Appellate

  • February 13, 2026

    Amazon Workers Ask 9th Circ. To Revive 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    A proposed class of Amazon workers said Friday they'll ask the Ninth Circuit to revive their federal benefits lawsuit alleging 401(k) forfeitures were misspent, after a Washington federal judge tossed the case for failure to state a claim in January.

  • February 13, 2026

    Indiana AG Declines Intervention In Posner Wage Suit

    Indiana's attorney general has declined to intervene in a pro se plaintiff's suit seeking to revive $170,000 in wage claims against retired Seventh Circuit Judge Richard A. Posner, finding the case did not pose a "substantial" constitutional challenge to a state statute mandating that delayed contracts must be written and signed to be enforced.

  • February 13, 2026

    Texas Justices Says Tornadoes Are Windstorms Under Policy

    The Texas Supreme Court on Friday held that the ordinary meaning of the term "windstorm" in a homeowners policy unambiguously encompasses a tornado, confirming that a higher windstorm deductible applied to a Dallas couple's claim for property damage following a tornado.

  • February 13, 2026

    Texas Well Operator Responsible For Worker Injury Costs

    An appellate court in Texas ordered an oil well operator to compensate contractor Total Energy for a worker injured on-site, finding that an agreement with a separate midstream company required the operator to cover the cost of litigation.

  • February 13, 2026

    CareDx Seeks High Court Review Of $45M False Ad Case

    Transplant diagnostics company CareDx has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Third Circuit decision that erased a nearly $45 million jury award against rival Natera in a false advertising case, arguing the appeals court is the only one that forbids juries from inferring consumer deception when determining damages.

  • February 13, 2026

    DOJ Suit Alleges Harvard Withholding Admissions Data

    The Trump administration hit Harvard University with a suit Friday claiming that the college has illegally withheld data necessary to determine whether it is following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark ruling outlawing affirmative action in admissions.

  • February 12, 2026

    Judiciary Issues 'Rule Of Law' Ethics Guidance For Judges

    Federal judiciary advisers Thursday sought to clarify ethical boundaries for judges wading into politically charged legal waters, saying jurists can rebut "illegitimate criticism" and urge stronger security amid fears of violence while also eschewing "demeaning" or "acerbic" rhetoric.

  • February 12, 2026

    Colo. Appeals Panel Backs Ex-Director's $3.36M Jury Award

    A Colorado appellate court panel affirmed on Thursday a $3.36 million jury verdict in favor of a natural gas marketing company ex-trading director, but denied him the $10 million in statutory penalties he sought, saying an earlier version of the Colorado Wage Claim Act applied.

  • February 12, 2026

    Split 5th Circ. Backs State Farm After 'Fecal Catastrophe'

    A split Fifth Circuit on Thursday agreed with a lower court's finding for State Farm that the source of sewage that flooded a Mississippi family's home absolved the insurer of coverage, while one circuit judge said Mississippi law favored the homeowners in the "disgusting tragedy."

  • February 12, 2026

    Super Micro Investor Fights Uphill At 9th Circ. To Lead Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel appeared skeptical Thursday of a Super Micro Computer Inc. investor's writ of mandamus petition challenging a lower court's decision to reject it as lead plaintiff in a proposed securities class action, with each judge expressing doubts that the investor has shown its "extraordinary" request for relief is warranted.

  • February 12, 2026

    Affairs, Spending Come Out In Goldstein Cross-Examination

    SCOTUSblog founder Thomas Goldstein was confronted Thursday with allegations of extramarital affairs, lavish spending and lies on asset disclosures, all in front of the jury in his ongoing tax fraud trial.

  • February 12, 2026

    5th Circ. Upholds Texas Ban On Compensated Vote Harvesting

    The Fifth Circuit on Thursday reinstated enforcement of Texas' felony ban on compensated vote harvesting, saying that hypothetical scenarios are not enough to claim that a law is unconstitutional.

  • February 12, 2026

    7th Circ. Takes Up BIPA Amendment's Retroactivity

    The Seventh Circuit heard arguments Thursday over whether a liability-limiting amendment to Illinois' biometric privacy law has retroactive application to lawsuits filed before it took effect, with one judge on the panel saying it seemed like "billions of dollars of consequences turn on how we label the change."

