison term for a disbarred attorney who pled guilty to stealing over half a million dollars from the estate he was hired to represent was too high, ordering that it be reduced.

  • October 23, 2025

    11th Circ. Halts Fla. Detention Center Appeal Amid Shutdown

    The Eleventh Circuit has stayed an appeal over the operation of a Florida Everglades immigrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" after the government requested a halt to proceedings due to the federal government shutdown. 

  • October 23, 2025

    $5M Lindell Arbitration Fight Submitted For High Court Review

    A software developer trying to revive his $5 million arbitral award against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has brought the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, where he is urging the justices to finally resolve whether manifest disregard of the law is a valid basis on which arbitral awards may be vacated.

  • October 23, 2025

    Ex-Copyright Leaders, Media Groups Back Cox Piracy Liability

    Media industry groups, former lawmakers and copyright officials are among the parties supporting music companies fighting an appeal from Cox Communications in the U.S. Supreme Court and urging the justices in nearly a dozen amicus briefs to hold internet service providers accountable for their customers' online piracy.

  • October 23, 2025

    Conn. Judge Awards $71K Fees In 'Minute Entry' Appeal Loss

    A Connecticut federal judge on Thursday awarded $71,050 in attorney fees to a company that defeated a Second Circuit challenge questioning whether an oral ruling and a "minute entry" were real judicial decisions that triggered a 30-day appeal deadline, finding the charges reasonable.

  • October 23, 2025

    Full 5th Circ. Asked To Rehear Texas Bankers' OCC Dispute

    Two former Texas bankers have asked the full Fifth Circuit to revive their constitutional challenge to an in-house Office of the Comptroller of the Currency enforcement case, arguing that the appellate panel's decision to reject their appeal wrongly stripped them of their right to a jury trial and handed banking agencies "unlimited discretion" to prosecute old misconduct.

  • October 23, 2025

    Ex-Intel Workers Seek High Court Review Of 401(k) Suit

    Former Intel employees urged the U.S. Supreme Court to review the dismissal of their suit claiming their retirement savings were pushed into subpar investment options, saying the Ninth Circuit imposed too strict a standard by requiring them to identify similar funds for comparison.

  • October 23, 2025

    Ex-ComEd CEO Asks 7th Circ. For Bail Pending Appeal

    Former Exelon Utilities and Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore has renewed her request to remain out of jail while she seeks to unwind her criminal conviction and two-year prison sentence, this time asking the Seventh Circuit for bond ahead of her December surrender date.

  • October 23, 2025

    Ga. Justices Question 'Tesla Carveout' In Direct Car Sales Ban

    Georgia's Supreme Court justices appeared to harbor reservations Thursday about the viability of a state ban on car manufacturers engaging in direct-to-consumer sales, thanks in part to a "Tesla carveout" that allowed the leading electric vehicle maker to continue operating its own dealerships.

  • October 23, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Affirms No Tax Refunds For Retired United Pilots

    United Airlines pilots who said they overpaid payroll taxes because of the early termination of their retirement plan in the company's bankruptcy can't get partial refunds, the Federal Circuit affirmed Thursday, saying procedural issues doomed their case.

  • October 23, 2025

    Bayer Wants Full Fed. Circ. Scrutiny Of Axed Xarelto Claims

    Bayer Pharma Aktiengesellschaft is urging the full Federal Circuit to scrutinize a decision that declined to revive claims in a patent covering its blockbuster blood thinner, saying Wednesday that a panel wrongly concluded the term "clinically proven effective" couldn't count toward the claims' patentability.

  • October 23, 2025

    4th Circ. Pushed To Retain Block On Chemours PFAS Dumping

    A pair of environmental groups is urging the Fourth Circuit to leave in place an injunction blocking The Chemours Co. FC LLC from continuing to discharge so-called forever chemicals into the Ohio River, saying the company is using strawman arguments to get its way.

  • October 23, 2025

    11th Circ. Nixes Ex-Police Investigator's Disability Bias Suit

    The Eleventh Circuit on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a former Florida police investigator's employment discrimination lawsuit, finding that he was provided some reasonable accommodations for his disability. 

  • October 23, 2025

    2nd Circ. Won't Rehear Cannabis Dormant Commerce Case

    The Second Circuit on Wednesday denied New York cannabis regulators' petition to reconsider a panel's split ruling that the U.S. Constitution bars states from privileging their own residents when awarding licenses to cannabis businesses.

  • October 23, 2025

    1st Circ. Affirms Navy Officer Conviction In Afghan Visa Scam

    The First Circuit affirmed a New Hampshire jury's conviction of a U.S. Navy Reserve officer who participated in a scheme to provide letters of recommendation for Afghans seeking visas to enter the United States in exchange for money.

  • October 23, 2025

    High Court Urged To Review Police Use Of Geofencing Data

    A Texas man has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether law enforcement violated his rights when police used anonymized bulk Google data they obtained through a warrant in an attempt to locate him and whether that constitutes an illegal search.

  • October 23, 2025

    NJ Appellate Panel Revives Malpractice Suit Against Firm

    A New Jersey appellate panel on Thursday revived a former Woodbridge Township police officer's malpractice suit against an Edison-based law firm and one of its partners, alleging incompetent representation in a personal injury case.

