Appellate

  • November 12, 2025

    1st Circ. Weighs Federal Halt To Planned Parenthood Funding

    First Circuit judges skeptically questioned a Planned Parenthood attorney Wednesday as they wrestled with whether Congress illegally singled out the organization in budget legislation that blocks its federal Medicaid funding for a year.

  • November 12, 2025

    8th Circ. Will Rehear Travelers' $27M Fire Award Challenge

    The Eighth Circuit agreed Wednesday to revisit its previous split decision affirming a Missouri-based apartment complex owner's $27 million jury award against a Travelers unit in a fire coverage dispute.

  • November 12, 2025

    11th Circ. Rules TSA Must Face Woman's Strip Search Claims

    The Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday revived a lawsuit claiming a pregnant woman was unlawfully subjected to an invasive strip search at a Florida airport, agreeing with five other circuits in ruling the U.S Transportation Security Administration is not protected against "certain intentional torts" committed by its airport security screening officers.

  • November 12, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Reverses Ax Of Oil Tool Patent And Fixes Error

    The Federal Circuit ruled Wednesday that a Texas federal judge wrongly invalidated an oil well tool patent as indefinite, saying the patent contains a rare example of an error that is so clear it can be corrected by a court.

  • November 12, 2025

    Justices Hint Early Release Factors 'Countermand' Congress

    Justices in the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative faction questioned Wednesday whether the U.S. Sentencing Commission overstepped when it said reductions in mandatory minimum sentences could be part of a court's consideration when weighing "compassionate release" for federal prisoners.

  • November 12, 2025

    Pork Buyers Fight Bid To Pause Price-Fixing Case For Appeal

    Pork buyers told a Minnesota federal judge not to hit pause on their price-fixing case while Agri Stats Inc. and major producers push the Eighth Circuit to force the judge's recusal over a law clerk's previous work on a related case.

  • November 12, 2025

    Illinois Court Says Tax Board Overstepped In Appeal Dismissal

    The Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board exceeded its statutory authority when it decided to sanction a commercial property owner by dismissing two tax appeals over the property, a state appellate panel said Wednesday.

  • November 12, 2025

    FERC Can't Order Refund Of Extra Tax Costs, DC Circ. Told

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requiring an Energy Transfer LP unit to refund customers extra costs tacked onto its rates for deferred federal income tax reasons was unlawful retroactive ratemaking, the subsidiary told the D.C. Circuit, urging a reversal of the commission's order.

  • November 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Doubts NLRB Dress Code Test In Starbucks Appeal

    A Second Circuit panel appeared skeptical Wednesday of the revised test underlying the National Labor Relations Board's ruling that Starbucks illegally forbade roastery workers to wear union T-shirts but appeared to buy that the agency's reviews of employers' dress codes generally deserve deference.

  • November 12, 2025

    Ill. Justices Probe 'Catch-22' In $7B Grain Belt Line Fight

    Illinois Supreme Court justices considering whether to uphold an Illinois agency's authorization of part of the $7 billion Grain Belt Express high-voltage transmission line on Wednesday pressed counsel for landowners insisting they shouldn't to address whether their argument creates a "catch-22" for the developer if it can't get funding without regulatory signoff but needs regulatory approval to secure financing.

  • November 12, 2025

    DOT Immigrant Trucker Rule Frozen Pending DC Circ. Review

    The D.C. Circuit has stayed a new U.S. Department of Transportation rule that blocks certain immigrants from driving commercial trucks or buses while it considers whether the rule is arbitrary, as workers and unions have claimed.

  • November 12, 2025

    4th Circ. Sides With Father-Son Duo In Equity Fight

    A company that makes elevated stairs on Wednesday lost its appeal at the Fourth Circuit following various rulings against it in a suit it lodged against its co-founder and his son over a soured business venture involving the design of the business's sole product.