  • February 12, 2026

    Challenge To 3D-Printed Gun Law Fails, 3rd Circ. Rules

    The First Amendment does not protect the distribution of "purely functional code" that would allow for the 3D printing of guns, the Third Circuit ruled Thursday, ending a challenge to a New Jersey law from a Texas-based firearm company and a gun rights group.

  • February 12, 2026

    Pa. Panel Says Parolee Can't Have Probation Term Revoked

    A Pennsylvania appeals court vacated a sentence of a man sent back to prison for a probation violation, holding that because he was still serving a parole term when he failed to appear in court, he did not violate the terms of his probation.

  • February 12, 2026

    Row Over Forensic Expert Testimony Hits NC High Court

    Prosecutors are urging North Carolina's highest court to uphold a drug conviction thrown out on appeal, saying an appellate court deemed a key forensic expert's trial testimony unconstitutional using a flawed interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2024 decision in Smith v. Arizona.

  • February 12, 2026

    12 Questions For FCC Chair Brendan Carr

    It's been a "banger" of a year at the Federal Communications Commission, says agency chief Brendan Carr, who took over at the outset of President Donald Trump's second term with the goal of cutting regulations and quickly turning over more spectrum to the private sector.

  • February 12, 2026

    Wash. Justices To Hear Gym's Suit Over COVID-Era Inspection

    Washington's highest court will review an appellate ruling that state labor department inspectors violated an Anytime Fitness owner's reasonable expectation of privacy when they tailgated a gym member who used a key card to enter the facility during the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses were supposed to be shuttered.

  • February 12, 2026

    Tesla Says Case Transfer Boosts Mandamus Bid In PTAB Fight

    A Texas federal judge's decision to send patent infringement litigation against Tesla Inc. to California strengthens the automaker's mandamus petition claiming the Patent Trial and Appeal Board wrongly turned away its challenges, Tesla told the Federal Circuit.

  • February 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Judge Rips Into Insurer In CMS Rating Case

    A Louisiana insurer found a tough critic in one D.C. Circuit judge Thursday as it argued that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services used an unfair method to assess its "star ratings" for insurance plans, with the jurist saying the company seemed like it "just wanted whatever interpretation will give you a higher score."

  • February 12, 2026

    Split 4th Circ. Denies Stay Lift In CertainTeed Unit's Ch. 11

    A split panel of the Fourth Circuit on Wednesday upheld lower court rulings that left in place a stay of asbestos injury litigation facing the bankrupt affiliate of building material maker CertainTeed, with the majority ruling the debtor filed its case in good faith.

  • February 12, 2026

    DC Circ. Is Asked To Vet New DOT Immigrant Truck Driver Rule

    Drivers and labor unions on Thursday petitioned the D.C. Circuit to review the U.S. Department of Transportation's new final rule tightening states' screening procedures and eligibility criteria for nondomiciled commercial driver's licenses issued to immigrants.

  • February 12, 2026

    9th Circ. Judges Doubt AG-Picked Nevada US Atty Can Serve

    Two judges on a Ninth Circuit panel doubted Thursday the government's argument that a lower court erred by finding the U.S. Attorney General wrongly appointed Nevada's top federal prosecutor, with both judges repeatedly noting that the government's legal theory suggests that U.S. attorneys could circumvent the nomination process indefinitely.

  • February 12, 2026

    NC Justices Asked To Decide Gov.'s Power To Appoint Judges

    North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is asking the state's top court to review a decision that let lawmakers curtail his ability to fill judicial vacancies in appellate courts, arguing the ruling defies precedent as well as the state Constitution and must be reversed.

  • February 12, 2026

    10th Circ. Says Papa John's Franchise Can't Dodge Wage Suit

    New Mexico federal court correctly lifted a stay in a delivery driver's wage and hour suit against a Papa John's franchisee because the entity was in default after it failed to pay the arbitration fees, the Tenth Circuit ruled Thursday.

Expert Analysis

  • Texas AG Wields Consumer Protection Law Against Tech Cos.

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    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has targeted technology companies using the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, a broadly worded statute that gives the attorney general wide latitude to pursue claims beyond traditional consumer protection, creating unique litigation risks, say attorneys at Yetter Coleman.

  • Emerging Themes In Nevada High Court Civil Litigation

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    The Nevada Supreme Court issued a series of significant civil rulings in 2025 that reflect recurring themes: a restrained approach to personal jurisdiction, heightened expectations of professionalism, close scrutiny of trial conduct, and a willingness to enforce contractual provisions that other jurisdictions might reject, says Michael Lowry at Wilson Elser.