  • October 23, 2025

    Conn. Panel Doubts Ex-Alex Jones Atty Can Skirt Suspension

    Connecticut appellate judges expressed skepticism Thursday that an attorney who previously represented conspiracy theorist Alex Jones can avoid serving the remainder of a two-week suspension, voicing doubt that a lower court abused its discretion in crafting the sanction for violating a confidentiality order.

Expert Analysis

  • Justices Rethink Minimum Contacts For Foreign Entities

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    Two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, Devas v. Antrix and Fuld v. Palestine Liberation Organization, suggest that federal statutes may confer personal jurisdiction over foreign entities that have little to no contact with the U.S. — a significant departure from traditional due process principles, says Gary Shaw at Pillsbury.

  • Opinion

    High Court Must Overrule Outdated Patent Eligibility Doctrine

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    A certiorari petition should directly ask the U.S. Supreme Court to correct its 1972 patent decision in Gottschalk v. Benson, the critical point where patent eligibility law veered from the statutory text toward judicial policymaking, says Robert Greenspoon at Dunlap Bennett.

  • Examining TCPA Jurisprudence A Year After Loper Bright

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    One year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Chevron deference in Loper Bright v. Raimondo, lower court decisions demonstrate that the Telephone Consumer Protection Act will continue to evolve as long-standing interpretations of the act are analyzed with a fresh lens, says Aaron Gallardo at Kilpatrick.

  • Gauging The Risky Business Of Business Risk Disclosures

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    With the recent rise of securities fraud actions based on external events — like a data breach or environmental disaster — that drive down stock prices, risk disclosures have become more of a sword for the plaintiffs bar than a shield for public companies, now the subject of a growing circuit split, say attorneys at A&O Shearman.

  • How Justices' Ruling Limits Options To Challenge DHS Orders

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    In Riley v. Bondi, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that a 30-day deadline for challenging deportation orders begins when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues a final administrative review order, opening the door for the government to effectively bar circuit court review in future similar cases, says Kevin Gregg at Kurzban Kurzban.

  • Series

    Playing The Violin Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing violin in a string quartet reminds me that flexibility, ambition, strong listening skills, thoughtful leadership and intentional collaboration are all keys to a successful legal practice, says Julie Park at MoFo.

  • Purdue Case Could Transform Patent Obviousness Analyses

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    If accepted for review by the U.S. Supreme Court, Purdue Pharma v. Accord Healthcare — concerning whether Purdue's abuse-deterrent opioid formulation patents were invalid as obvious — could significantly shift how courts weigh secondary considerations in patent obviousness analyses, say attorneys at Lathrop.

  • NM Cyber Ruling Will Spur Litigation As Coverage Remedy

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    In Kane v. Beazley, the New Mexico Court of Appeals recently found that a cyber liability provision insuring security breaches included coverage for funds transfer fraud, implicitly and incorrectly motivating policyholders to commence litigation to avoid contractual limitations on cyber coverages, say attorneys at Zelle.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Self-Care

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    Law schools don’t teach the mental, physical and emotional health maintenance tools necessary to deal with the profession's many demands, but practicing self-care is an important key to success that can help to improve focus, manage stress and reduce burnout, says Rachel Leonard​​​​​​​ at MG+M.

  • Texas' Cactus Ruling Clarifies 'Produced Water' Rules

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    The Texas Supreme Court's decision in Cactus Water Services v. COG Operating, holding that mineral interest lessees have the rights to water extracted alongside oil and gas, should benefit industry players by clarifying the rules — but it leaves important questions about royalties unresolved, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • ABA Opinion Makes It A Bit Easier To Drop A 'Hot Potato'

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    The American Bar Association's recent ethics opinion clarifies when attorneys may terminate clients without good cause, though courts may still disqualify a lawyer who drops a client like a hot potato, so sending a closeout letter is always a best practice, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

  • How Political Divisions Are Stalling Pa. Energy Development

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    Despite possessing the nation's second-largest natural gas reserves and a legacy of energy infrastructure, Pennsylvania faces a fragmented and politically charged path to developing the energy resources it will need in the future, thanks to legislative gridlock, divided public opinion and competing energy interests, says Andrew Levine at Stradley Ronon.

  • How High Court Ruling Can Aid Judgment Enforcement In US

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    In CC/Devas (Mauritius) v. Antrix, a unanimous U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that only two steps are required to keep a foreign sovereign in federal court, making it a little easier for investors to successfully bring foreign states and sovereign-owned and -controlled entities into U.S. courts, says Kristie Blase at Felicello Law.

  • What High Court's Tenn. Trans Care Ruling Means Nationally

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Skrmetti, upholding a Tennessee ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors, is fairly limited in scope and closely tailored to the specific language of Tennessee's law, but it may have implications for challenges to similar laws in other states, say attorneys at Hall Render.

  • Justices Rewrite Rules For Challenging Enviro Agency Actions

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    Three recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings — Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, Oklahoma v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and EPA v. Calumet Shreveport Refining — form a jurisprudential watershed in administrative and environmental law, affirming statutory standing and venue provisions as the backbone of coherent judicial review, say attorneys at GableGotwals.

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