  • November 12, 2025

    Boulder Fights Exxon's High Court Bid To Sink Climate Suit

    The city and county of Boulder, Colorado, are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reject Exxon Mobil Corp. and Suncor Energy Inc.'s request that it review the Colorado Supreme Court's decision to allow the city's climate change tort against the companies to proceed in state court.

  • November 12, 2025

    Historic Seneca Leader Ely Parker Honored With NY Bar Entry

    A New York appellate court has granted posthumous state bar admission to a 19th century Seneca Nation leader and Indigenous rights activist who was denied the ability to practice law because he was a Native American.

  • November 12, 2025

    9th Circ. Says Finance Guru Ramsey Can't Arbitrate Fraud Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel rejected celebrity financial planner Dave Ramsey's bid to force arbitration in a proposed class action accusing him of roping radio show listeners into a timeshare exit scheme, concluding Wednesday the suit isn't tied to the consumers' contract with Reed Hein & Associates.

  • November 12, 2025

    4th Circ. Backs Officer's Gun Draw, But Slams His Philosophy

    The Fourth Circuit on Wednesday scolded a Virginia police officer who testified that he draws his gun when "there's any type of crime committed," saying unwarranted threats of deadly force are dangerous and can violate constitutional rights.

  • November 12, 2025

    Justices Fret Over Giving Judges More First Step Act Power

    The U.S. Supreme Court raised concerns Wednesday about spurring a flood of compassionate release motions from prisoners if it allows judges to have wide discretion to find "extraordinary and compelling reasons" to pare down sentences for criminal defendants under the First Step Act.

  • November 12, 2025

    Insurer Tells Justices AMC's Share Battle Yielded No Liability

    An indemnity insurer for AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. told Delaware's justices on Wednesday that the entertainment company failed to show a covered loss when it issued shares to settle a $99.3 million claim for losses arising from a stock conversion and reverse stock split.

  • November 12, 2025

    2nd Circ. Rejects Exxon's En Banc Plea Over Atty Fee Ruling

    The Second Circuit has rejected Exxon, BP, Shell and the American Petroleum Institute's bid for en banc review of a lower court's decision to award attorney fees to New York City, which is suing them over allegations of deceptive practices around climate change.

  • November 12, 2025

    Former Twitter Exec Can't Pursue State Claims During Appeal

    Twitter's former chief marketing officer can't move forward with the state law claims in her $20 million severance suit while the company asks the Ninth Circuit to kick the allegations to arbitration, a California federal judge ruled, rejecting her argument that the company's appeal is a waste of time.

  • November 12, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Upholds New England Patriots' Patent Win

    The Federal Circuit on Wednesday refused to revive a patent on technology for providing wireless connections in sports and entertainment venues, shooting down a patent-holding company's appeal in its suit against the New England Patriots.

  • November 12, 2025

    Ex-NJ Judge Denied Benefits For Aiding Fugitive Boyfriend

    A New Jersey state appeals panel on Wednesday rejected a request for disability benefits from a former state trial court judge who was disciplined for harboring her then-fugitive boyfriend in a 2013 incident.

  • November 10, 2025

    Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attorneys From 76 Firms

    The attorneys chosen as Law360's 2025 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing significant achievements in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

  • November 11, 2025

    Trump, Ill. Debate 'Regular Forces' In National Guard Case

    President Donald Trump invoked the founders' distrust of standing armies in a bid to convince the U.S. Supreme Court he can deploy National Guard troops to Chicago for immigration enforcement, but Illinois and the city contend the use of guardsmen is intended as a backup plan. 

  • November 10, 2025

    Trump Asks Justices To Overturn E. Jean Carroll's $5M Verdict

    President Donald Trump Monday urged the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn writer E. Jean Carroll's $5 million sexual assault civil verdict win against him, saying the verdict resulted from "striking departures" from federal evidence rules that will repeat in other future cases unless the high court corrects them.