  • What To Know As Courts Rethink McDonnell-Douglas

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    Although the U.S. Supreme Court declined the latest opportunity to address the viability of the McDonnell-Douglas burden-shifting framework used in employment discrimination and retaliation claims, two justices and courts around the country are increasingly seeking to abandon it, which could potentially lead to more trials and higher litigation budgets, say attorneys at Jackson Lewis.

  • A Primer On Law Enforcement Self-Defense Doctrine

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    In the wake of several shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, misconceptions persist about what the laws governing police use of force actually permit, and it’s essential for legal practitioners to understand the contours of the underlying constitutional doctrine, says Markus Funk at White & Case.

  • Series

    Teaching Logic Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Teaching middle and high school students the skills to untangle complicated arguments and identify faulty reasoning has made me reacquaint myself with the defined structure of thought, reminding me why logic should remain foundational in the practice of law, says Tom Barrow at Woods Rogers.

  • Series

    Law School's Missed Lessons: Practicing Resilience

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    Resilience is a skill acquired through daily practices that focus on learning from missteps, recovering quickly without internalizing defeat and moving forward with intention, says Nicholas Meza at Quarles & Brady.

  • How Specificity, Self-Dealing Are Shaping ERISA Litigation

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    Several recent cases, including the U.S. Supreme Court's forthcoming ruling in Anderson v. Intel, illustrate the competing forces shaping excessive fee litigation, with plaintiffs seeking flexibility, courts demanding specificity, fiduciaries facing increased scrutiny for conflicts of interest, and self-dealing amplifying exposure, says James Beall at Willig Williams.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Terminations Galore

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    Three recent decisions from the Federal Circuit and the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals provide valuable insights about sticking to a contract's plain language, navigating breach of contract claims, and jurisdictional limits on reinstatement of a canceled contract, say attorneys at Seyfarth.

  • Opinion

    Minn. Can Still Bring State Charges In Absence Of Fed Action

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    After two fatal shootings by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota's role isn't waiting to see if the federal government brings criminal charges, but independently weighing state homicide charges and allowing the judiciary to decide whether the subject conduct falls within the narrow protections of supremacy clause immunity, says Sheila Tendy at Tendy Law.

  • State Of Insurance: Q4 Notes From Illinois

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    In 2025's last quarter, Illinois’ appellate courts weighed in on overlapping homeowners coverages for water-related damages, contractual suit limitation provisions in uninsured motorist policies, and protections for genetic health information in life insurance underwriting, while the Department of Insurance sought nationwide homeowners' insurance data from State Farm, says Matthew Fortin at BatesCarey.

  • How 2 Tech Statutes Are Being Applied To Agentic AI

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    The application of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the California Invasion of Privacy Act to agentic artificial intelligence is still developing, but recent case law, like Amazon's lawsuit against Perplexity in California federal court, provides some initial guidance for companies developing or deploying these technologies, say attorneys at Weil.

  • Defense Strategy Takeaways From Recent TCPA Class Actions

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    Although recent Telephone Consumer Protection Act decisions do not establish any bright-line tests for defeating predominance based on an argument that class members provided consent for the calls, certain trends have emerged that should inform defense strategies at class certification, say attorneys at Womble Bond.

  • NYC Bar Opinion Warns Attys On Use Of AI Recording Tools

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    Attorneys who use artificial intelligence tools to record, transcribe and summarize conversations with clients should heed the New York City Bar Association’s recent opinion addressing the legal and ethical risks posed by such tools, and follow several best practices to avoid violating the Rules of Professional Conduct, say attorneys at Smith Gambrell.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Dispatches From Utah's Newest Court

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    While a robust body of law hasn't yet developed since the Utah Business and Chancery Court's founding in October 2024, the number of cases filed there has recently picked up, and its existence illustrates Utah's desire to be top of mind for businesses across the country, says Evan Strassberg at Michael Best.

  • 4 Quick Emotional Resets For Lawyers With Conflict Fatigue

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    Though the emotional wear and tear of legal work can trap attorneys in conflict fatigue — leaving them unable to shake off tense interactions or return to a calm baseline — simple therapeutic techniques for resetting the nervous system can help break the cycle, says Chantel Cohen at CWC Coaching & Therapy.

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