Expert Analysis

  • The Rise Of Trade Secret Specificity As A Jury Question

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    Recent federal appellate court decisions have clarified that determining sufficient particularity under the Defend Trade Secrets Act is a question of fact and will likely become a standard jury question, highlighting the need for appropriate jury instructions that explicitly address the issue, says Amy Candido at Simpson Thacher.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

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    Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

  • Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

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    State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • Takeaways As Justices Let 5th Circ. Pollution Ruling Stand

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent certiorari denial leaves intact a Fifth Circuit ruling that environmental justice organizations have standing to pursue a civil rights challenge to a parish's land-use practice, underscoring the importance of local governments proactively engaging with communities to address cumulative impacts of development, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

  • Employer Considerations After 11th Circ. Gender Care Ruling

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    The Eleventh Circuit's en banc decision in Lange v. Houston County, Georgia, finding that a health plan did not violate Title VII by excluding coverage for gender-affirming care, shows that plans must be increasingly cognizant of federal and state liability as states pass varying mandates, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

  • Trade Secret Rulings Reveal The Cost Of Poor Preparation

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    Two recent federal appellate decisions show that companies must be prepared to prove their trade secrets with specificity, highlighting how an asset management program that identifies key confidential information before litigation arises can provide the clarity and documentation that courts increasingly require, say attorneys at Mintz.

  • AI's Role In Google Antitrust Suit May Reshape Tech Markets

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    The evolution of AI in retail has reshaped the U.S.' antitrust case against Google, which could both benefit small business innovators and consumers, and fundamentally alter future antitrust cases, including the Federal Trade Commission's lawsuit against Amazon, says Graham Dufault at ACT.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: How It Works In Massachusetts

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    Since its founding in 2000, the Massachusetts Business Litigation Session's expertise, procedural flexibility and litigant-friendly case management practices have contributed to the development of a robust body of commercial jurisprudence, say James Donnelly at Mirick O’Connell, Felicia Ellsworth at WilmerHale and Lisa Wood at Foley Hoag.

  • Why Appellees Should Write Their Answering Brief First

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    Though counterintuitive, appellees should consider writing their answering briefs before they’ve ever seen their opponent’s opening brief, as this practice confers numerous benefits related to argument structure, time pressures and workflow, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • Notable Q3 Updates In Insurance Class Actions

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    The third quarter of 2025 was another eventful quarter for total loss valuation class actions, with a new circuit split developing courtesy of the Sixth Circuit, while insurers continued to see negative results in cost-of-insurance class actions, says Kevin Zimmerman at BakerHostetler.

  • Strategic Use Of Motions In Limine In Employment Cases

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Because motions in limine can shape the course of employment litigation and ensure that juries decide cases on admissible, relevant evidence, understanding their strategic use is essential to effective advocacy and case management at trial, says Sara Lewenstein at Nilan Johnson.

  • What's At Stake In High Court Compassionate Release Case

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    The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Fernandez v. U.S. next week about the overlap between motions to vacate and compassionate release, and its ultimate decision could ultimately limit or expand judicial discretion in sentencing, says Zachary Newland at Evergreen Attorneys.

  • 2nd Circ. Peloton Ruling Emphasizes Disclosure Context

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision to revive shareholders’ suit alleging that Peloton made materially misleading statements makes clear that public companies must continually review risk disclosures to determine if previous hypotheticals have materialized, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Series

    Mindfulness Meditation Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Mindful meditation enables me to drop the ego, and in helping me to keep sight of what’s important, permits me to learn from the other side and become a reliable counselor, says Roy Wyman at Bass Berry.

  • Lessons From 7th Circ. Decision Affirming $183M FCA Verdict

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    The Seventh Circuit's decision to uphold a $183 million False Claims Act award against Eli Lilly engages substantively with recurring materiality and scienter questions and provides insights into appellate review of complex trial court judgments, say Ellen London at London & Naor, Li Yu at Bernstein Litowitz and Kimberly Friday at Osborn Maledon.

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